Louise Howitt, Director

Louise grew up passionate about dance, having trained in ballet, modern and contemporary. She went on to pursue a medical career, qualifying in 2014 and working during and after her degree in the areas of paediatrics and learning disability. When she moved away from the NHS in 2016, she delved into the world of community dance, with a desire to make dance accessible and inclusive for everyone, building on her experiences in the medical world. She worked as a community dance facilitator for number of years in the areas of early years, in SEN and mainstream schools, with adults with learning disabilities and in residential homes. She also Project Managed for XLP (a London youth charity), and at the Royal Opera House, managing their primary school outreach programme, Chance to Dance.

Louise has now returned to the NHS as a trainee psychiatrist and is interested in the interplay between the arts and mental health. She has trained as an NHS Learning Disability Champion and also has Level 3 Makaton training.

Louise firmly believes that everyone should have access to dance, and her inclusive practice stems from an understanding that each individual can bring something new and unique to the art form. She firmly believes in the ethos of DanceSyndrome; inclusion, collaboration and artistic excellence, and hopes that her work as Vice Chair will be able to bring these values to a wider number of people across the UK.