National Youth Dance Company (NYDC) / Botis Seva MADHEAD UK Tour

National Youth Dance Company (NYDC) returns for its seventh year with a new intake of 28 young dancers who join the 10 dancers returning from previous cohorts. The newly commissioned work choreographed by Botis Seva, premieres at DanceEast in Ipswich on 20 April. MADHEAD then tours to Plymouth, Newcastle, Essex, Brighton, Birmingham and for the first time since its inception, closes at Sadler’s Wells on 19 July. 

MADHEAD draws on the robust, exuberant, impulsive energy of youth culture. Seva’s unique movement language of physical theatre and hip hop, along with the youthful energy of the NYDC dancers, drawn from across the country, illustrates the influence and creativity that emerging dance artists can bring to a professional dance collaboration.

The new line up of dancers are given the opportunity to engage with dance through working at the highest level, alongside an artistic team with exceptional standards and artistic integrity. Seva and his artistic team work with the dancers over four residencies to create, develop and rehearse the piece.

Seva’s appointment follows on from his Olivier Award-winning piece, BLKDOG, which formed part of the Sadler’s Wells’ 20th anniversary commission, Reckonings, in October 2018. In August, Seva collaborated with Billy Boyd Cape to create a short film, Reach, commissioned by Sadler’s Wells as part of Channel 4’s Random Acts series. Seva’s other credits include: InNoForm for the British Dance Edition & Laban Theatre, Woman of Sun for Greenwich Dance & Trinity Laban Partnership Compass Commission and TuTuMucky for Scottish Dance Theatre. He and his collective Far From the Norm have previously performed at Sadler’s Wells with Breakin’ Convention and curated a Wild Card evening in the Lilian Baylis Studio.

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 also delivers NYDC Workshops across the whole of the country for young people aged 15-19, and up to the age of 24 for deaf or disabled dancers. The workshops are used as an opportunity to be considered for a place in the 2019-20 cohort.

NYDC is currently looking for 30 new dancers, with experience in any style. Please see below for workshop details.

National Youth Dance Company is supported using public funding by Department for Education and Arts Council England.

Press performance: Friday 19 July at 7:30pm at Sadler’s Wells

Press are welcome to any of the other six regional performances

For further information or to arrange interviews and press tickets, please contact Chelsea Robinson on 020 7863 8114 or chelsea.robinson@sadlerswells.com.

Press images can be downloaded from http://media.sadlerswells.com.

Listings information

Tour venues

Ipswich

DanceEast

20 April at 7pm

Tickets: www.danceeast.co.uk

Plymouth

The House

23 June at 7:30pm

Tickets: www.the-arts-institute.cloudvenue.co.uk

Newcastle

Dance City

29 June at 2pm and 7:30pm

Tickets: www.dancecity.co.uk

Essex

Saffron Hall

13 July at 7:30pm

Tickets: www.saffronhall.com

Brighton

Brighton Dome

15 July at 7:30pm

Tickets: www.brightondome.org  

Birmingham

Patrick Centre

17 July at 7:00pm

Tickets: www.livebrum.co.uk/venues/the-patrick-centre

London

Sadler’s Wells

19 July at 7:30pm

Tickets go on sale on 15 April: www.sadlerswells.com

NYDC workshops