Interim Programme Manager Hayley Lemon talks about her journey in dance for Discover! Creative Careers Month
My journey into a creative career was sort of accidental, but looking back now it feels like it was always meant to be! Since I was a young child, I have LOVED music and was always dancing around the living room, shopping aisle, garden, wherever there was space!
I was super lucky that my local secondary school really championed all things arts. Dance was part of the curriculum from Year 7, and I was SO excited that I got to do this as part of my school day, I had already done a few dance classes here and there, but nothing serious. I fell in love, and I found I was naturally quite good at it! I enjoyed school but there wasn’t really anything I loved about ‘learning’, other than Dance. I never really thought of it as a career though, it was just something I enjoyed. When it came to choosing my GCSEs I wanted to choose Catering (I wanted to be a chef at the time because I loved baking), but my dance teacher encouraged me to choose Dance as she was sure I would get an excellent grade, and this was all I needed to move onto A-Levels at college. Thank goodness I listened to her!
I went on to study A-Level Dance at The Sixth Form College, Colchester.
Again, I choose it because I enjoyed it, I had no idea what I wanted to do at this stage, the chef idea was now long gone! My luck continued as the Performing Arts department at the college was just as passionate as I had previously experienced at school. It became a second home to me, and I am very grateful for the guidance and support they provided, as well as encouraging and inspiring me to continue my studies at university.
I graduated with a First Class (BA) Hons in Dance and Professional Practice from The University of Bedfordshire (UOB) in 2017. This was a real achievement to me as I had found the written side of my studies at college really challenging, exams just didn’t suit me, but I found my stride through my dissertation. My university years were some of the best years of my life, dancing all day every day, working with professional choreographers and finding out more about myself through movement was just what I needed. I had some great lecturers that were all working in a variety of roles in the Dance sector and this really inspired me to pursue a career in the creative industry.
Some of my highlights include
working on the Mind Me and Hear & Now projects. Both projects gave me the opportunity to perform with members of the local community in a professional capacity, work with professional dance artists, as well as local organisations and charities such as The Philharmonia Orchestra and Mind Charity.
Both projects involved
performing with live musicians, choreographing, working with other professional dancers and choreographers as well as those from the community in youth groups and dementia choirs. Both projects felt like a real culmination of everything I had been learning about dance and myself. It was something I never would have even dreamed of doing when I was younger and it also informed everything I now stand for in my work today. I stayed at UOB and graduated with a Distinction MA in Dance Performance and Choreography in 2018. This is where my journey with DanceEast began.
Once returning to Essex I started freelancing and trying to find my feet in the world of Dance in the East. I went back to the college and worked with them as an Artist in Residence, making a new piece of choreography on their A-Level students. We applied for U.Dance East and were chosen to represent the Eastern Region of the UK at their regional festival in London.
I felt well supported by the staff at DanceEast from the moment I stepped into the building.
A few members of the Creative Team (who I now work with today) came to support the group at the U.Dance National Event. From there, I worked on a number of projects with DanceEast as a freelance tutor, working with schools, charities, young people, students on the degree course and the CAT scheme. They also provided opportunities for me to further my learning, including recommending me for programmes such as Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures Overture.
The opportunities the DanceEast team offered me felt endless.
I always knew they were on the phone if I needed help or support. I began teaching on the Class Programme in 2019 and have since taught many of the classes (including over Zoom during Covid) right up until July this year. I have always loved the community feel of the building and been hugely inspired by the work the team produce.
I was super excited to join DanceEast full-time as Programme Coordinator in 2024, and more recently to take on the role of Interim Programme Manager.
My experience so far has sparked a real passion for championing creative careers and inspiring young people from all backgrounds to explore their potential. I feel incredibly fortunate to have found my way into a creative career, and I know firsthand how much difference the right support can make. To now be part of the Creative Team, developing our class programme and other creative initiatives at DanceEast, feels like a full-circle moment. I’m excited to see where this takes me next, and I hope to continue playing a part in opening doors for young people in Suffolk and beyond, just as others once did for me.
Hayley Lemon
As part of Discover! Creative Careers Month, DanceEast will be posting a blogs, behind the scenes content and interviews with our team, exploring the breadth of roles within the dance/creative industry. Follow us on socials to keep up to date!
