At New Note Dance, we use movement, creativity and community to support people affected by addiction, trauma, homelessness and social isolation. By providing a safe, non-judgmental space, participants are able to explore themes of recovery through creative expression, with one participant explaining that the sessions give them “a place to learn to express myself through my body… to begin to learn to trust my intuition and my body. A place to be creative and develop skills like intuitive art and writing.”
Our latest project, Found, is a powerful short film devised by our Artistic Director Lauren Dowse and directed by filmmaker Angus Cameron which brings the spiritual principles of the 12-Step recovery programme to life through movement and storytelling, and celebrates human resilience.
The inspiration behind Found
Lauren’s own recovery journey sparked her curiosity about the deeper, spiritual principles that underpin the 12 Steps. To explore them, she drew on the Tamalpa Life/Art Process – a holistic approach integrating movement, dance, visual art and creative writing to access the body’s innate wisdom.
The choreography for Found is structured around these principles, where from an initial solo dancer seeking guidance to the final embodiment of love and service, each dance sequence embodies a spiritual principle drawn from the 12 Steps. “Each dancer represents a different principle,” Lauren explains, “starting with surrender, then hope, commitment, and willingness, leading to the final dancer embodying love and service. By enacting these principles through movement, we replace destructive behaviours with life-affirming connections to inner wisdom and higher power.”
Devising and choreographing the film
Through somatic movement exercises, our dancers explored metaphors for surrender (following another’s movements), hope (shifts in posture), commitment (fully invested actions), and truth (touching space to sense energy). These embodied explorations informed the film’s movement language, enriched by creative writing prompts and image-making sessions.
Working with dancers of varying levels of skill and experience meant the choreography needed to focus on natural, comfortable movement rather than forcing technical perfection. Lauren notes, “We wanted moveme
nts that feel authentic, rather than imposing choreography beyond participants’ abilities.”
Weaving the choreography into a cohesive film edit initially posed a challenge for Found’s director, Angus Cameron. “These exercises hadn’t been choreographed to flow from one into another, and each originally had its own music.” To unify the sequences, Lauren reconnected with old friend and composer Ralf Hildenbeutel, who kindly agreed for his beautiful music to be used in the film. Angus subtly edited Ralf’s track so it could break down into the different movement sections, giving the film a wonderfully emotive score.
Location, location, location
Human Nature’s empty warehouse on the Phoenix Estate in Lewes became our impromptu studio. This vast, industrial setting required innovative lighting solutions: two powerful LED backlights borrowed from Solalights in Acton created the dramatic silhouettes Lauren envisioned. With a dozen dancers on set, Angus enlisted cameraman Sam Morgan Moore and two additional cameras donated by Brighton’s Middlechild television company, minimising the number of takes, and preserving the dancers’ energy. Brighton Film School students T Humberstone and Isaac Ivory provided invaluable assistance, ensuring every moment was captured.
Angus reflects on the shoot: “The day was long and exhausting, but fun. It was intensely emotional and deeply rewarding. Watching performers step outside their comfort zones and support each other was magic. Their energy – and the trust they placed in Lauren’s vision – made the film what it is.”
The transformative power of Found
Found shows how dance can unlock insights that words alone cannot. Lauren believes that “to physically experience dance principles, such as surrender and hope, provides a deeper understanding than cognitive learning.” By trusting the body’s inherent wisdom, our participants reconnect with sensations long neglected by trauma or addiction.
She explains: “A lot of addiction is being cut off from our senses, from our bodies. This work helps people know that their bodies have a wisdom. They know how to move if we give them the opportunity.”
Rehearsals and filming became spaces for community and mutual support. Lauren recalls: “The most beautiful moments were the camaraderie and connection between performers and crew – eating lunch together, helping each other with makeup, supporting one another in remembering moves and then working with Angus and the film crew and the photographer was really wonderful. There was a strong sense of bonding.”
Sharing Found with the world
Found premiered at the Depot Cinema in Lewes in September 2024, before being screened during CINECI
TY Brighton Film Festival in November. Sharing Found with the world beyond the rehearsal rooms and film studio meant it continued to be a shared experience for all involved, and a source of great pride. “Working towards something that you knew was going to go out to an audience took people right out of their comfort zone, which they should be really proud of,” says Lauren, “Everybody was going to their edges, really stretching themselves, and that’s when the magic starts to happen.”
Exploring themes of recovery through art
When viewers watch Found, Lauren hopes they feel moved and inspired by the dancers’ authenticity and vulnerability. “I’d like audiences to experience a sense of beauty through the movement, costumes, music and imagery. I think Angus beautifully captures a real authenticity in his close-ups, revealing the pure humanity of showing up and making something together.” In doing so, Found becomes more than a dance film – it’s an invitation to witness how creativity, spirituality and community can guide us through recovery, and beyond.
Find out more about New Note Dance here
Watch Found here
Images: Sam Morgan Moore