Led nationally by One Dance UK (ODUK), U.Dance provides performance opportunities for young people aged between 11 – 19, and up to 24 if the young person has a disability, in professional venues across the UK.

Dance4 leads U.Dance in the East Midlands, working closely with the U.Dance East Midlands Steering Group members to deliver five county events each year.

The U.Dance Steering Group Members include:
– Hayley Arthur (Dance4),
– Jess Ashley (Dance4),
– Jon Bevan (Inspire Youth Arts),
– Emma Bouch (artsNK),
– Andy Dawson (Inspire Youth Arts),
– Mel Knott (DMU),
– Clare Limb (Déda),
– Rebecca Streets (Dance4) and
– Lindsey Warnes- Carroll (The Core at Corby Cube) .

The U.Dance county events showcase the highest quality youth dance work from across the region. A panel of dance industry professionals attend each of the county U.Dance events and select two groups from each to be added to the regional shortlist. Each event is filmed, and a compilation film of the regional shortlisted groups is sent to a national selection panel led by ODUK. The national panel then choose one  group from the East Midlands region to take part in U.Dance 2020 national festival which will take place in Glasgow between the 17 – 19 July 2020 in partnership with YDance, Scottish Ballet and Tramway.

Professional venue partners include:  Nottingham Lakeside Arts, Lincoln Performing Arts Centre, Curve, Déda and The Core at Corby Cube.

U.Dance in the East Midlands 2020 county events include:

• Mass Movement, Leicestershire, Sunday 26 January 2020, 4pm matinee and 7.30pm evening show Curve,
• N.Dance, Northamptonshire, Saturday 7 March 2020, 6pm, The Core at Corby Cube
• True Motion, Lincolnshire, Saturday 14 March 2020, 7.30pm Lincolnshire Performing Arts Centre
• Interface, Derbyshire, Friday 27 March 2020, 7:30pm Déda
• Episodes, Nottinghamshire,  Sunday 29 March 2020, 7.30pm, Nottingham Lakeside Arts

Other U.Dance opportunities in 2020 include:

New Dimensions which offers the opportunity for youth dance groups to work towards longer pieces of the choreography of between 7 – 15 minutes in length.
U.Dance on Screen which offers the opportunity to showcase work beyond staged performances.

In the East Midlands, we are encouraging groups who are interested in New Dimensions and U.Dance on Screen to apply to showcase this work at a county event. To apply to either of these opportunities follow the U.Dance East Midlands Guidance Notes and select ‘New Dimensions’ or U.Dance on Screen on the application form.

Group leaders interested in submitting New Dimensions work or U.Dance on Screen work to be considered as part of the U.Dance 2020 national festival will then need to apply directly to ODUK, full details of the deadlines for the national opportunity will be available soon.