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Gail Parmel

Artistic Director, ACE Dance & Music

Gail Parmel

"Gail's work impacts on the people around her. For the last 10 years, she has made a significant contribution to African Peoples dance nationally and on Birmingham's communities, particularly amongst members of the black working class."

As a champion for African and Caribbean Dance, Gail has excelled as an artistic director and choreographer of note amongst her peers and resilient champion of youth dance.

Working holistically, she has taken into account every entry point for dancers and the public to engage with African and Caribbean contemporary dance – professional touring productions, youth dance work, dance in education settings and the professional development of the next generation of black British dancers.  

A true internationalist, Gail is keeping African and Caribbean dance forms alive by immersing herself in practical research and using this research to create work that has contemporary relevance in Europe, as well as passing-on and maintaining the techniques and quality standards amongst professional and non-professional dancers and dance makers in England. 

Her cultural leadership, underpinned by a passion for youth dance, is contributing to a growing sense of community cohesion and pride in artistic endeavour.  Her work is re-positioning what it means to experience African Peoples Dance as a professional dancer, audience member or young person. Gail has demonstrated different ways of being for people who would not normally participate or relate to the arts and dance.