Purchase exclusive limited-edition prints here, all profits will be donated to Mind. Also, with each purchase you will be invited to a free online dance class run by Eduardo and Ellen of Tangoalchemist. Or, simply donate to the Mind via Just Giving, send a proof of donation to tangoalchemy@googlemail.com for the dance class invitation.

The #DanceThroughTheMist initiative is here to inspire and challenge you to rediscover or find what it is that you love to do.

The #DanceThroughTheMist Story:

In the first week of January 2021 the UK experienced some extremely cold weather conditions.  I went out with my camera one early morning trying to get some shots of the notorious Bristol Suspension Bridge in the mist. I managed to capture the beautiful moment a mysterious couple were dancing through the mist across the suspension bridge – in the midst of global pandemic.

I posted the image to my Instagram, with the caption:

“Dancing through the icy cold mist across the suspension bridge... at 9am in the middle of a global pandemic.

Whoever these people are, salute! Currently feeling like I should have shared this with them. Either way, I'm very grateful to have captured the moment.

Everyone has their own way of dancing through the mist. Lockdown gives us the opportunity to find it.

Chins up, shoulders back, dance.”

The post received an amazing response and was shared across numerous social media platforms. Also, I had many people message me to raise a discussion about their individual ways of dealing with lockdown stress. I found this all quite inspiring. So, with the power of social media I set out to track the couple down. In 8 days, the couple were identified due to the strong support from the Bristol photography community and an amazing article posted by Secret Bristol.

The couple are married tango professionals Eduardo Bozzo and Ellen Fay, who run their own dance studio and business Tangoalchemist
(IG: @tangoalchemist). Keeping my promise, I met the couple to give them a print of the image (social-distanced of course). We discussed the impact that the image had on our community and thought it would be a great idea to start a fundraiser to raise awareness for mental health throughout lockdown.

I agreed I will sell prints of the image whilst Eduardo and Ellen offered to give an online tango dance class with all the proceeds donated to MIND. Purchase exclusive limited-edition prints here or simply donate to the cause and receive a invitation to a free Dance class. 

The #DanceThroughTheMist Challenge:

As part of the initiative, we would love to encourage people to find moments of pleasure and make the most of the valuable free time that the lockdown presents to us. This can be anything from joining tango classes to taking up photography…. Also, reading new books, focusing on fitness, connecting with nature, expressing creativity, or anything else that might bring you joy. Document the good moments and share it with your friends and family on social media to spread a little positivity. Make sure to hashtag #dancethroughthemist.

The Importance of Mental Health Awareness:

As we all know, the 3^rd national lockdown presents a challenging time for us all and it is extremely easy to feel the pressure of the circumstances. Suffering is the one thing that we can all relate to; we all experience it in one form or the other. Therefore, it is important to not feel isolated in suffering and know there is support at hand if you need it. Every set back provides us an opportunity to reflect and grow and the national lockdown can certainly be perceived as one huge set back.

We think it is great that awareness of mental health issues has gained some much-needed traction throughout the current and recent lockdowns. However, we would love to put further emphasise on this movement. For this reason, the #DanceThroughTheMist Initiative has been created to raise funds for Mind, a national mental health charity in England and Wales.

Mind was founded in 1946 as the National Association for Mental Health (NAMH) and are an amazing charity who provide Information and advice to anyone experiencing mental health issues. Mind campaign for and support people who are dealing with all sorts of mental health issues such as workplace stress, anxiety, and depression. Furthermore, they work to reduce the level of discrimination and mis guided information about mental health issues.

Where to go for Support:

For non-urgent information about support and services available, please call the Infoline (0300 123 3393), or email info@mind.org.uk, or text 86463.

For urgent hep it is advised to call 999 or go to A&E. If you are worried about going to A&E due to corona virus, call 999 an request an ambulance come to you. Furthermore, other forms of urgent support Include NHS111 (England), NHS 111 or NHS Direct 0845 46 47 (Wales).

If you need to talk to someone right now:

• Call the Samaritans on 116 123 (UK)
• Text SHOUT to 85258 (UK)
• Call C.A.L.L on 0800 132 737 (Wales only)