Applause Youth Dance Festival (AYDF) is a weekend celebrating youth dance from across the Midlands.
AYDF gives young dancers the opportunity to perform with their peers in a professional venue, watch other youth groups’ work and take part in workshops with professional dance artists.
The festival celebrates young dancers from every background, dance genre and level of experience. As the Midlands regional platform for U.Dance, it brings together dancers aged 11–19, and up to 25 for disabled dancers.
The programme showcases work from a wide range of settings, including schools, colleges, youth dance organisations and private dance schools, highlighting the breadth and diversity of youth dance across the region.
What is U.Dance?
U.Dance is a national programme led by One Dance UK and has been part of our youth dance offer in the East and West Midlands for ten amazing years.
Together with One Dance UK, Fabric aims to present high quality, innovative and ambitious youth dance.
U.Dance National Festival
The largest event of its kind, the U.Dance National Festival is a celebration of youth dance. Groups from around the country perform on professional stages, take part in workshops with leading dance professionals, and are offered inspiring dance career information.
Previous festivals
-
This year took place across multiple venues in Nottingham – Theatre Royal, Nottingham Trent University and Fabric Space 2 on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 April.
- Next Door Dance Youth Company
- Sterran Dance Company
- Loco Academy
- Attitude Dance Studios Performance Team
- ACE Youth Company
- North Birmingham Academy
- Young Creations
- CYCC Dance Elevate
- Moving Space Co
- NSFB (Northampton School for Boys)
- EC Dance
- Park Vale Senior Dance Academy
- Dance Development Project
- Nottingham College Dance
- Holly (solo performance)
- IGNITE AMTD
- Linden Youth
- Eloquent Dance
- ME Dance Youth
- Afrocave Dance
- Our Lady St Chads
- Manushi Dance
- Northampton School Dance Academy
-
This year took place in our studios at Birmingham Hippodrome from Saturday 22 to Sunday 23 March.
- 2Faced Youth
- ACE Youth
- AJ School of Dance
- BOA Dance
- Gelding Ballet School
- Halwsowen College
- Hereward College
- Mayes Academy
- ME Dance Duo
- NRG
- Northampton School for Boys
- Rushey Mead Academy
- Afrocave
- Atreyee Dance Group
- Flexus Youth Dance
- Future Shift
- King Edward VI College
- Lily Reyes
- Linden Youth
- Motionhouse Youth
- Our Lady and Saint Chads
- RESET Youth Co
- Shepshed Intermediate
- Sterran Dance Company
