My Classes
During my sessions, I always encourage participants to do as little or as much as feels right for them. I believe our body’s know what they are capable of and I want to encourage people to listen to, and trust, their bodies.
Steady and Strong Dance, North Baddesley
Mondays
10.30 am - 11.30 am
North Baddesley Village Hall, Botley Road, North Baddesley, SO52 9DT
Cost: £10 (pay as you go), £8.50 if you pay monthly in advance
My sessions are specifically designed for older adults with a combination of chair-based and standing sequences. They will aid the development of posture, coordination, balance and strength. They are a fantastic way to improve fitness in a safe environment.
Active Living, Southampton
Wednesdays (starting 1st March 2023)
9.30 am - 10.30 am
Shirley Baptist Church, Church St, Southampton, SO15 5LG
Cost: £10 (pay as you go), £8.50 if you pay monthly in advance
My chair-based sessions are specifically designed for the elderly or other frail participants with a combination of chair-based and some standing sequences. They will aid the development of posture, coordination, balance and strength. They are a fantastic way to improve fitness in a protected environment.
African and Caribbean Dance Club, St Deny’s
Wednesdays
12 pm - 1 pm
Priory Road Hall, 65 Priory Road Hall, St Denys SO17 2PQ
FREE* African Caribbean Community – free with membership
My chair-based sessions are specifically designed for older adults with a combination of chair-based and standing sequences. They will aid the development of posture, coordination, balance and strength. They are a fantastic way to improve fitness in a safe environment.
Steady and Strong Dance, Chandlers Ford
Thursdays
9.30 am - 10.30 am
St Boniface Church, Hursley Road, Chandlers Ford, SO53 2FT
Cost: £10 (pay as you go), £8.50 if you pay monthly in advance
My sessions are specifically designed for older adults with a combination of chair-based and standing sequences. They will aid the development of posture, coordination, balance and strength. They are a fantastic way to improve fitness in a safe environment.
Steady and Strong Dance, Chandlers Ford
Thursdays
9.30 am - 10.30 am
St Boniface Church, Hursley Road, Chandlers Ford, SO53 2FT
Cost: £10 (pay as you go), £8.50 if you pay monthly in advance
My sessions are specifically designed for older adults with a combination of chair-based and standing sequences. They will aid the development of posture, coordination, balance and strength. They are a fantastic way to improve fitness in a safe environment.
Dance for Parkinson’s, Eastleigh
Thursdays (term time only)
1.30 pm - 3 pm
The Point, Leigh Rd, Eastleigh SO50 9DE
Cost: £5 (pay as you go) Carers welcome
A social and uplifting movement class designed specifically for the symptoms of Parkinson’s, helping to increase general mobility, confidence and social and emotional well-being. I am a community dance practitioner and I have extensive experience in offering gentle movement classes to older people.
Steady and Strong 12-week Programme, Nursling
Fridays
10.00 am - 11.00 am
Nursling & Rownhams Village Hall, Nursling Street, Nursling, Southampton SO16 0XH
Cost: £10 (pay as you go)
Building on the foundations of our standard Steady and Strong classes, this 12-week programme is ideal if you’d like to develop your strength, balance and mobility further. We’ll work through a range of carefully structured exercises to help you become stronger, steadier and more mobile, always working at a level that feels right for you.
One-to-one sessions
Sometimes, a little more individual attention can make a real difference. A one-to-one session with me is all about you, your needs and what you’d like to achieve. Having that time together means we can really focus on where you are now, what you’d like to improve and, just as importantly, what you’d like to feel more confident doing.
One-to-one sessions are one hour long and cost £50
A reduced rate is available if needed. Please don't hesitate to get in touch for more information.
With my PSI training and experience of working with people individually, I can tailor each session to suit you. Exercises can be adapted to your abilities and gradually progressed as you become stronger and more comfortable with the movements.
Whether you’d like to improve your strength, balance or mobility, feel more confident getting down to and up from the floor, or simply find everyday movement easier, we’ll work together at a pace that feels right for you.
Having my full attention also gives us time to notice how your body moves and respond to what it needs. We can take things gently, make adjustments when needed and build things up gradually, helping you feel safe, comfortable and confident along the way.
Where appropriate, I can also give you some simple exercises to practise between sessions. This can help you build on the work we do together and make movement a more natural part of everyday life.
There’s no rushing and no pressure to push yourself beyond what feels right. It’s about taking the time to understand your body, building your confidence and discovering what you’re capable of with the right guidance and encouragement.
If getting to a class or venue isn’t always practical, one-to-one sessions can also take place in the comfort of your own home. Working in a familiar environment can be particularly helpful if you’re more comfortable exercising at home.
My aim is simple: to help you move well, feel stronger, maintain your independence and enjoy what your body can do. One-to-one sessions give you the time and space to work towards that in a way that is completely personal to you.
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Gerald’s experience is one of the reasons I’m so passionate about offering one-to-one sessions.
Gerald came to one of my seated movement classes wanting to improve his overall mobility and ease of movement. But he also had a very specific goal: he wanted to feel more confident getting down to the floor and back up again.
Working with Gerald individually gave us the time to look more closely at how he moved and understand what might be getting in the way. We noticed that some of his joints were quite stiff, particularly his big toes, so we started simply with some gentle flexibility exercises to bring more movement and awareness to his feet.
After a few weeks, we introduced a tennis ball into our sessions. Gerald began rolling it underneath his feet and gradually transferring some of his weight onto it, encouraging greater mobility through his feet and toes.
It was a small thing, but over time it made a real difference. As the movement in his toes improved, getting up from the floor became easier too. They were no longer such a significant barrier when he needed to push himself back up to standing.
We also noticed that Gerald’s neck and upper body posture were quite stooped. When we first started doing floor-based exercises, he needed a thick pillow to support his head and neck. Gradually, through gentle mobility work, strengthening exercises, postural awareness and, importantly, learning to relax, his comfort and posture improved considerably.
A big part of Gerald’s progress came from what he did between our sessions too. He regularly practised the exercises we worked on together and became increasingly active in other ways. He started going to the gym, attended Tai Chi classes and continued coming to my chair-based and floor-based movement classes.
Gerald was motivated and willing to put time and effort into improving his physical ability, confidence and independence. But his story is also a lovely reminder that progress doesn’t always come from doing something big. Often, it’s the small things, done regularly and with the right support, that begin to add up.
For me, that’s what makes one-to-one work so valuable. We can take the time to understand where you are now, focus on what matters to you, and find movements and exercises that work for your body and your everyday life.
Everyone is different, and everyone’s starting point is different. Sometimes, having that extra time and individual attention is all you need to begin discovering what you’re capable of.
What the classes mean to the participants…
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I was pleasantly surprised and thoroughly enjoyed myself.
People were friendly and our dance teacher Gabriel was just what we needed. He had a calming effect and he took time for and care of anyone that needed it.
After our stretching and massaging the icing on the cake was we were all ready to move to his music.
Thank you, Gabriel and all those involved in this making this work happen. I'm glad I came. I'm enjoying meeting new people and it got us out the house.
At the end of the session, I felt more supple
Carole Johnson
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Do your good beat to keep feet
Exercise your body and mind
And good health you should find
Join in with the tune and
feel over the moon
Relax and unwind until
You find true peace of mindR.P. Coge