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Isabel Utting

@grooveforu

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Everybody. My sessions are for everybody, men, women, trans, non binary, non anything, whatever identity, shape, colour, social background, physical ability, age, all of it. The only common characteristic is the desire to dance, have fun, hopefully improve your well being, mentally and physically amongst other wonderful people. It’s a very safe space to feel welcome and dance!!!!! I looooooove dancing and have been fortunate enough to enjoy it for a few years now and I want to share that with you. Easy to follow routines, to the most fun and eclectic mix of house, pop, dancehall, Afro and more music, all that make you want to move. Come and try anytime, no commitments just when it works for you ♥️. Get in touch if you have any qus. 🌈 taken in Joy by @grooveforu

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4 years ago

Hi, Im Izzy 😁. You may or may have not been wondering why and how I got to ‘doing’ groove for u so here’s a little about how and why.
I have danced, mostly informally, for most of my life and always loved it, mostly with other people. It started on my mates sofa doing dancing competitions to eurythmics! That developed into EMF records, a pearl jam era and you know the rest (if you’re old enough). In my late teens my wonderful friend introduced me to a local samba band that had dancers and this was an incredible experience. Each week we’d practice in the church hall and then join the band in the church after. I can still remember the feeling of the sound of the drums and dancing to this, the acoustics were wild. A few things (very fun) in between and I ended moving to rural East Sussex having had my two children and I was desperate to dance, I couldn’t find anything that filled my dance cup, so I decided I was going to start something for others to join. I was 37 at the time and thought I might be a bit old to do this but nonetheless I went for it, I am so glad I did as now at 42 I feel like I could do it for so much longer. My age was a restrictive factor and even though I wasn’t and am not old, I am older than a large portion of dance facilitators and I love it! This feeling of doubt that I could or should do it fuels my fire to do it as long as I want to and can. As women, especially we have been guided away from doing things for different reasons and this one of my f us to that. We all have different elements which we think should or could stop us from doing what we want and I want you to join me however or whoever you are, if you have any inclination to dance, more so if you think you’re old! 💪♥️. I love the myriad of positive effects of dancing and I want to share and encourage that to every body. 📷 @urszula.soltys.photography taken in Lewes, East Sussex by @grooveforu

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3 years ago

Appreciation AND appropriation?

As someone who adores and dances to a lot of African and Caribbean dance and music this is something you will have heard me talk about, if you have danced with me.

I have wanted to document something here, for more to share with, for a while but it is so big to ‘cover’. This won’t do this topic justice here but it is a start for me and anyone who it may help understand how I and others want to honour and respect the origins of these dances now and from centuries gone by ✨

My intention is always appreciation of african and carribean music and culture in my dance. For me, if it wasn’t for this history and cultures my love of dance would not be anywhere near as profound.

I also have a level of understanding the potential impact me as a white (I prefer latte description tbh) facilitator has on peoples perception of these dances and music (appropriation). This has happened historically in more disrespectful ways but continues to to this day. Some more subtle ways but through larger scale spreading and other cultures and ‘dances’ acquiring and slightly changing the original dances, intentionally or not. I have encountered students who have said ‘I recognise that step from Zumba’. I am not entirely sure they think that’s where it originates from but either way this is another example of a platform like Zumba potentially confusing the origins of steps. Zumba doesn’t create steps it uses steps and formulates sequences. Very few steps or dances are truly created in the last couple of decades they are adapted and if you take a quick look back over the last 100 years, they nearly all (literally all) lead back to African dance and culture ❤️. For a more recent example of white representation of styles is voguing, made very well known by Madonna, but definitely not created by her. This had been created before by the black lgbqt + community of New York and Madonna and her team brought it to the world on a larger platform. Phew 😮‍💨 It’s a long one! Finished in comments ❤️ taken in Respect....... by @grooveforu

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3 years ago

WOWOWOW!!! What a wknd, what a gig @tropicalpressure ☀️🌴🎶

The Liz Ikamba Band opened the main stage on #BioDiversityDay with an epic entourage of anthropomorphic friends.

Incredible sounds, people and vibes all round, still buzzing and soaking up all the love ❤️

Thanks to all who came and celebrated with us and thanks #TP26 for yet another incredible festival wknd 🚀🚀🚀

Cannot wait for 2028!

👆🏽some snaps n vids from gig day, including pre-gig pep talk 🥸

Thanks to @babu.wayununu and @enigmacaroni for the 📸& 🎥

More footage and fav moments to come 💥

#LizIkambaBand #TropicalPressure #festival taken in Tropical Pressure Festival by @grooveforu

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7 days ago

One thing about us...

If there's music on, we're dancing.

The Booty Klap Trap Haus girls x the Rave Wardens. 💃

🎵 Brighter Days (ALOK Remix)

#RaiseTheLazers #FestivalLife #Dance #BrighterDays #ALOK taken in Lewes, East Sussex by @grooveforu

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25 days ago

☀️ OMG when you thought it couldn't get hotter 🔥

FULL LINE UP ANOUNCED

As outside temperatures drop on Saturday
The pheonix will be heating up with some seriously top notch talent ❤️‍🔥

🎟️tickets available from the link in our bio

#festival #rave #warehosue taken in lewes phoenix Ind est by @grooveforu

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a month ago

April-June’26 there has been a lot of dancing and I feel very lucky! Also grateful for all the wonders and the behind the scene souls who help me do this. It doesn’t happen by magic 🙏. There’s more to come too 🌈 by @grooveforu

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a month ago

taken in Lewes, East Sussex by @grooveforu

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2 months ago

Wahoooooo 🎪 💃🏼
Six fantastisch sessions at @caravanseraibrighton as part of the Fringe Festival 🔊 Such an awesome atmosphere, DJs playing stone cold bangers in the hot hot heat, lovely staff, noice chips & cider 🍎 🍟 Big up to @grooveforu Would've felt like work, rather than super fun & silly, without ya ❤️ Thank you to all the dancers, all the congas, soul trains, singing and shaking and sorry, not sorry, to the lil girl I squirted with the super soaker and made cry whoopsie doodles 🔫💦
#caravanseraibrighton #brightonfringefestival #brighton #communitydance by @grooveforu

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2 months ago

POV: you stumble across the dance workshops at Elderflower Festival… 🌸

Hot, fun, silly and so good for the soul.

It was wildly hot actually and a struggle for peeps to dance (and for kids to let their adults dance..!) buuut we lured them in with games and congas and came away with very full cups. 🌸

So honoured to collab for the first time with the wonderful Nozzi @twerk4fitness_africa who brings the beauty, joy and tradition of twerking to the masses. We incorporate so much African music and movement in what we do and I am always, always deeply grateful for that. 💕

Izzy @grooveforu gave the most beautiful speech about appreciation not appropriation - humbled to share a space with people who hold that with the same care. And my girl Leanne by my side as always. Couldn’t do it without you. 🌸 and huge love to the amazingly talented DJ GK369 for keeping the energy exactly where it needed to be. 🎶🪩

Thank you @elderflowerfields for trusting us with the dance tent. More of THAT please!

Check out @grooveforu’s classes in Barcombe, @twerk4fitness_africa in Lewes and us across Brighton, Hove, Shoreham and online. You can book us for tings too - party starting all over the shop we are! 🎉 by @grooveforu

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2 months ago

🐈 Cannot wait to be in the fields with these queens @twerk4fitness_africa @joyboptess @leannerave and all the festival goers of @elderflowerfields next weekend!

🌍 This’ll be the third year at this wonderful festival and it is so exciting to be back with my fam, friends and all the festival friends to come.

🪩 Moonshine fandango 10-12 Saturday and Sunday for a beautiful mix of sass, silliness, sounds and community for all 🫶 by @grooveforu

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2 months ago

🌸🌻Another absolute smasher @caravanseraibrighton with @bambamdancefitness thanks to all the beautiful Brighton friends that came to throw some shapes with us and all the fabulous fringers. Not everybody’s free, but they should be 🌍See you again on the 30th ✨🪩 by @grooveforu

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2 months ago