Led by Jennifer Christine Stokes, award-winning Reside Dance C.I.C. is, currently, Reading’s only professional contemporary dance company. Born out of Reading 2016: Year of Culture and linking to the aims and social outcomes of the town’s Great Place Scheme Award, the company aim to bring individuals and communities together by developing connections to places and others through dance.

With a special focus on promoting and celebrating cultural diversity, Reside Dance aims to become Reading’s first dance company to bring its’ residents side by side to celebrate their individual and collective cultures within site-specific places.

Drawing upon techniques and processes from dance theatre, social choreography and somatic practice, the company aim to strengthen the town’s dance offering by creating innovative, high quality and accessible performances, workshops and programmes that widen dance audiences through an exploration of social issues prevalent to Reading life. 

Their work consists of three strands; Research, Community-Based Performance and Training & Education. Their team consists of registered Dance Movement Psychotherapists as well as Professional Dance Artists.