What is the GuiDANCE Network?

The GuiDANCE Network was founded by Siobhan Mitchell as a result of the research project ‘Growing up in Dance’. The Network began as an 12 month project, driven by original members – University of Exeter, Royal Academy of Dance (RAD), and One Dance UK (ODUK), along with dance teachers and students, which was funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) (2022-2023).

The Network aims to capitalise on the momentum and partnerships built during the GuiDANCE project and to cultivate impact through supporting a network for engagement between researchers and key dance sector partners. More specifically, to convert the progress made in the GuiDANCE project into tangible resources for the dance sector and to set up a network to support and sustain this work going forward.

Growing up in Dance CIC was established in 2025 and a core group of volunteers continue to establish the GuiDANCE Network as a key resource for dance teachers, dance students, parents and schools to develop and support young people as they grow and mature in dance environments.

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Watch an introduction to GuiDance

Who we are

Siobhan trained vocationally as a dancer before completing a BA Hons in Dance Studies (University of Roehampton), an MSc in Dance Science (Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance) and an MRes in Health and Wellbeing (University of Bath). Awarded a full ESRC studentship in 2014, Siobhan completed her doctorate in 2018 and currently works as a Research Fellow in Child and Adolescent Health at the University of Exeter.

Siobhan’s doctoral research explored the psychological and social implications of early and late maturation in adolescent ballet dancers.

More recently, Siobhan led the GuiDANCE project and founded the GuiDANCE Network, a collaboration which aims to enhance practices in the dance sector around growth and development.

Passionate about education on adolescent development Siobhan delivers workshops for dance teachers, students and parents.

Lynsey van Aswegen is the Quality Assurance and Finance Officer for the GuiDANCE Network, bringing together expertise in dance education, professional standards, finance and governance.

A qualified dance teacher and experienced professional, Lynsey holds an MA in Education from the University of Cambridge and a Level 6 Diploma in Dance Pedagogy. She is also a qualified vocational assessor and approved tutor for dance teaching qualifications with RAD and ISTD. As the founder of DanceCPD.com Lynsey supports dance teachers to develop their teaching practice and recognise their role as education professionals.

Alongside her work in dance education, Lynsey is a Chartered Accountant with over 15 years’ senior leadership experience in finance and governance within the not-for-profit sector, including Finance Director and Non-Executive Director roles.

Lynsey is passionate about the GuiDANCE Network’s work in supporting young people in dance and promoting access to high-quality dance teacher training across the sector.

Erin Sanchez, MSc, PhD is an advocate, educator, and applied researcher. She advocates widely for the development of positive, strengths-led mental health support services, psychological education, and healthy working and training conditions through a variety of professional roles.

Within her work at One Dance UK and the National Institute of Dance Medicine and Science (NIDMS), she collaborates with healthcare practitioners, scientists, and those in dance to determine and progress initiatives supporting sustainable and highly valued careers in dance and improving dancers’ health, wellbeing and performance. Through this work, dancers can access free healthcare through NHS Dance Injury Clinics as well as discounted private healthcare through the One Dance UK Healthcare Practitioners Directory. One Dance UK also offers mental health support through Wellbeing Packages and partnerships with private practitioners, including Injury Mentoring, which provides support while dancers are waiting for injury care. One Dance UK also works with other charities such as BAPAM, which offers free injury assessments, and the Dance Professionals Fund, who provides grants for dance professionals and funds physiotherapy and free counselling through BAPAM.

Erin is a passionate educator and has led over 700 workshops on dancers’ health for dance professionals or students, and written and delivered dance teacher training modules on safe practice, dance science, and dance psychology internationally for the past 15 years. She also leads Empowering Dance© teacher training courses focussed on creating positive motivational climates for dancers. In 2021, Erin co-authored a practical text for dancers called Performance Psychology for Dancers with Prof Dave Collins and Dr Aine MacNamara.

Erin’s recent applied research collaborations through one Dance UK and NIDMS include an ESRC-funded collaborative PhD exploring self-harm among private dance school students with PhD student Maria Kolitsida and two national surveys of safeguarding and abuse prevention policies and practices in dance in the UK with Prof Jenn Cumming at the University of Birmingham, as well as working alongside Dr Siobhan Mitchell on the Growing Up in Dance Network, exploring growth and maturation in dance students. She is involved with advocacy and resource creation for safeguarding in UK out-of-school settings and private dance schools through the Dance School Safeguarding Working Group, Safer Dance. She is also an executive group member of Personal Safety for Dance, an international collective working to safeguard professional dancers.

She is a member of the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science. She holds a PhD from the University of Edinburgh, an MSc in Dance Science from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, a BA (Hons) in Dance and Sociology, and the qualification in Safe and Effective Dance Practice from Safe in Dance International.