A MALTON-based dance teacher has been shortlisted for a national award.

Angela Kirkham, managing director of Kirkham Henry Performing Arts Centre in Horsemarket Road, is one of just four nominees for the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) awards 2024 in the Dance for wellbeing category.

The award acknowledges an RAD teacher whose efforts have brought about a profound and positive change in the overall wellbeing of individuals through dance.

In 2011 Angela was invited to attend a pilot programme to be able to teach Dance for people living with Parkinson's at Roehampton institute London on a collaborative course with English National Ballet and Mark Morris Dance company USA.

Angela was so taken with this programme she continued her training and dancing with Parkinson's classes began in York, through the Parkinson's UK York Branch.

The award-winning Dancing with Parkinson's program, founded in 2001, offers specialised dance classes to people with Parkinson’s, their families, friends and care partners online, and through our 25 countries around the world. Dancing with Parkinson's classes invite people with Parkinson’s to experience the joys and benefits of dance while creatively addressing symptom-specific concerns related to balance, cognition, motor skill, depression and physical confidence.

Angela said: “ I am honoured and humbled after hearing I am shortlisted and wish to thank everyone who were kind enough to nominate me. I feel this is for Kirkham Henry not just me, especially Michaela and Joanne who work with me at our Dancing for Parkinson’s, neurological disorder, sight support classes and all children’s, young people and community classes.”

The Award winners will be announced at Members’ Day 2024 this weekend in a special ceremony hosted by Alexander Campbell, former Principal dancer of The Royal Ballet and the new RAD Artistic Director, and featuring special guest performances by choreographic sensation and Studio Wayne McGregor dancer Jordan James Bridge and Birmingham Royal Ballet.

The Directors of Kirkham Henry and Trustees of Friends of Kirkham Henry said they were very proud that Angela has been shortlisted for the award.

"On behalf of all the Directors of Kirkham Henry , We are thrilled to hear of your nomination Angela for RAD’s 2024 Teacher Awards, in the category of Dance for Well-being. This is so well deserved and it’s lovely to see all the dedicated work that you and your teaching colleagues continue to do for our community and the well-being dance classes is getting recognised. Angela, you have always gone above and beyond to continue providing these classes despite having to work tirelessly looking for funding to help renovate and repair the building and changing facilities for our community, old and young and to make sure that dance for well being is accessible to all , no matter what.

"We thank you, along with many and wish you the best of luck for the award ceremony at the Royal Academy of Dance, in London."