Mostly Jazz in conversation with: Drum N Bounce

Drum N Bounce has been on the Mostly Jazz dance workshops agenda for the last few years. What do you love most about the festival? 

I love the setting. It’s in the most beautiful park, which I stroll through all the time, so seeing it transform into a vibrant festival filled with incredible acts is really special. It’s also my most local festival, so seeing the community come together alongside visitors from all over is something I really love. 

What inspired you to start Drum N Bounce? 

I fell in love with drum & bass in the mid ’90s when I first started going out, so it holds a really special place in my heart. Combine that with my absolute love of movement, and it’s a match made in heaven. Both create an incredible buzz, so bringing them together felt like a joy explosion that I wanted other people to experience. Exercise can and should be fun, so through Drum N Bounce I wanted to inspire people to get active while enjoying those healthy highs. Life is better when you feel good in your own body. 

What has been your favourite Mostly Jazz moment from over the years?

When Ezra Collective headlined. The energy and emotion were palpable, and their set was filled with so much positivity and intention. It felt really uplifting. A legendary performance.

Drum N Bounce is only 1 of the many caps you wear. Your TEDx talk on identity and transformation particularly sticks out to me – what does yoga mean to you, and what inspired you to work within prisons and recovery centres? 

Yoga was a real lifeline for me many years ago. It helped pull me out of a difficult place, and experiencing its impact first hand completely changed how I saw it. Becoming a yoga teacher was never part of the plan, but sometimes life leads you exactly where you’re meant to be.

I’d already been working in prisons since moving to Birmingham in 2009 through Geese Theatre Company, so those environments felt familiar to me. It was a natural progression to begin teaching yoga in prisons, probation services and recovery centres.

In many ways, it’s the same motivation that drives Drum N Bounce. I know how transformative it can be when people reconnect with their bodies and feel at home within themselves. Whether it’s sharing yoga in a prison or dancing to drum & bass in a festival field, the mission is the same: helping people find a little more freedom, confidence and joy. As I always say, Find Your Happy Bass.

Watch Emma’s TEDx talk below: