DANCEEAST CENTRE FOR ADVANCED TRAINING STUDENTS TO DANCE WITH ESTEEMED NATIONAL YOUTH DANCE COMPANY
National Youth Dance Company (NYDC) has revealed its new line-up of young dance talent for its sixth year, with 30 new young dancers from across the country chosen to join the esteemed company. The new members were selected through NYDC experience workshops held in 16 different cities throughout the UK, joining 11 dancers returning from last year’s NYDC cohort.
Two of DanceEast’s Centre for Advanced Training (CAT) students – Niamh Keady and James Hall – will be joining CAT student Isis Clunie as part of this prestigious company, the country’s flagship organisation for young dancers run by Sadler’s Wells. Summer 2017 saw Isis return to her regional roots to perform at Ipswich’s Jerwood DanceHouse with NYDC, as part of its UK tour of Tarantiseismic. Isis has been a CAT student at DanceEast since 2010, with Niamh and James joining the scheme in 2014 and 2015 respectively.
NYDC’s new cohort demonstrates the high standard of DanceEast’s CAT programme, with three dancers currently within its ranks: since its inception, NYDC has seen nine DanceEast CAT students dance as part of the company. The DanceEast CAT provides world class, pre-vocational, professional dance programmes for young people aged 10–18 years from eastern England, and the scheme has a 100% success rate of students continuing dance training at Further or Higher Education.
Brendan Keaney, DanceEast’s Chief Executive and Artistic Director said:
“We are delighted that three of our Centre for Advanced Training students are now part of National Youth Dance Company. DanceEast’s CAT brings together the brightest dance talent from across eastern England so this achievement is testament to our work, nurturing young performers and connecting them to the dance profession. We immerse our students fully in the process of creating and performing work, setting them in fantastic stead for their dance journeys ahead.”
The new company of NYDC dancers will be working under the guidance of 2017/18 Guest Artistic Director Sharon Eyal to create Used To Be Blonde, a new work which will premiere at Sadler’s Wells in April 2018, followed by a national tour. This new commission will contain Eyal’s signature style, conveying extreme emotions through movement. Further details will be announced by Sadler’s Wells.
The dancers will be mentored during four intensive residencies at national venues over the year – including one at DanceEast – to create, rehearse and develop the new piece. Throughout the dancers’ time with NYDC they are given a unique insight into the dance profession, gaining skills and techniques that open career possibilities.
In her appointment as NYDC Guest Artistic Director, Eyal follows in the footsteps of Damien Jalet and Sadler’s Wells Associate Artists Michael Keegan-Dolan, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Akram Khan and Jasmin Vardimon, who have in turn held the position over the past five years. Through their work with NYDC, these internationally acclaimed artists highlight the power young dancers have to shape the future of dance, producing open-minded, curious and brave dancers.
For more information or to book visit danceeast.co.uk.
