Welcome To The Moving Mission Podcast!

Welcome to the very first episode of "The Moving Mission," where hosts Anne-Marie Martin from diddi dance and Jack Wells, also known as the One Leg Dancer, dive into the world of dance, movement, and the power of inclusivity. In this episode, we explore:

• Anne-Marie's Journey: Discover how Anne-Marie's early love for dance evolved into a career spanning performances worldwide, teaching, and founding Diddy Dance, which focuses on preschool dance classes.
• Jack's Inspirational Story: Hear Jack's compelling narrative from enjoying dance and music to facing life as an amputee and redefining his dance style on TikTok, proving that limitations are just a state of mind.
• The TikTok Phenomenon: Delve into how TikTok became a platform for both Anne-Marie and Jack to showcase their passion for dance and connect with a wider audience during the lockdown.
• Dance as a Universal Language: Discuss the impact of dance and movement on mental health and how it can be a tool for self-expression and confidence-building, regardless of one's physical abilities.
• Inclusivity in Motion: Learn about the importance of representation in dance and sports, emphasising that movement is for everyone, and how diverse abilities can enrich the dance community.
• Future Plans and Aspirations: Get a sneak peek into what "The Moving Mission" aims to achieve, including future episodes featuring guests from various movement and sports backgrounds.

Join us in this uplifting journey where we celebrate the joy of movement and the importance of including everyone in the dance of life. Stay tuned for engaging discussions, inspiring stories, and a shared love for getting up and moving!

Proudly edited by Mike Roberts of Making Digital Real

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Transcript

Unknown: 0:02

Hello, and welcome to the moving mission podcast with me, Amory Martin from Delhi Dance. And me, Jack wills, the one that dancer Join us as we discussed the importance of moving impact inclusion and benefits for both physical and mental health. Hi, so welcome to our first episode of the moving mission with me and Marie Martin from D dance. And me Jack was the one like dancer. So today, we just want to give you a little bit of an introduction into why we've started this podcast. And also give you a bit of background I suppose on us too, and what moving means to us. So should we go ladies first? Why not? Exactly. To talk about? Well, probably I do like to. Oh, we go. I know already. It is started you can see. But as this podcast is going to sound to you, though. So for me, I danced from a very early age. I started I think my first dance class at the age of three, I did a level dance, I went on and did a degree in dance I was lucky enough to perform all around the world in contemporary dance and also commercial work. And then I moved into teaching work, and then did a dance, which is preschool dance classes for babies and toddlers that came about 20 years ago, this year. So for me, the benefits of moving to me for music is really about that first introduction being a really positive one, that little children are seeing dance in a really fun way and just not being put off by it being too disciplined and too formal. So we're just a first introduction, did X for moving to music, and then once they hit school age, they can move on to more formal dance classes then, but I want to hopefully, instil a love of movement that will last a lifetime. So what about you, Jack? Obviously, with my professional background as well, that's just non existent. So mine's slightly different story in the sense that obviously, I was born same as everyone else, two limbs, two legs, all of this and whatever. But then five years ago, become an amputee. So it was a whole new test for me. I've always enjoyed music and dance, but to now delve into doors and on one leg is completely different, a different spin on things, but it's definitely showing that, you know, whatever, Billy, you've got whatever disability you've got, if you like, you can still get fully into it. So what what made you decide to go on Tik Tok and dance. So my sort of inspiration, if you like, was more just to challenge myself just to see I saw, you know, a lot of people on Tik Tok that, like I say were made from dancing backgrounds coming up with trends and stuff like that. And it was almost like, I wonder if I can do that and I've only got one leg but you know, I reckon I could give a few of these you know, trends ago and the response I got, you know, you know, other people were shorter than other MBTs like oh my god this amazing how long did it take you to balance like that and stuff like that. And it's it's really encouraged a lot of other people to then kind of join in and want to start their own kind of ticked off page and stuff like that. So yeah, hugely, I suppose. Did you join in 2020? Yeah, so it was in lockdown. I think. So yeah, it was just I didn't even I wasn't even on Tiktok myself it was my wife just did and she was the one watching it and she was kind of you know, I think you should give these kinds of directions ago and then you know, obviously the rest is history and you know, I'm where I am now. Yeah, so did you like to dance anyway before? Because you're a good mover Yeah, I think I've got rhythm yeah but I I was always quite shy to be honest. So even when you did like family parties weddings and stuff like that I wasn't the first light to light Oh come on. Let's get generally wasn't like as a kid our you'd never would have seen me on a dance floor. But then I kind of left school found alcohol which Sandra you know I'm not don't recommend it. I don't do any more just tea for me. Um, but yeah, and then kind of went out to like clubs and stuff and it was just a kind of different feel and I don't know with the group of mates I was we've I felt more confident to go on the dance floor I suppose. And then I did then kind of do more at weddings and bits and pieces but I was never I'll never have class myself as a dancer. I have like specific moves it was more just feeling the music and enjoying yourself rather than worrying about always my you know anything look into professionally was just feeling what went with the music at the time kind of thing. Rather than thinking about too much what you look like, it's more just enjoying yourself. I think women in clubs always like a male that can dance as well. Yeah, I suppose I wasn't quite drunk. I wasn't quite drunk. I don't think anyone ever approached me because they were like, This guy. It was more like, he's definitely had too much to drink. Okay, but you don't you go either way, you know, you're either gonna get up and have a move or you just stay at the bar. And yeah, but that that was kind of my first experience of realising how much I enjoyed dancing. Probably, yeah, go into sort of clubs and stuff like that, because it was kind of just everyone was dancing. So it's fine. If you feel a bit more like, look more stupid if I'm not. Right. Okay. In a sense, my hope is my husband would disagree. Yeah. Well, yeah, he got into dance. So he never by the end of this series, I reckon. Yeah. I wouldn't hold your breath. I think for the good of the podcast, I think, right? Yeah. Everyone needs to see him dance a little bit, probably not to submit a two step or something. So I think if you you must realise you were you had some decent rhythm, though. And you had some decent? Yeah, I think I've always, to be honest, one thing I'd love would have loved to be able to do was sing because I've always felt I've got rhythm, but I can't sing. I'm not going to show any showcasing now. But yeah, I feel I've always had a good sort of feel for rhythm. But yeah, I suppose I'm alright. Dancing. I don't when we do our dances together. To be fair, I think we're very in sync on it. I think sometimes because you look too overtrained. Maybe I'm a bit more freestyling call? I'd say all right. So I know the younger, the younger. You're down with the kids. And I'm like, older I knew I was wondering when at this point, you would bring our age difference in our relationship. It's always been that kind of Mother Son. Oh, cause that's why I said about not, you know, I sit here and do as I'm told. And yeah, you know, you're the one asking all the questions. I'm just sitting there going. Cannot talk yet or Oh, brilliant. We've gone there with. I'm trying to keep this alive. Jack trying to keep it afloat? No, but I think I could talk about what I do all day long. But I think the inspiration comes from really the work that we now do together, which is promoting moving for everyone. Yeah. And showing everybody, let's focus on ability, not disability, you are the prime example of that. So you're such an inspiration to me, and everybody who follows you that look at this dance trend. Well, hey, actually look at how I do it. Yeah, and it's great. And then when we do the ones together, everybody sees where you can see it. Just to see it, like side by side then of kind of people doing exactly the same dance but having to adapt it. Obviously you did attempt to do it on one leg once I got that? Yeah. The quadricep was not thankful but awful, awful. You don't know. Yeah, but I tell you what, that is what it proves just not only all the coordination and the balance that you've got, but actually all the stamina and the strength you have in your right leg. Because it's yeah, just hopping for 15 seconds is actually quite hard. Wow. Really hard. Really hard. So you know, big credit there. But so I mean, we met through Tiktok as well. And I would you must have come up on my for you page because back in 2020 It really was yeah, a lot of dancing. Yeah. So it's kind of the main Yeah, we're all doing the main trends. We're all doing the main that we see that dun dun did it. It didn't didn't. Terrible. Ah, there you go. So I probably joined a little bit later than that. So you kept popping up on my feed. And you were doing loads of lives at the time as well. So I'd be on there commenting and it will really like what you're doing. Yeah, we just got chatting. Yeah. And then I think it was our love of strictly that brought us to the friendship that is yes, I think that's right. We do. I think we did a did a live together one stint where we ended up one Sunday afternoon been on for hours. Yeah. I think just pretty much my eyes would have been on FaceTime as well. That's how many views Yeah, but I think that strictly is another good example. But I think we've how far things have come in the sort of how inclusive not just dance but other sports. Stuff like that can be in showing the representation of what they've now got on on strictly. Yeah. Did you think when you first came on Tik Tok Oh, this is I'm I really want to show what people of different abilities can do actually think I really gave it a kind of it was kind of scary to do, I suppose. But it was more once I had the response that I got that I realised it could be more than just something for myself, that you realise actually, every time I'm putting something out, there's someone that's responding quite positively to that. And that's made their day or that's made them get up and do something and sort of go, got I feel really down and haven't been sort of wanting to do anything. I've seen you hopping around my screen, and all of a sudden, it's like, I'll come on, I can get up and do something today. Yeah, I think it wasn't my intention when I first went on the app tonight, right? I'm gonna show everyone. I'm an amputee, I can do this. Yeah, but as well as entertaining, and I think that is definitely what what tick tock is about, I think it was the messages you will get in of people going. Actually, I've now tried this, because I can see what you're able to do. Definitely. So yeah, you're very entertaining, but also is inspiring others to get up now as well. And I think that's what came from us working together. And now doing this is we want to try and inspire people just to be moving not just dancing. But you know, we've got guests coming up from all different sorts of physical activity everywhere. And just to talk about why they got into it, or how they got into it, what it means to them, and how it can inspire others. Yeah, they do. I think there's just some times that people can get a little bit bogged down in their sort of everyday life and not realising that something as simple as going out for a walk with maybe a bit of music or something, how much actually that can put you in a different mindset. Yeah, for the rest of the day. You know, my early experiences of music wasn't that I would dance to it, but it was just a good day or a good tune would just suddenly go, just you kind of forget about everything else. But touching on that then so what people may not know is music actually got you through some of your lower times as a child as well. Oh, yeah. You were saying your CT scans? Tell us a bit about that. Yeah, so I had, like full body radiotherapy when I was younger. I had leukaemia and one of the things when it's quiet, I can't actually remember how long so it was a half hour an hour treatment at a time. But they were playing music of my own kind of playlist at the time, although it was on probably some sort of cassette tape sign that I recorded without with my dad where you have to like, yeah, and all of that. But yeah, it's kind of a lot of my memories are linked to music in a certain song comes on, it takes you back to that moment. And I've got quite a few songs from the start of that playlist, that as soon as I hear them, I'm almost like, I'm laying back in that room again. And you know, yeah, and I think that's what music can do. Good and bad. You know, I have certain songs that remind you of a funeral, but then other ones that remind you of, oh, I remember that part. He was out. Yeah, that was the first time I heard this song and stuff like that. Yeah. So I think progress moving to music is is a key thing. Yeah. I mean, for others, it might be sport. It might be just taking the dog for a walk. Definitely. Yeah. But we then pushed a little bit further on Tik Tok didn't weigh on both of our different channels. So for me, it's a business account called Diddy dance. Your personal one, it's one leg dancer, but sort of height of locked down. We both started doing dance in lives didn't Yeah, so mine was more. You know, as a dance teacher, mine was more I'm gonna lead a dance session, do a warm up, explore it a little routine, and we just do it. And the push really was about just, it's not about the routine. It's not about doing everything being perfect because you're not in front of anybody else or in the comfort of your own home. But about listen to the tunes. Just get moving, whether you're seated, whether you have a different ability, or physical difference, do as as much as you feel comfortable doing because the mental health benefits were great when we were all locked down especially Can we just and I felt it as a dancer and dance teacher being locked in this house and trying to deliver toddler dance classes online which, you know, was always going to be a struggle. Doing that three times a week was great for my mentor. And I were saying things like you know, just close your eyes, move to the music. Don't even do the choreography choreography if you don't want Want to, but just let that song take you away to a place, visualise that you're on the beach or you're at a party with friends for a lot. It was their way of having that human interaction. Although you were on a screen and they're, you know, just typing comments. Yeah, everyone felt part of them lives. But they were really popular. Well, yeah. And then you took it to a different level because it was an entertaining. I mean, chat through your lives. Well, I used to watch. We both used to do mornings, didn't we? I think he was maybe slightly later than my ones. And yeah, mine 10 tended to be just yeah, get people up in the morning. And what I just went nuts. Didn't I basically, there was costumes. There was all sorts of stuff. Yeah. And on certain players, it's always been Oh, yeah, got a finger voice to get oh, up tempo stuff. And, yeah, again, the feedback I got from the lives like yours of you know how it did get people. This started me and my diner because like you say, every day was the same. You staying at the same four walls? It was like I needed something different and now motivated each day to get up. Yeah. But I definitely think the, you know, the human interaction of whether it was people talking to each other in the comment section, or whether it was kind of telling us that they were joining in or and all that sort of stuff. I think for that hour period of time that we would do that lives it gave them people kind of something else to put their energy towards, I suppose. Yeah, yeah, definitely. Definitely. But I think with any, any sport, however much the sport physically is healthy to do from a physical point of view. I think joining a club and becoming, you know, that social interaction, I think is just so important as well. Yeah, cuz that's the different thing nowadays. Now we're all able to associate again, you've got the physical benefits, and you've got the mental health benefits of physically moving got obviously releases a lot of the happy your hormones, your endorphins and your dopamine. And if there are there is scientific research behind that, that that physical activity really releases those. But then you've got the social aspect now, haven't you? And that's a big thing. Obviously, we do it daily dance, the children are coming in socialising with other children, but also the grown ups that like you say, whether it's part of the team or part of the club, or community. But I think in so much, so many aspects in life, there's so much kind of separation still are finding in a lot of things, whether it's kind of, I don't know, there's, there's a guy that kind of works as a labourer. And then there's a guy that works up in London as a bank or stuff like that. But all of a sudden, you can all go and play for the same football team or whatever. And you kind of all become as one and kind of on a level playing field. Part of the pump. Yeah, well, I suppose that that's the same with anything, isn't it? Once you once you know, there are others out there that share your passion or share your enjoyment of a certain activity, then you find that common ground and it doesn't matter about your backgrounds. It doesn't matter about your overing in or for me. In the last couple of years, I've taken up wheelchair tennis, and you know, I'm part of a weekly thing, and I go and see the same people, but I'm the only amputee there. There's other people that have got spinal injuries, there's other people with different things. But once we're on that court, and in a chair together, it doesn't matter what your disability is, or whatever. It's just you're all playing the same sport, and you kind of all become as one and it's, it's such a nice feeling from that point of being part of something where there isn't any barriers. You're just all doing the same thing. Yeah, yeah. Well, we're definitely going to speak more on that on a separate episode, because I don't get that would be a great topic. So if we were to conclude this first episode, yes. Been very quite serious, actually, hasn't it? I suppose we're just finding our feet bear with us. But it's what would you say is a main takeaway that we want to get across to people listening? I think I think there's sometimes there's too much emphasis, especially when it comes to sport and that is always having to be the best at it. Being too competitive, rather than actually just going to do it because it's something that you enjoy. Yeah. And I think there's a lot of people out there until they see someone on tick tock, someone telling you doing something that makes them feel more connected to it, that they convinced I'm not gonna go and play football because I'm not very good at it. Well, that doesn't matter. You can still kick a ball around, you know, if you want or if you're in a wheelchair, there's now you know, adaptive ways that you can play these sports and get into it. And I think it's kind of realising that these angles are meant to be fun. They're not meant to, you know, yeah, there's people that go on and are successful with these things. But it doesn't mean that you can't join in and do them as well. Yeah. So I think I suppose there's two things in there. It's about representation. It's about people. Seeing people like you, and P people on strictly a diverse range of people being included in primetime TV, or gaining hundreds of 1000s of followers on Tiktok. Feeling seen and represented and going, oh, yeah, I can do that. Or I feel that I can now go along and do that, because I see others doing it. They're making sure that these clubs and communities and groups and activities are inclusive, and are bringing everybody in so that they can all join in. And that is the most important thing is making sure that everyone feels that they they fit in in that place. And it's not. Oh, well, I'm the only one here with a certain type. Yeah, it's making everyone feel welcome so that they can enjoy it to what they you know, what they need to get out of it kind of thing. Yeah, I know, even though we, you know, print around a lot. I think that's our core sort of moving mission is for everybody to be included in all different activities and just get as many people moving as possible under so many, brilliant. Well, let's see how this first episode is gone. And we look forward to hopefully you coming back and listening again, where we will have some brilliant guests. Some of the people we're going to talk to, we have got tennis, dancers, sports professionals, basketball, everything coming up. We're going to cover the law. Why not? So I do hope you'll come and join us again. Thank you for listening if you've made it this far. Yeah, thanks for listening to the moving mission podcast with Congressman. Thanks for listening today. We hope you feel inspired to get moving. And don't forget to give us a follow here if you enjoyed today's episode and check us out on all our social media at the movie mission.