Hamzah's story
“I have learned a lot and was excited every week for our sessions together.”
discover more >Our Splash! artist, Helen, talks about her experience playing the role of Flo and what she’s working on now.
My name is Helen and I’m a dancer, actress, and wannabe musician.
Last summer, I was offered a role in an East Midlands touring production of ‘Splash!’ which tells the story of Flo’, a determined young woman with a disability who, after many underwater adventures of her own, teaches her lockkeeper Grandad to swim.
When the show ended in September 2019, there was talk of maybe doing a UK tour in 2021/2022, but, of course, Covid and Lockdown have put all our dreams on hold for now.
I’m very lucky. I have friends and family who support me, and I keep busy co-leading weekly online inclusive dance classes with a company I joined back in 2017 called DanceSyndrome which is based in Preston.
Here are some links to the weekly free and paid sessions run by DanceSyndrome
Join us on Zoom!
New Ballet, Jazz & Relax sessions also starting soon
I do other stuff as well… weekly online violin lessons, regular walks/bike rides along the promenade close to where we live etc – but I still miss my daily gym’ and swimming sessions.
And then recently, out of the blue, I get offered the chance of reprising the role of Flo’ in Splash!, though this time an online digital production. I was also asked to create an original dance piece.
The best bit is that I’m working with two of the original show’s cast: Puppeteer Nikki Charlesworth, plus aerial gymnast/dancer, Rebecca Solomon.
Aside from the online stuff, and weather permitting, it also involves me getting videoed ‘ doing ‘wild/open’ swimming in our local marine lake. Not for the faint hearted if you are scared of jellyfish!