Lynn Shaw

Lynn has a strong passion for working in the field of dance for health and well-being. After training as a dancer in Scotland in 2004, she went on to complete an MEd in Learning and Teaching in Performing Arts at the Royal Conservatoire, specialising in creating dance work for mental health conferences and festivals to raise awareness of dance as a therapeutic tool.

In 2016, she was commissioned by the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival (SMHAF) to create the short dance film Borderline, which was screened at international festivals including Palm Springs, Screendance Stockholm, C Screen Barcelona, Dancelive Festival, and Glasgow Short Film Festival. Lynn has since presented this work at National conferences, including the International Health Humanities Conference and the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

As a Holistic Counsellor, Lynn brings a holistic approach to her work, recognising dance’s ability to support physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. She is committed to creating inclusive work that resonates with both dance and non-dance audiences.

Lynn is currently developing a new dance production, "Theory of Holes", in collaboration with Vince Virr, Laura Booth, and KJ. The research explores the unseen spaces we carry within—the “holes” shaped by experience, ego defenses, and the traces of relationships. These “holes” represent areas where something essential feels missing, such as a sense of worth, love, or support. Drawing on the Diamond Approach, a contemporary spiritual teaching that maps the structures of human consciousness, the piece explores how these inner voids are formed, defended, and potentially transformed.