Birmingham-based Propel Dance, the UK’s first professional wheelchair dance company, has announced its biggest tour to date with Momentum, a new showcase celebrating the talent and creativity of disabled dancers.
Supported by a £54,931 investment from Arts Council England, the tour will visit four venues across the Midlands and Lincolnshire between November 2026 and February 2027.
Featuring seven short works performed as solos, duets and a quartet, Momentum combines contemporary dance with para dance sport techniques to create a programme described by the company as joyful, powerful and technically ambitious.
Photo Credit: Dani Bower
The tour opens at Fletchers Theatre, Nottingham College, on the 4th November, followed by performances at The Mac Birmingham on the 11th November, the Terry O’Toole Theatre in North Hykeham on the 5th December, and The Warwick Arts Centre on the 19th February 2027.
Each performance will feature Propel Dance’s five company members alongside a guest professional disabled artist and a local inclusive or community dance group, giving emerging performers the opportunity to share the stage with professional dancers.
Photo Credit: credit: Dani Bower
Returning dancers Rebecca Fowler and Lauren Russell will be joined by new company members Jay Whitehead, Poppy Jones and Katie McConnell, representing the next generation of disabled dance artists.
Co-Directors Helen Mason and Amy Dalton-Hardy said:
“Momentum feels like a really important moment for Propel Dance. This is our biggest tour to date and a chance to bring together everything that makes the company so exciting – incredible professional dancers, bold and ambitious choreography, emerging young talent and the communities we work with around the country.
We want every performance to feel like a celebration. The work is joyful, powerful and full of energy, but what makes this tour particularly special is that every venue will also welcome a guest disabled artist and a local community group to the stage. We’re incredibly proud to be creating space for more disabled dancers, at every stage of their journey, and we can’t wait to share Momentum with audiences.”
Emma Bouch, Dance Development Manager at the Terry O’Toole Theatre added: “We are absolutely thrilled to partner with Propel Dance as they bring Momentum to the Terry O’Toole Theatre. We’re incredibly excited to welcome such a pioneering and inspiring dance company to our community and to be part of a performance that puts inclusive dance centre stage. It’s going to be particularly exciting to see our local Youth Dance groups and Unify Dance Company performing alongside Propel in the production. This is an amazing opportunity for them to share the stage with professional disabled dancers, build their confidence, be inspired, and show audiences what they can achieve.
Tickets are priced at £12, with accessible seating available. Further information and booking details are available through www.propeldance.uk
