Applause Youth Dance Festival is pleased to announce the 23 successful companies and solo performers from across the East and West Midlands who will be performing at a vibrant weekend celebration of youth dance.

The festival showcases the work of young dancers from a variety of backgrounds and levels of experience, between the ages of 11 to 19 and up to 25 for disabled dancers. The final programme includes companies from a huge variety of settings including school and college groups, youth dance organisations and private dance schools.

Saturday 11 April features:
Next Door Dance Youth Company (East Midlands)
Sterran Dance Company (West Midlands)
Loco Academy (West Midlands)
Attitude Dance Studios Performance Team (West Midlands)
ACE Youth Company (West Midlands)
North Birmingham Academy (West Midlands)
Young Creations (East Midlands)
CYCC Dance Elevate (East Midlands)
Moving Dance Co (West Midlands)
NSFB (Northampton School for Boys) (East Midlands)
EC Dance (East Midlands)

Sunday 12 April features:
Park Vale Senior Dance Academy (East Midlands)
Dance Development Project (East Midlands)
Nottingham College Dance (East Midlands)
Holly (solo performance) (East Midlands)
IGNITE AMTD (West Midlands)
Linden Youth (West Midlands)
Eloquent Dance (West Midlands)
ME Dance Youth (West Midlands)
Afrocave Dance (West Midlands)
Our Lady St Chad (West Midlands)
Manushi Dance (East Midlands)
Northampton School Dance Academy (East Midlands)

During the weekend Applause Youth Dance Festival will also be hosting a unique marketplace offering the young performers and the public an opportunity to connect with dance organisations, providers and institutions, explore training opportunities, projects and learn about career pathways related to and around dance. There will be an exhibition space for mini performances, plus workshops and talks.

Applause is pleased to also be working in partnership with Breakin’ Convention this year, presenters of award-winning hip hop theatre revolution, and will be hosting a workshop for the young people and leading the warm-up session for the festival weekend. They will also be joining the discussion panel about careers in dance which will be open to the public.