Meet the Artist: Amy Smith
Find out more about the artists delivering your darts activities
Amy Smith is a community dance artist who delivers dance sessions for participants aged 50+ as part of our Dance On project and for early years children and their parents/guardians as part of our Tuneful Chatter programme.
Amy has been working with darts now for over 2 years. She says:
My time working at darts is always a joy and humbles me. darts is such a caring charity and holds space for their artists to learn from each other, take creative risks and be reflective. Through the support of darts, I’ve been able to pick up a passion from my childhood, and now lead dance sessions in schools, nurseries and church halls. Moving with children and older adults is such a force of positivity and it is so uplifting to see, hear and feel for myself the wellbeing that dance can bring to connect people of all ages. It’s a dream to be dancing with people in my own home City!
What made you become a dancer?
I began my journey in dance when I was 7 and loved learning different dance styles (Ballet, Tap and Modern), being part of big show numbers with my dance school and learning from Senior dancers who went on to Performing Arts School. I then went to University and that part of my life was put on hold for a while until I became a Zumba Instructor. It feels so incredible to now be dancing and moving with communities across Doncaster and return to a practice that brought me so much confidence, happiness and drive.
Can you tell us a bit more about your practice?
In 2025, I secured an Arts Council England Developing Your Creative Practice grant to shadow other artists working in older adult’s dance, complete a Postural Stability Instructor course to support adults at risk of falls, and learn from organisations who specialise in delivering Dance with Parkinson’s. I’m learning that there are so many passionate and motivating professionals out there who are improving the lives of individuals mentally, physically and creatively. A community dance session is a powerful force of change in someone’s week and it is a privilege to be a part of that.