Natalia Barua

Natalia has worked in participation as a  practitioner, facilitator and producer for nearly a decade – designing,  leading and supporting community-focused and professional projects.  Natalia offers inclusive and integrated sessions and specialises in  working with children and young people and groups with specialist needs.

Natalia has developed and delivered high-quality dance projects with  vulnerable young people, for adults experiencing mental health issues,  worked for charities such as Mencap and NACRO, in primary, secondary and  SEN schools across England and Scotland, facilitated social development  programmes in deprived communities and has been employed by leading  dance organisations including East London Dance,  English National Ballet School, YDance and Royal Academy of Dance’s Step  Into Dance programme. Natalia works with children’s theatre  organisation, Lyra as Engagement Artist and her work designing and  delivering their lockdown programme received the Creative Edinburgh 2020 Award.

Natalia was Co-Director for Diverse Dance,  an inclusive community dance organisation from 2013 – 2017. Her  choreographic work with their young people was performed at venues such  as LOST Theatre, Siobhan Davies Dance Studios, Southbank Centre  (Unlimited Festival) and Big Dance Bus.

Aside from her productions with children and young people, her  videodance and community-focused practices have most recently come  together during residence with COAST youth dance company (PDSW), and leading screendance workshops at Dance North as part of Inverness Film Festival. In 2017 Natalia led a 2-week videodance project for young people at the prestigious Roundhouse and in 2016 worked with Stratford Circus Arts Centre on a dance film project with young offenders.

Natalia frames her sessions under a model of the teacher as  ‘facilitator’ and encourages participants in her class to take ownership  of movement and choreography via working creatively and motivating  individual expression through improvisation and play. She embeds  Contemporary, West African, and Streetdance styles within her creative  sessions. For settings more focused on technical development for  participants, Natalia’s sessions are based on somatic approaches to  floorwork and release technique, contact/partnering work and imagery.

More information: nataliabarua.com