Rachael Swann (Hurton) is the creator and founder of Synergy Dance®. As a leader, she champions equality, inclusion and diversity, and is passionate about providing arts activities, arts performance opportunities and dance & fitness for all.
About Rachael Hurton
Rachael has an English and Philosophy Degree from the University of Sussex and Master’s Degree from RADA/King’s College. She also has a Postgraduate Diploma in Publishing and Printing, Studio Professional Diploma in Fitness, 5 A levels and other dance & design qualifications. Rachael has worked both in Business and the Arts, managing at the London Alpine Club Photo Library under the late George Band, (Everest Expedition 1953), creatively working on children’s books as an editor/designer and as a dance teacher. Rachael has also worked professionally as an actor and singer, and all these strands came together to form what Synergy is today.
At Synergy we are here to get everyone moving and to enable people to express themselves through the Arts. In the last two years, Rachael’s inclusion & innovations led to 6 Awards, but it’s really not enough. We want to reach many more people with our arts activities and dance, yoga and fitness programmes. We provide multiple opportunities for partners to be fully inclusive and to keep everyone active.
Talk to Us
A message from the Founder:
“How would you feel if everyone around you can take part in exercise, but you can’t? I had a vision that dance and fitness should be accessible for everyone when I became a parent. I set up Synergy Dance to make a difference, having discovered a gap in the market for inclusive, fun activities where no one is left behind. Featured on Strictly Come Dancing in 2021 for our inclusive dance for kids, we knew we were making waves.
I believe in the power of performance, collaboration and community, and that the Arts can truly enrich and inspire children to follow their dreams. I pride my professional work on integrity, teaching style, commitment and allowing kids to take the lead sometimes – to find their “inner dance voice” and reveal their individual talents!
Our dance, yoga and fitness programmes are inclusive, innovative and fun. As a parent, my goal is for my children to keep active every day and to hit their daily target of 1 hour of activity per day. They are never reluctant to put their shoes on when it is time for a Synergy dance class! With our variety of live and digital programs for all ages, there really is something for everyone. We hope to see you in class.”
Rachael Hurton
Founder, Synergy Dance
The Synergy Culture
We want to give back…
Our core values of quality, diversity, value and innovation motivate both the team behind Synergy and our team of talented teachers.
As a company we want to give back and we re-invest all profits back into the people we support. We are socially inclusive and strive for inclusion and excellence in the workplace and in our services. Art, culture and creativity are at the heart of all we do. We strive to be the best we can be in all situations.
Our quality principles are:
– Striving for excellence, quality and innovation. We want us all to be the best we can be and encourage everyone involved to reach their full potential.
To be authentic and to offer opportunities to all. We want you to feel like a real dancer. We offer students the chance to train up and start a career in the Arts – both within in the mainstream and SEND community.
To be inspirational. We want participants to enjoy their experiences so much, that they want to come back. Try new things and take part in more of our activities in the future. We support personal growth and development.
To offer a positive and inclusive experience. We provide encouragement, incentives and goals. We notice and reward when participants are doing well and trying their best.
To Actively reach children, young people, adults and seniors. We listen to our audiences, their feedback and encourage people to become involved in the design of new initiatives.
To offer progression
Above all, we want to create a culture of belonging– both in our services and behind the scenes. We want our participants to feel good about learning new skills and to know how to carry on and progress. Everyone has a voice at Synergy and an avenue to extra support or career development! We are in touch with a local professional agency to help bring on the next generation of talent seeking a career in the Arts.
Developing ownership – We want you to feel like an important member of the Synergy team and to be proud and celebrate what the team achieves as a whole.
#EveryoneMatters