What you can expect

Training – DYD currently run classes at YMCA Dorchester. These classes are offered at three levels:

Junior members (aged 7-11) learn contemporary dance foundations through creative exercises and dance sequences. The classes are fun and imaginative, building the confidence and creativity of our young movers! The level is suitable for all.

Senior members (aged 12-18) are supported and nurtured through technical and creative contemporary training to become more confident dancers and performers. Rehearsals also focus on developing individual creativity and expression through choreographic tasks.

Company members (aged 14-25) are challenged at an advanced level, demonstrating professionalism in performance in preparation for further stages of dance training. Company is by invite only.

Performance – Dorset Youth Dance is managed by Activate Performing Arts, a leading organization dedicated to promoting and supporting the performing arts in our communities. This means we are connected to a vibrant array of artistic events across Dorset, providing our young dancers with exciting performance opportunities throughout the year.

Dancers can look forward to showcasing their talent at youth dance platforms as well as having the chance to perform at Activate Performing Art’s signature events, including the Activate Christmas Showcase, Street in the Park, and the biennial Inside Out Dorset festival. Our Seniors & Company have also previously participated in curtain raisers for touring professional productions and performed at large scale events such as We Out Here Festival.

With such a dynamic schedule and vibrant connections across Dorset, our dancers are sure to gain invaluable experience in the world of performance!

Collaboration – At DYD, we believe in empowering young people by nurturing their creative voices and choreographic skills. We work in a way that encourages our young dancers to contribute to creative processes and create their own individual movement style. Recently, DYD hosted a choreography workshop with Feet off the Ground Dance, a contact improvisation collective. This workshop resulted in the creation of an exciting new piece set to be performed in 2025. Stay tuned for performance dates to be announced soon!

Here at DYD we also try to connect with other artists and companies to open up the experience we offer our young dancers. Here are some examples of our previous collaborations:

Between August 2020 and September 2021, DYD dancers created ‘Tess’, along with friends from Movers & Shakers, The Remix, Coast & Co-Evo (Pavilion Dance) plus Rise Youth Dance; click HERE to watch the 3 short dance films that form the digital element of ‘Tess’.

DYD has also previously worked in partnership with Dorset arts organisation Artsreach Dorset, to facilitate workshops with professional dance artists and companies touring to the county. This provides our young dancers with opportunities to learn new styles, be part of curtain raisers and watch professional performances. Previous examples of artists we have engaged with are Joshua Nash, one of the UK’s foremost Krump artists, and Sonia Sabri Dance, one of the leading contemporary South Asian dance and music companies in the UK.