Dance United

Upcoming performances in London, Wessex and Yorkshire

admin — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 10:17:38 +0000

We are delighted to announce dates for upcoming performances in London, Wessex and Yorkshire.

London Academy – 3 Week Performance
Thursday 8th March 2012
Rich Mix, London

Wessex Dance Academy – Graduation Performance
Monday 19th March 2012
Theatre Royal Winchester

Dance United Yorkshire
Thursday 22nd March 2012
Alhambra Studios, Bradford

Further information about each performance will follow soon.

Nikki Crane becomes a Trustee of Dance United

admin — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 17:35:26 +0000

Moving on from the day to day work of Dance United is a very tough call indeed so I’m delighted to have been invited to become a trustee with effect from the end of March. These past five years have given me the most important opportunity of my working-life. As a development company Dance United is always on the move, building on what works but never afraid to face the unknown, stepping into often high-risk territory in order to discover the extraordinary.

It has been awe-inspiring working with such an exceptionally gifted team of people – whether here in London at our main office, in Yorkshire or in Wessex. A rare mix of creativity, a dogged determination in pursuit of the very best; combining tender-loving care of all our young people with innovation, professionalism and entrepreneurship – not easy to come by. Our work together has been a serious business but we have had so much fun too – a tall order in such testing times.

There will be much to draw upon as I move on to an exciting new role in arts and health but some highlights for me have been the early days of shaping the new Academy model in Bradford, transferring and reinterpreting the programme for London, the Destino production and film bringing the company back to its roots with Junaid and Addisu in Ethiopia and of course watching Dance United’s amazing dance artists work their magic on our young people such that small miracles happen every day. Rite of Passage has been the unifying theme across our programmes and what a rite of passage it has been for me – not simply transition but transformation – my time with Dance United has been nothing short of life-changing.

My heart-felt thanks to Dance United’s Board and all the staff, as well as to funders and other supporters who have given the company the opportunity to show just what it is made of. I look forward to dedicating all my might and main to my new role as trustee.

Nikki Crane

Nikki Crane has been a Strategic Adviser for Artistic Programme and Media for Dance United over the past five years and we are delighted to welcome her on to our Board of Trustees.

Dance United is looking for young people currently studying dance to join its 11-week London Academy programme as role models

admin — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:18:34 +0000

You will join for the first 3 weeks, beginning on 20th February, and then return after 2 months for the last week of the programme, starting on 2nd April 2012. Taster sessions will run on Thursday 16th and Friday 17th February, which is advisable for role models to also attend.

Dance United is interested in young people who have a keen interest in dance, usually individuals who are at performing arts colleges. Past role models have come to us from Kensington and Chelsea College, Southwark, Hackney Community College and Westminster Kingsway.

As a role model dancer you will gain the following:

Opportunity to work with leading professional dance artists
Experience from an intense full time contemporary dance training programme Performance skills and experience
Performance credits with Dance United, an award-winning dance company
Performance experience at a professional venue
Experience working with young people in a community dance setting

Dance United’s project is physically stimulating and role models will gain technical, choreographic, mentoring and performance skills working alongside professional dance artists and support managers.

The young people Dance United works with may have challenging behaviours and complex needs so it is also important that the right candidate has a strong character and can handle being in situations that can sometimes be stressful and challenging. It is equally important that the right role model is reliable, holds an excellent attendance and punctuality record and has a positive committed attitude.

For more information on the programme and attending the taster day, please contact:

Akosua Boakye
Dance Director
Dance United London Academy
ONE KX
120 Cromer Street
London WC1H 8BS
t: 020 7520 3091
e: akosua@dance-united.com

Deadline: Friday 17th February

Photos from Speak but one word to me

Oliver — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:26:34 +0000

Images from our London Company’s recent performance at Two Temple Place, Embankment, are now on our Flickr. The piece was choreographed by Lizzi Kew Ross in response to the William Morris exhibition and was accompanied by an original composition by violinist Ruth Elder. More information on the performances, including credits, can be found here.

Very moving! I’m sure William Morris would have been proud to have such a performance to celebrate his outstanding work!
R. Elder

Photos by Julian Moskov.

Wessex Dance Academy performance Me, Them, Us

admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:22:17 +0000

On Wednesday 8th February, the Wessex Dance Academy will hold its first 3 week cohort performance of 2012.

Young people from across Hampshire will take to the stage to perform Me, Them, Us at The Lights in Andover. If you would like to attend, please contact Lorna Digweed on 07809 501 440.

Dance United are delighted to announce the premiere of new work by metamotion at ReFresh, with music selected by Richard Alston

admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:29:04 +0000

This February, the Place and Sadler’s Wells’ London Youth Dance present ReFresh – a night of premieres from 6 London based youth dance companies with music chosen by 6 renowned choreographers including Richard Alston, Kate Prince, Tom Roden, Frauke Requardt, Russell Maliphant and Mark Baldwin.

Dance United’s London Performance Company is working with choreographer Robert Guy, with music selected by Richard Alston. Recently, the company attended a mentoring session with Kerry Nicholls at the Robin Howard Dance Theatre. Richard Alston watched the session and later met the company and gave them feedback.

ReFresh
Saturday 18 February
6pm and 8pm
£14 workshop + show (limited availability)
£9 young person’s ticket (show only) / £10 adult tickets (show only)

Box Office: 020 7121 1100

Visit the Place for more information.

Wessex Dance Academy is recruiting for cohorts in 2012

admin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:35:34 +0000

Operating from its new home in Winchester, the Wessex Dance Academy delivers 10 week long contemporary dance programmes to vulnerable and disadvantaged young people from across Hampshire and is recruiting young people to take part in cohorts running throughout 2012:

Cohort 1 – 16th January – 30th March
Cohort 2 – 8th May – 20th July
Cohort 3 – 24th September – 7th December

If you are interested in making a referral or would like to find out more, please contact Lorna Digweed on 07809 501 440 or visit Wessex Dance Academy.

Dance United were delighted to perform at Two Temple Place as part of the William Morris exhibition Story, Memory and Myth

admin — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 13:32:14 +0000

Morris wanted to design a pattern ‘which reminds us of life itself and which has the impress of human imagination strong on it’. Taking this idea of patterning and using music, touch and extracts from Morris’ poem Summer Dawn, Speak but one word to me seeks to engage with the themes of the Morris exhibition and the glorious Pearson architecture of Two Temple Place in an exciting and relevant way.

Speak but one word to me was choreographed by Lizzi Kew-Ross, with 8 dancers from Dance United’s London Performance Company and violinist Ruth Elder.

These performances were supported by the Bulldog Trust and ran from Wednesday 25th January to Friday 27th January.

Visit Two Temple Place for more information.

London Academy Graduation

admin — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 13:36:57 +0000

Following a highly successful first performance at the Southbank Centre in October (read audience feedback below), young people from our current London cohort celebrated their graduation with a final performance at Rich Mix.

Absolutely excellent. Young people danced with great precision, amazing accuracy and an outpour of passion.
Jemilea Wisdom, Young Hackney Practitioner

Amazing! I never thought I would see so much passion in young people as I have tonight.
Family member of Academy graduate

London Performance Company perform at Fresh 2011

admin — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 13:36:22 +0000

Hosted by The Place, Fresh is a night of outstanding dance with and for young people that brings together some of the UK’s best youth and professional dance companies.

We are delighted that our London Performance Company were invited to to perform at Fresh on Saturday 3rd December in the Robin Howard Dance Theatre.

The company performed Echo of Angels choreographed by Darren Ellis alongside performances from the Hofesh Shechter Company, Avant Garde Youth Dance, Shoreditch Youth Dance Company, London Youth Circus, Cando2 and Shift. London Academy participants attended the performance to support the company and took part in dance workshops delivered on the day as part of FRESH.