Winner Of The BBC Young Dancer 2022 Announced

BBC Young Dancer, the ultimate talent show for young UK dancers, has announced that the winner for 2022 is 17 year old Adhya Shastry from Reading, whose speciality is classical Indian dance style Bharatanatyam.

The grand final for BBC Young Dancer 2022 was shown tonight, Saturday 7 May on BBC Two, and saw ten talented dancers between ages 17-24 compete for the coveted title at London's iconic Roundhouse

BBC Young Dancer 2022 winner Adhya Shastry says: "I am honoured to have won BBC Young Dancer 2022. I have learnt so much from Emma Gladstone and the choreographers and mentors, and I now have a better understanding of who I am, what I stand for and how I like to dance. I now want to be more involved and immersed in the creative world - I feel like it's only just the beginning and there are endless possibilities and things I want to learn and do! Also, through this experience I have met the most incredible dancers who have become friends and have inspired and pushed me to be a better version of myself; people who have really shaped me into the person and dancer that I am today, so there truly has been a domino effect on my life because of the BBC."

Adhya Shastry started dancing Bharatanatyam when she was 9 years old at the performing arts group Kalakunj in Reading. She has also trained in contemporary and ballet since 2019 at The Place CAT scheme, attended the Yuva Gati CAT scheme in 2016, and is a member of the 2021-22 National Youth Dance Company. Adhya is currently studying A Level Chemistry, Maths and Art, and for dance her aims are to work with and learn from a range of different artists, as well as creating her own work and exploring her way of movement.

For the young dancers taking part, this life changing opportunity began in 2021 with an Open Call for young dancers across the UK encouraged to apply. The finalists, whose styles span a broad range including ballet, contemporary, street and tap, were put through their paces at the first ever BBC Young Dancer 'Academy' held at Dartington in Devon where they had the chance to work with some of the hottest dance talent in the UK. Throughout the series, the dance team has been led by BBC Young Dancer Artistic Director Emma Gladstone OBE, former Chief Executive and Artistic Director of London's international festival Dance Umbrella.

For the final, the dancers performed their own solos and premiered brand-new duets and trios choreographed by Kristina and Sadé Alleyne, Gianna Gi, Dickson Mbi, and Seeta Patel, as well as a high-octane group performance created by dancer, choreographer and filmmaker Ivan Blackstock. The final also featured a performance from the 2019 winner Max Revell, currently dancing for the Akram Khan Company in their new production, Jungle Book Reimagined.

Presented by Clara Amfo, the main prize was judged by an independent panel of leading figures from UK Dance: Arthur Pita, Kate Prince, Subathra Subramaniam and Ryoichi Hirano.

BBC Young Dancer Artistic Director Emma Gladstone OBE says: "Our goal for BBC Young Dancer this year was to open creative doors for the dancers, and support their artistic growth. It has been joyous to see how they stepped through those doors with such ownership. Adhya Shastry was noticeable from the start for her commanding presence on stage, as well as her versatility across different styles. As the judges all commented, she is mesmerising to watch, and a most worthy winner."

BBC Young Dancer Executive Producer Paul Bullock says: "This has been an extraordinary year for BBC Young Dancer which included the launch of a new format, dealing with the challenges of the pandemic and a rescheduled Final. At every step the dancer's creative energy, willingness to take risks and learn from those around them has been inspiring. Providing an environment to develop and grow is what this competition has always been about and to watch all ten perform in the Final was a joy to behold. Huge congratulations to Adhya and to all the dancers who together created something much more than simply a final."

Head of Arts and Classical Music TV Suzy Klein says: "This year's BBC Young Dancer has been an absolute joy. It's fantastic to see the breadth of talent amongst the dancers and witness how hardworking, dedicated and supportive of each other they have been. The programme gives young aspiring dancers across the UK the rare opportunity to develop their creativity and skills and they each embraced it wholeheartedly."

For further information about the BBC Young Dancer choreographers and judges visit this link: BBC Young Dancer 2022 Professionals.

BBC Young Dancer 2022 is a BBC Studios Music and Entertainment Cardiff production for BBC Two, BBC Four and BBC iPlayer. The Series Producer is Martyn Stevens, and the Executive Producer is Paul Bullock. The commissioning editor for BBC Arts is Emma Cahusac.

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