ME NO PAUSE
ME NO PAUSE is an inclusive dance group for women of all ages and stages in Sheffield to connect, share, improve, support and empower through the joy of dance. Women supporting women! Set up by Community Dance Artist Charlotte Armitage, the project successfully applied to the Age-Friendly Sheffield micro-fund in late 2021.
Charlotte Armitage (aka Charlie), is the creator of ME NO PAUSE and is the driving force behind the successful ME NO PAUSE Age-friendly Sheffield micro-fund bid. Charlie is an award winning dance practitioner who works across the UK (often in partnership with other organisations) to support people to experience the benefits of movement and dance.
No stranger to working on intergenerational projects with social participation at their heart, during the pandemic, ‘Dancing with Charlie’ became a regular slot on the social calendars of people working in social care. High energy, high enthusiasm, and with a talent for delivering moments of pure joy through movement, music and dance, Charlie has an incredible reputation for inclusivity and dynamism.
A lead facilitator in Age Better in Sheffield’s Moments of Joy project (set up in response to the Covid-19 lockdowns), Charlie has good working knowledge of the challenges affecting people across their life course, and the increased risks of loneliness and social isolation that we all face as we grow older.
As a community dancer, Charlie has many years’ experience delivering dance groups and events in a variety of environments, including residential care settings. Building on her knowledge and successes, Charlie applied to the Age-Friendly Sheffield micro-fund to support the set up and delivery of a brand new dance group in late 2021.
ME NO PAUSE aims to connect women, of all ages, from all backgrounds, in supportive, healthy and sustainable activity using the medium of dance. Specifically, it works to improve the physical and mental health of people through movement, self-exploration and friendship. The project employs a test-and-learn approach, commonly used by Ageing Better linked projects, which means it is agile enough to adapt to the changing needs of communities. Beyond the group and the regular dance events though, the long-term ambition for ME NO PAUSE is to build a robust, inspirational and supportive community and women’s movement, one dance step at a time.
What people said
“It’s camaraderie with other women with the same problems as you or going through the same process as you.”
“This is brilliant to have the opportunity to dance; we have some great women from all different places and ages, and I feel so good after it. It does something to your brain, it relaxes you and makes you feel better”
“I initially came as part of my university project, then I’ve been coming since because it’s really sweet and everyone is really funny and it’s a very relaxed friendly atmosphere”.
What Next?
Would you like to learn more about Age-friendly Sheffield? We have been talking to people across Sheffield about what it means to be ‘age-friendly’ and how Sheffield can be a brilliant city for people to live at any age. Watch this video to get the story so far and join in the conversation through 100 Voices.
