Press Release: National Youth Dance Company reveals new line-up of young talent for sixth year

[Jan McNulty]

National Youth Dance Company reveals new line-up of young talent for sixth year

- 30 new young dancers from across the country chosen to join 41-strong company 
- Sharon Eyal to lead as Guest Artistic Director
- Used To Be Blonde to have World Premiere at Sadler’s Wells in April 2017
- Sadler’s Wells and artists illustrate commitment to building vibrant dance future 

National Youth Dance Company (NYDC), the country’s flagship organisation for young dancers which is run by Sadler’s Wells, announces its line-up of 41 outstandingly talented young dancers for this year. Through NYDC experience workshops held in 16 different cities throughout the UK, 30 new members were selected from all over the country, joining 11 dancers returning from last year’s NYDC cohort.

The new company is working under the guidance of 2017/18 Guest Artistic Director Sharon Eyalto create Used To Be Blonde, a new work which will premiere at Sadler’s Wells on Saturday 7 April 2018, followed by a UK National Tour. This new commission will contain Eyal’s signature style, conveying extreme emotions through movement. Further details about the production and tour venues will be announced at a later date.

The dancers are mentored during four intensive residencies over the year, in order 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 up career possibilities. 

One of the most exciting female choreographers working today, Sharon Eyal was born in Jerusalem and danced with Batsheva Dance Company from 1990 until 2008. She served as Associate Artistic Director of the company from 2003-4 and House Choreographer of the company from 2005-12. In 2013, Eyal launched L-E-V with her long-time collaborator Gai Behar. L-E-V presented the UK Premiere of OCD LOVE at Sadler’s Wells last year and premiered new work Love Chapter 2 at the Montpellier Dance Festival earlier this year. L-E-V has toured across the world, visiting cities including New York, Paris and Amsterdam. Ballet British Columbia will perform Eyal’s piece Bill at Sadler’s Wells and on a UK Tour in March 2018. Her other choreographies include Killer Pig and Corps de Walk for Carte Blanche Dance of Norway, Too Beaucoup for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Plafona for Tanzcompagnie Oldenburg, Germany, Sara and Salt Womb for Nederlands Dans Theater, Half-Life for the Royal Swedish Ballet and Untitled Black for the Göteborg Opera.

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 illustrate their commitment to young artists and highlight the power young dancers have to shape the future of dance.

Now in its sixth year, NYDC has established a reputation for innovative, challenging and influential work, producing open-minded, curious and brave dancers. The company brings together the brightest talent from across England, immersing the members fully in the process of creating, performing and touring new work, giving them a unique insight into the dance profession. NYDC has a track record of putting young people on paths to successful dance careers, with over 80% of all former NYDC dancers now either in further dance studies, in vocational training or working professionally.

NYDC is jointly funded by Arts Council England and the Department for Education through Grant in Aid funds

NOTES TO EDITORS

ABOUT NATIONAL YOUTH DANCE COMPANY
Founded in 2012, and hosted at Sadler’s Wells, NYDC is an exciting young company that creates and performs innovative and influential dance, drawing together some of the brightest young talent from across the country. NYDC is jointly funded by Arts Council England and the Department for Education through Grant in Aid funds. Since NYDC’s inception in 2012: 
- 180 dancers have joined the company, working intensively with renowned dance artists including Guest Artistic Directors: Jasmin Vardimon (2012-13), Akram Khan (2013-14), Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui (2014-15), Michael Keegan Dolan (2015-16) and Damien Jalet (2016-17). These 180 dancers come from over 80 different towns and cities in England. 
- Over 2500 young people have worked with the company 
- NYDC has delivered 107 workshops in 34 different venues across 24 towns and cities 
- Over 35,000 people have seen the company perform 
- NYDC has featured in 58 performances, visiting 22 different venues across the UK, including some leading theatres in the country.

ABOUT SADLER’S WELLS
Sadler’s Wells is a world-leading creative organisation dedicated to dance in all its forms. With over three centuries of theatrical heritage and a year-round programme of performances and learning activities, its goal is to motivate everyone to experience dance – to take part, learn, experiment and be inspired. Audiences of over half a million come to Sadler’s Wells’ London theatres each year, with many more enjoying its touring productions at partner venues across the UK and around the world, or accessing its content through digital channels. 
Sadler’s Wells commissions and presents more new dance work than any other theatre in the world, embracing the popular and the unknown. Since 2005, it has helped to bring over 140 new dance works to the stage, many of them involving its 16 Associate Artists, three Resident Companies and four Associate Companies – the most exciting talents working in dance today. It also nurtures the next generation of talent through its artist development initiatives, and reaches over 25,000 annually through its learning and engagement programme.
Located in Islington, north London, the current theatre is the sixth to have stood on the site since it was first built by entrepreneur Richard Sadler in 1683. The venue has played an illustrious role in the history of theatre ever since with The Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and English National Opera having all started at Sadler’s Wells. Sadler’s Wells is a charity and a National Portfolio Organisation, currently receiving 10% of its revenue from Arts Council England.

[Jan McNulty]

PRESS RELEASE 
Tuesday 24 October 2017


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. 




About DanceEast
DanceEast is one of the UK’s leading dance organisations. It is based at the Jerwood DanceHouse in Ipswich, the home of dance in the East of England. 
DanceEast’s programme embraces the artistic, educational, social and recreational roles that dance plays in the local and national arts ecology. It places artists at the heart of the organisation, presenting high-quality high-profile dance work in the Jerwood DanceHouse and offering artists support, development and stimulation via programmes such as the Associate Artist Scheme, Rural Retreats, Professional Development workshops, advanced level classes and the Choreographic Development Fund. DanceEast has been running a range of innovative community projects for over thirty years, working closely with partners on local, national and international projects.

DanceEast is a registered charity, funded by Arts Council England, Suffolk County Council, Ipswich Borough Council, and donations from individuals, businesses, trusts and foundations. Thanks to Catalyst: Evolve funding, all donations DanceEast receives before 31 August 2019 will be matched by Arts Council England £1 for £1, doubling their value. There has never been a better time to donate, and contribute to the future of great dance at the Jerwood DanceHouse.

 

About DanceEast Centre for Advanced Training
The DanceEast Centre for Advanced Training provides world class, pre-vocational, professional dance programmes for young people aged 10–18 years from the East of England, and thee scheme has a 100% success rate of students continuing dance training at Further or Higher Education level. Funded by the Department for Education the Centre for Advanced Training offers means tested grants to cover many, all, or part of the training.

 

About National Youth Dance Company 
Founded in 2012, and hosted at Sadler’s Wells, NYDC is an exciting young company that creates and performs innovative and influential dance, drawing together some of the brightest young talent from across the country. NYDC is jointly funded by Arts Council England and the Department for Education through Grant in Aid funds. Since NYDC’s inception in 2012: 

- 180 dancers have joined the company, working intensively with renowned dance artists including Guest Artistic Directors: Jasmin Vardimon (2012-13), Akram Khan (2013-14), Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui (2014-15), Michael Keegan Dolan (2015-16) and Damien Jalet (2016-17). These 180 dancers come from over 80 different towns and cities in England. 
- Over 2,500 young people have worked with the company 
- NYDC has delivered 107 workshops in 34 different venues across 24 towns and cities 
- Over 35,000 people have seen the company perform 
- NYDC has featured in 58 performances, visiting 22 different venues across the UK, including some leading theatres in the country.