4Motion Youth Ambassadors - Willow & Freya
Willow
Hi, I’m Willow. I’m part of 4MYA (4Motion Youth Ambassadors) and I dance in three 4Motion classes a week. I’ve been a part of the community for around three years now and I have loved every second of it! I’ve always danced since I was a little kid, but I really became passionate about it, and began to work hard to see it as more than just my after-school fun, when I joined 4Motion.
They’ve helped me realise just how much you learn with dance and how much of a talent it is to, not only be a dancer, but a teacher and director. I find myself now listening to music in beats of 8 and subconsciously imagining choreography that’d suit the song choice! And I love just how much it has altered my way of thinking.
But that’s not WHY I love to dance (it’s some of the unfortunate side effects). I love dancing because it’s an escape. You don’t have to dance in one set style or way, and while there are more technical sides of things, when you’re listening to music and you have the ability to move your body along to it as you please, it’s almost as though nothing else matters in that moment (other than remembering to point your toes!).
As someone who has struggled through my last few years, dance has helped me to grow more confident in myself and also provided a great support system. I’ve made some of my closest friends through 4Motion and I couldn’t thank everyone in the community enough, whether they helped me through costume changes at shows or if I helped in one of their classes; they have all made the experience that much more enjoyable!
I couldn’t point out only one memorable moment with 4Motion, as I have been offered countless opportunities and each one has been incredible and, most importantly, just fun. So here’s a short list of all the moments that meant the most to me:
Festival on the Estate 2019. This day meant so much to me as this is where my friendship with my two best friends really established and it was a beautiful day; some of the dances performed were incredible especially the peaky blinders dance!
The loneliness project. In the span of ONE WEEK we choreographed a 30 minute long dance based around the theme of loneliness, incorporating the experience of the few girls who were able to visit older people in a local care home and recount their lives.
The summer project with Sarah. This dance may not have been one of my favourites but the experience itself was so enjoyable. I got to wake up everyday excited to see my friends, mess around and dance with them. When it came to the performance (our friend Sierra had learnt the dance in under an hour), we were all quite shocked by the positive outcome of the dance.
I’ll never forget my experience with 4Motion. I hope I can continue to dance and, with the help of all my amazing teachers, further my abilities and continue making more memories!
Freya
Hi, my name is Freya and I have been dancing with 4Motion for almost four years now. I love dance because it makes me feel so free and like an escape from reality. I love being a part of 4Motion because everyone is so friendly and welcoming, and it feels like being part of a community. I do three dance classes a week and each one is different from the others, which is really cool.
Since the beginning of lockdown, I have loved joining in with the online Zoom dance classes every week. It is so nice to be able to see everyone again and it brings a bit of normality back to each week.
One of my favourite parts of working with 4Motion is the Festival on the Estate. This is a fun filled evening where we perform our dances for that term outside in the car park area for the Estate. Family can sit on beanbags to watch and it is just a very chilled evening. My favourite memory was performing at the Woking Dance Festival. It was such a fun day spending it with everyone and performing the dance on such an amazing stage.