For our next installment of our Meet the Team series we have Paola Piccato, who is our Outreach Project Developer.
Paola first started working for the LOD Trust way back in 2009, when she was hired as a freelance dance teacher for our Dance Moves Project.
Over the years, Paola has trained in the Language of Dance approach and has become an LOD specialist, completing all 3 stages of our teacher training programme.
Paola works on most of our projects, including Dance Moves, Dance Discover, Dance Active, as well as delivering lecture presentations and workshops within higher education and corporate settings.
Paola youthful spirit is infectious, as she loves to find fun and engaging ways to inspire the next generation of creative mover’s!
Language of Dance
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A unique approach to movement and dance developed by the world renowned Dr. Ann Hutchinson Guest.
22/04/2026
Night out with some of the LOD team 22.4.26
After a busy working weekend, time to relax watching Shobana Jayesingh’s “We Caliban” - An inventive retake of Shakespeare’s The Tempest.
“A strong and powerful performance that literally leaves you wanting more!” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
19/04/2026
Fire 🔥
As part of the Laban Guilds 80th celebrations, the Language of Dance have been working along side 3 other groups located around the country to create dances based on the elements as part of a Movement Choir.
Each piece was created independently and today brought together and performed for the finale of a 5 day convention of seminars, workshops and lecture demonstrations celebrating Laban’s legacy.
We were given the element of fire, and the choreography was created by the dancers and the Trust’s director over two 1 hour sessions using the LOD approach through the process of improvisation.
A stunningly powerful intergenerational duet was created, starring our very own outreach project coordinator Paola Piccato and one of our rising LOD stars Amelie who was not only the youngest but the only child performer at the event. She is a student with .studio.performingarts
15/04/2026
Let the fun begin!
Today marks the start of celebrating their 80th Anniversary with the launch of its ‘The Art of Movement’ event, centred around Laban’s Legacy in Dance, Music & Drama.
Taking place from the 15th - 19th April Trinity Laban it consists of a Tanz-Ton-Wort 3 day intensive, followed by a 2 day Laban Around the World celebration of lectures, workshops, presentations & performances.
The Language of Dance Centre UK will be flying the LOD flag and celebrating our founder Dr Ann Hutchinson Guests contribution to the Laban multiverse, by delivering lecture presentations, a workshop and a surprise performance over the course of the weekend.
It’s not too late to get involved and reserve your place and student bursaries are available. To register for this event, scan the QR code on the final slide of this post.
Next up on our Meet the Team series we have Liliana Della Valle. Our wonderful administrator and dance teacher.
Liliana works on our Dance Moves project delivering sessions with Tower Hamlets, and also delivers lecture presentations and workshops at higher education and dance institutions. Liliana has a passion for all things related to notation and Choreological studies.
Please join us in saying hello to Liliana!!!
On Wednesday 18th we were at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance for the SDCS Symposium 2026.
Our wonderful Paola and Liliana presented a lecture demonstration, sharing insights into the concept of Par.
Par is the energy level at which a movement can be executed functionally and efficiently.
Par invites us to use our energy efficiently to fight against the pull of gravity or to consciously yield to gravity.
Have you ever experienced a rise or lowering in par ?
To learn more about the Language of Dance, visit www.lodc.org
We’re incredibly excited to launch our Meet the Team series.
Kicking things off with our first episode is Oliver Wright, the newest member of the Language of Dance team.
Oliver is one of our dance teachers who works on our Dance Moves project delivering sessions within the London borough of Tower Hamlets.
Please join us in giving him a warm welcome🙏🏼
29/01/2026
As we began 2026 planning lots of exciting opportunities for the coming year ahead, we looked back at 2025 in order to evaluate our work and it’s impact.
We have celebrated successes, taking forward lessons we have learned along the way, but we have also suffered loses and had to move on.
No bigger loss was there than having to say goodbye to 17 Holland Park. With the sale completed we had to pack up over half a century’s worth of work, research and a lifetime of memories.
Holland Park was the home of our dear founder Dr Ann Hutchinson Guest MBE and her husband Ivor Forbes Guest. It was also the birth place of the Language of Dance, and was a huge part of the LODT’s history, with the UK centre being set up and run from the office in 1967 to us moving out to bigger premises in 2007, and even then it was always considered the LOD HQ.
Inside the walls of number 4, history was made, lifelong friendships forged and the LOD family grew, but most of all, at its heart lasting memories were made.
Distinguished dinner parties were held with guests that would fill a hall of fame; rooms were decorated with fascinating objects from far off places not to mention the thousands of interesting books; important debates and discussion were held deliberating various aspects of dance notation; afternoon tea and cake was served in quaint china cups; dozens of books were written seated at the leather topped walnut desk; and the annual Christmas gatherings were always filled with fun and laughter - not to mention bubbles 🥂
As we said goodbye to Holland Park, it marked the end of an era but also the start of new beginnings to come.
In the words of Dr Seuss - “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.”
Were you lucky enough to ever visit Holland Park and if so what are your fondest memories? Do you have any pictures you could share with us?
If you do please leave us a comment, send us a DM or drop us an email at [email protected] as we would love to hear from you and for you to share your pictures 🤍
25/12/2025
Wishing all of our LOD family, friends and supporters around the world a very Merry Christmas x
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