DANCE for all: that's exactly what Maria Ryan would love to provide in High Wycombe and beyond. Appointed as Wycombe Swan's community dance officer last October, Maria now faces the formidable challenge of attracting local youngsters to step out in style.

"Dance is really important, because it helps young people particularly with their self-esteem as well as their confidence," explains Maria. "It's also all about developing their individual expression."

Maria, who trained at the London Contemporary Dance School and performed professionally for 12 years, also emphasises the health benefits dancing can provide.

She says: "My job here is as much to do with getting young people to become more physical. There's evidence that suggests dance actively helps to tackle childhood obesity.

"It's always slotted very well into PE at schools and many are enthusiastic, but you have to be an excellent dance teacher for it to work well.

"In that sense, somewhere like the Wycombe Swan is ideal for providing dance workshops and courses."

Maria says that in some ways dance has been treated as "the poor cousin of theatre and drama", but she now has high hopes of reversing its fortunes.

Among the dance activities currently on offer at the Wycombe Swan are weekly classes in contemporary dance, as well as regular workshops with a range of professional companies, including Tavaziva Dance.

Now looking to the months ahead, Maria is busy preparing for Swan Slam!, a one-day showcase in June of Hip Hop acts, including Jonzi D, Kompany Malakhi, Boy Blue Entertainment and Urban Strides.

The annual Wycombe Swan Dance Project, which runs for 12 days in August, is also already shaping up. Young people aged 12 to 19 will work with dancers from English National Ballet, as well as the contemporary Henri Oguike, jazz and tap artist Kerry Newell and female Hip Hop dancer Flex, from Boy Blue Entertainment.

Maria adds: "Wycombe Swan has easy access to these companies and there is nowhere else in the county where youngsters can get involved with the professionals."

Ideally, Maria tells me that she would like to see "an ongoing and ever increasing number of projects" at the Wycombe Swan. There are even plans under way for a Family Day, where young and old would have access to dance workshops.

Yet these plans hang in the balance against Maria's greatest challenge in her new role: funding.

She explains: "There's a lot of desire, interest and enthusiasm, but it all boils down to finances. Can people afford to come? Can we afford it? Can we help others? It's those kind of issues we have to face."

The situation is all the more acute in the wake of the recent Arts Council decision to withdraw funding from the Swan Dance programme. But for now, Maria is adamant the dance initiatives and workshops will continue, with the help of private donations and other funding grants.

"I would love to see dance developed as a lifelong experience," Maria adds. "Dance for all, that's what I'd like to see, and I think it's really beginning to happen."

For more information about dance projects and classes at Wycombe Swan, email maria@wycombeswan.co.uk or visit www.wycombeswan.co.uk