At the moment the Propel Dance team are between projects and ‘funded’ periods. We are a freelance company so whilst we aren't on paid time with Propel, we are intermittently checking our email on a part-time basis.

That means that there may be a delay in responding to your email and we thank you for your patience on this. Someone from the Propel team will get back to you but it may take up to 7 days.

Model is a white woman wearing a blonde wig with black and blue face paint across her face. She is wearing a crown with rams horns, a skull, dark red flowers and black spikes. Model is in a wheelchair wearing a long maxi white/silver dress.
A group picture of some of the cast and production team. Cast members are in the front line wearing their costumes as the rest of the company is in line directly behind them. The back line is wearing grey Propel Dance t-shirts. Everyone is smiling.

We are Propel Dance.

A brand-new professional wheelchair dance company based in Birmingham.

We’ve just secured investment from Arts Council England to pilot a short tour, which for 2023 will be a contemporary reimagining of ‘The Snow Queen’.

Led by an all-female leadership team, the company was instigated and founded by Helen Mason, a Birmingham-based Dance Artist with a 20+ year track record of working in inclusive dance; making dance for and with disabled people.

We care deeply about equity and equality of opportunity. It’s why we exist. There are few professional opportunities for wheelchair dancers and we wanted to be that change. To create something that enables progression and inspiration to the future generations. We stand for compassion, inclusion, and representation throughout our dance projects and opportunities.

Guided by our shared values, Propel Dance hopes to inspire, lead and propel change in professional wheelchair dance.

See our values here:

We look forward to connecting with you all as you join us on this exciting new adventure.

Meet the Team

  • Helen has purple shoulder length straight hair, wearing glasses and smiling straight at the camera.

    Helen Mason

    Co-Director

    Helen has worked in the dance sector in the Midlands as a teacher, dancer and choreographer for 19 years, teaching and performing in a variety of settings such as; care homes, homeless hostels and foyers, day centres, youth groups, schools and F.E colleges, including being a course leader and tutor on Btec, G.C.S.E, A’level and Degree courses.

    Working in inclusive dance for the last 10 years, Helen has worked with many different charities and organisations such as Midland Mencap, Cerebral Palsy Midlands, Spectrum Day Centre, Para Dance UK and Whizz Kidz UK.

    Helen is passionate about making dance accessible to everyone and set up Freewheelin in 2017, Birmingham’s first wheelchair and inclusive dance group. Freewheelin are two time National Para Dance champions and have performed at Birmingham International Dance Festival and for the European Basketball finals (2019).

    In 2022, Helen become a Dance Captain for the Opening and Closing ceremonies for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, working with over 1500 volunteers.

    Helen is an advocate for Inclusive dance and has appeared in a film for Parable Dance (2020) which discusses what is good practice and has spoken at the House of Lords about making physical activity in Britain more inclusive.

    Helen has trained with Axis Dance, Candoco and Stopgap, as well Frontline Dance and Shropshire Inclusive Dance.

  • Amy is white with green eyes and brown/purple hair just past the shoulders. Wearing an open button down shirt. Amy is smiling.

    Amy Dalton-Hardy

    Co-Director

    Amy has an 18 year track record of senior roles in the arts, and now works on a full-time freelance portfolio as a Consultant, Facilitator and Strategic Advisor across the UK.

    Amy’s background & artistic specialism is in dance and she now works across dance mediums, genres and practices within theatre performance, outdoor arts, festivals, learning, participation & community engagement, as well as strategic sector development initiatives as mentor, advisor and guest speaker.

    In 2024, Amy was invited to the inaugural Creative Industries Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in recognition of her work. She is a member of the West Midlands Combined Authority Cultural Leadership Board, Chair at Gloucester Guildhall and Trustee at 2Faced Dance.

    Since going freelance in 2020, Amy has worked with over 150 artists and has fundraised over £2.5m for numerous projects across the country.

    Read more about Amy at: www.amydaltonhardy.co.uk

  • Rosie has hazel eyes and brown bobbed hair. Rosie is smiling, wearing a navy floral top against a red background.

    Rosie Penny

    Co-Director

    Rosie is a freelance Festival Producer with a wealth of experience in outdoor arts, festivals and community projects. She is passionate about community participation and inclusion for all.

    She has worked on numerous outdoor projects including Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Opening and Closing Ceremonies, Sanctuary by Artichoke, Queens Heath Pride & Flatpack Film Festival.

    Rosie is also the Development Manager for music charity Misfits Music Foundation who bring adults together through music and is Executive Producer for Misfits Music Project: Brum Rocks in July 2024.