WHAT IS U.DANCE?

U.Dance is the national programme of events offering high quality dance opportunities to young people. Each year, our nation’s young dancers can explore their creativity, learn more about dance careers, and experience the thrill and sense of achievement of performing!

One Dance UK works with partners to deliver and support U.Dance events all over the country. Since its inception, the programme has reached over 200,000 young people.

U.Dance Regional

U.Dance Regional Platforms are hosted by a network of partner organisations and offer exciting performance and workshop opportunities to thousands of young dancers each year.

Regional Platforms take place in the spring each year and form part of the selection process for the U.Dance National Festival. Applications will open in autumn 2023 for the 2024 U.Dance Regional Platforms so keep an eye on One Dance UK’s website and social media channels to get involved.

U.Dance National Festival

The U.Dance National Festival takes place each summer on stage and on screen. It celebrates the achievement of selected groups from around the UK through performances live on stage and on screen. Alumni from the U.Dance National Festival have gone on to study, create, manage and perform dance in a huge variety of settings.

Find out more: www.udancedigital.org

Folkestra

Folkestra are a folk ensemble based in the North East founded by Kathryn Tickell. They bring an exciting mix of new composition and tune arrangements, led by Andy May.

The Last Tree TIN Arts

Choreographed by: Maria Mandehzadeh and Rachel Graham

TIN Arts is an organisation dedicated to ensuring as many people as possible have access to high quality dance and performing arts. The group performing this evening features dancers from classes that meet weekly in their Durham studio.

The Last Tree is a newly created outdoor performance piece that will be showcased at TIN Arts’ inclusive outdoor festival “IncludFEST 2023” adapted especially for U.Dance 2023 to be presented indoors.

The One Reason Aoife B, TeesDance, Young Choreographer Programme

Choreographed by: Aoife B

TeesDance champions dance in, and for, the Tees Valley and delivers a programme called MoveUP for young dancers to develop their choreographic skills and make their own piece for stage. This piece is choreographed and performed by Aoife, a participant in MoveUP.

The main theme of Aoife’s piece is resilience. It is about finding the one reason to keep going and be resilient even throughout the tough challenges of life. Her individual interpretation is about her one reason to keep dancing. Despite all the challenges of dancing (especially during lockdown) she kept going because she loves it. It can however, be interpreted in your own individual way: your reason you keep going.

At the Barre Liberdade Youth Dance

Choreographed by: Heather Huggins & Kelly Turnbull

Liberdade Youth Dance was formed in September 2019 and come together on a Wednesday evening at Gosforth Civic Theatre. The group take part in contemporary dance technique class, followed by creative sessions where they learn new skills in contemporary dance, physical theatre and choreography.

At the Barre was choreographed specifically for Liberdade Community Development Trust’s annual performance platform for people with SEND. Using our bespoke barre, the group explore the idea of being young and carefree.

The Elegance of Power

Annabel L, TeesDance, Young Choreographer Programme

Choreographed by: Annabel L

TeesDance champions dance in, and for, the Tees Valley and delivers a programme called MoveUP for young dancers to develop their choreographic skills and make their own piece for stage. This piece is choreographed and performed by Annabel, a participant in MoveUP.

This performance represents the idea of growing into yourself and owning the power you hold over your own destiny. Annabel hopes everyone feels some connection to this piece but it’s particularly for any girls/women who feel that they can’t voice their opinions or need to hide their intelligence. Remember, you have just as much power as your male counterparts.

Stuck Darlington Hippodrome Youth Dance

Choreographed by: Debbie Harbin

Darlington Hippodrome’s Contemporary Dance classes meet weekly and equip young people with excellent dance skills and techniques, working towards exciting performance opportunities. Young people are encouraged to develop their own creative ideas and choreography, and will regularly have the chance to perform.

Created for returning student Leah’s A Level Sport course, Leah wanted to develop a piece about the mind and being stuck in your own head. Originally a solo piece, it explores a teenager’s mind and all its ruminating thoughts, frustrations and struggles.

Enough Division Dance Company

Choreographed by: Claire McGrath

Division is a youth company that meets weekly and focuses on creating thought-provoking choreography that reflects the world of its young dancers. It offers performance opportunities and strives to push their students to their fullest potential.

Enough is a contemporary dance piece depicting the pressures on youth to conform to societal norms. It explores themes of appearance, behaviour, academic performance, and social media. The dancers express the struggle of maintaining individuality amidst societal expectations.

Eadfrith Dance City CAT Graduates

Choreographed by: Anthony Lo-Giudice

The Dance City CAT Graduates have been training on the programme for a range of years in contemporary, ballet and creative work. All graduates are going on to pursue dance & academic subjects at HE Level.

This work studies a series of pages from The Lindisfarne Gospels, created in part by the monk Eadfrith around 700AD. Eadfrith uses weight and weightlessness, where complex and elaborate patterns and structures meander around images of local birds and human figures.

Abundance Boundless

Choreographed by: Lizzie Klotz

Boundless is Dance City’s 55+ company which provides a unique opportunity for mature dancers in the region to develop their contemporary dance and performance skills as well as technical ability. The company creates original work for digital and live performances.

This is a work that considers how we feel about abundance and how it feels to be abundant. It’s about joy, freedom, age, family, reflection, opportunity, guilt and sharing. It’s about having just enough but not too much. Plenty.

Breathe it in. Breathe it out.

Walk Of Life Toon Tappers

Choreographed by: Caroline Banks

This enthusiastic tap group meet once a week to discuss ideas around performance and choreography. They support one another both on and off the dance floor and really look forward to their sessions.

This performance is a celebration of the North East; Walk Of Life by Dire Straits is written by fellow Geordiie, Mark Knopfler and the group are performing as the Toon Tappers in Newcastle United football shirts.

Faiseurs de Joie Adult Ballet Improvers

Choreographed by: Alex Mitchinson

Adult Ballet Improvers is a weekly class at Dance City. Some participants started learning ballet as children, others as adults, but they all work together to perform one or two group pieces a year.

The music is by Tchaikovsky, from Swan Lake. This piece is danced by merry makers (faiseurs de joie) at Prince Seigfried’s birthday party in the fifth scene, Act 1.

The Two Tied Dance City CAT Students

Choreographed by: Michaela Wate

The Dance City CAT students have been training on the programme for a range of years in contemporary, ballet and creative work. This piece was created in collaboration between teachers and students for the CAT Easter Show.

Two Fridas is a painting by Frida Kahlo referring to a traditional and radical version of herself, tied together with arteries from heart to heart. Self-portraits and what to keep or what to change about ourselves has led this work.