The Water Holds the Sky: Lewes Dance for Parkinson's Group Takes to the Stage
- Jul 15
- 2 min read
In April 2026, members of the Create Dance Parkinson's Lewes group stepped onto the stage at THRIVE, an adult dance platform hosted by Cascade Dance at Trinity Theatre in Tunbridge Wells. It was a memorable opportunity to share their work with a wider audience and celebrate the creativity, confidence and connection that dance can inspire.
The group performed The Water Holds the Sky, an original choreography inspired by words from Hilda Conkling's poem Water. Their moving performance explored themes of nature, reflection and human connection.
For some of the dancers, performing on stage was something they had never imagined they would do. One participant reflected:
"I would never have joined a dance class, much less performed on stage, if not for my Parkinson's. I gained a huge sense of achievement and satisfaction. I didn't know that I could do this sort of thing."
Dance has a unique ability to bring people together. Through creating and performing this piece, the group found strength in moving as one, sharing their lived experiences and supporting each other throughout the creative process.
About The Water Holds the Sky
The Water Holds the Sky explores our place in nature and our relationship to one another. Created and performed by dancers living with Parkinson’s, the piece celebrates the strength and connection that develop when we move together. At the heart of the piece is the idea of mirroring - one person echoing another in gesture and rhythm. As movements are shared and reflected, a powerful sense of togetherness grows. With movement inspired by the poem ‘Water’ by Hilda Conkling, the dance expands this idea of reflection into the natural world. Just as water holds the image of the sky - “the sky is held in the water” - we hold and are held by those around us. Through shifting patterns and shared movement, the dancers create a living landscape of images that ripple, return and transform. The Water Holds the Sky invites us to see ourselves in each other, and to recognise the beauty and resilience that exists within everyone.
We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Cascade Dance for their warm welcome and for creating such an inclusive and inspiring platform through THRIVE. Opportunities like these demonstrate the transformative power of dance and the importance of making performance accessible to everyone.
Performance Credits
Piece: The Water Holds the Sky
Choreographers: Katharine le Roux, Annie Waller and Jess Lloyd
Performers: Members of the Create Dance for Parkinson's Lewes group, East Sussex
Photography by @bendandsnapphotography
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