Nine Groups Selected For National Showcase of Major Choreographic Initiative, Making Moves

Since September 2023, Sadler's Wells' Making Moves programme has engaged nearly 800 young people from 48 youth and school groups across the country, inspiring them to develop their own choreographic works. The programme provides participating groups with digital toolkits produced by professional dance artists connected with Sadler's Wells. For its inaugural year these dance artists were Alesandra Seutin, Dannielle “Rhimes” Lecointe, Jordan Douglas and Oona Doherty.

Sadler's Wells has, over the last year, hosted regional platforms for participating groups to share their new choreographic creations at venues across the country including DanceEast in Ipswich, De Montford University, the Lilian Baylis Studio in London, The Lowry in Salford, Pavilion Dance South West in Bournemouth, and the Northern School of Contemporary Dance in Leeds. Now, nine youth and school groups have been selected to share their work at the National Platform on Sadler's Wells Theatre stage on Tuesday 9 July.

The groups selected for this year's showcase are: 28 Dance Company (Welwyn Garden City), Obsidian (Dereham, Norfolk), Curve Young Dance Company (Leicester), Langley Park School for Boys (Beckenham), Hampshire Youth Dance Company (Hampshire), Ceyda Tanc Dance Company (Brighton), Stockport Grammar School (Stockport), Stacked Wonky (Porlock, Somerset), and Barbara Priestman Academy (Sunderland).

The nine groups selected for the National Platform reflect the breadth and ambition of the Making Moves programme, with young dancers represented from ages 11 to 18 and from across the country. The presentation on Tuesday 9 July champions the diversity of groups that participated in the augural programme, from school groups, youth groups and youth dance companies. The National Platform will showcase all four toolkits created by the choreographers, with two or three groups representing each toolkit.

Joce Giles, Director of Learning and Engagement at Sadler's Wells, said, “The Making Moves National Platform is an exciting opportunity to celebrate the inaugural year of the project and celebrate the creativity, talent and passion for dance that young people have demonstrated throughout the year. This is the first time that Sadler's Wells will showcase work created and performed by schools and youth groups from across England on such a large-scale. We are thrilled to welcome these young dancers to our theatre and can't wait for them to take the stage.”

Elaine Foley, Project Manager for Making Moves, said, “To directly link young dancers, their group leaders and world-renowned choreographers in such a bespoke and personal way has been an incredible privilege for the Making Moves team. Each choreographer has generously shared their artistic practice through their toolkits, and the outcomes of this are evident in the pieces developed by all 48 groups this year. It's been a joy to celebrate the diversity of the groups and their richness in creativity, and the National Platform will be a moving representation of everyone's hard work.”

Sadler's Wells can today announce that the digital toolkits for the second year will be created by choreographers Kloe Dean, Ben Duke and newly appointed Sadler's Wells Associate Artists Jules Cunningham and Seeta Patel. The toolkits include a theme, suggested music, sources of inspiration such as poetry or visual art, and creative ideas for generating movement. Applications are now open for the second year of the Making Moves programme, and more information can be found here.