MOVE IT, the world’s biggest dance event has announced Britain’s Got Talent winners Diversity as the 2025 festival headliners. The street dance group will be joined by professional dancers and choreographers Dylan Mayoral, Randall Watson, Serena McCall and Monique Jonas when the festival kicks off on 7th March next year at London’s Excel Centre. Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the annual event is for anyone with an interest in dance from spectators and hobbyists to students, graduates, teachers, professionals or families looking for a fun day out with a mix of performances, classes, talks, auditions, competitions, exhibits and more.
Diversity first came to the public’s attention in 2009. Since then they’ve gone on to sell nearly three quarters of a million tickets across their eleven sell out UK tours and have numerous iconic television performances to their name including the BAFTA winning 2020 guest performance on Britain’s Got Talent which summarised that year’s events and highlighted the significance and importance of the Black Lives Matter movement. As well as an exclusive headline performance at MOVE IT on the Saturday, they will also be hosting classes and meet and greets throughout the three days.
The professional dancers headlining alongside Diversity join at the top of their game working and performing with some of the biggest acts and companies in the world. Dylan Mayoral has choreographed and danced with global stars including Dua Lipa and Rita Ora, and Randall Watson has performed with the likes of Rihanna and Taylor Swift and is also one of Little Mix’s ‘Mix Men’ male dancers. Serena McCall has just completed a North American/Canadian tour of Message in a Bottle with Zoonation Katie Prince Company as well as a role in the upcoming film of the iconic musical Wicked, and Monique Jonas has just finished playing the lead in Matthew Bourne’s UK and international tour of Romeo & Juliet.
2025 will mark MOVE IT’s twentieth year of celebrating the dance and performing arts industry as well as acting as a launchpad for those starting their careers. For the past two decades, over 400,000 dancers, teachers, spectators, and professionals of all ages and levels have taken part with 33,000 in 2024 alone. A highlight is always the iconic Main Stage which showcases over 150 performances featuring some of the biggest names in the business. Previous appearances include Strictly Come Dancing’s Neil and Katya Jones, Layton Williams from Everybody’s Talking About Jamie and Pussycat Doll Kimberly Wyatt.
Other highlights include:
- Three other Stages – the Freestyle Stage where anyone and everyone is invited to express themselves to the beats of the resident DJ with competitions and prizes, Showcase Theatre featuring musical theatre performances from some of the UK’s best colleges and schools and the new Discovery Stage which will feature emerging talent, group performances, fashion runway shows, and daily takeovers by the winners of the Supreme Competition
- Competitions – there are two main competitions for the future stars of tomorrow; The UK Hip Hop Dance Championships where the country’s top dance crews compete for the title of National Champion and the chance to represent the UK at the World Hip Hop Championships in America and Starpower, one of the most prestigious stages in the dance industry where MOVE IT visitors can battle it out to be crowned Battle of the Stars Champion and earn a Golden ticket to the 2025 World Dance Championships
- Showcase Theatre – singing, dancing, and musical theatre performances from some of the UK’s best colleges and schools
- Auditions – Disney Auditions and Royal Caribbean Productions are both returning to MOVE IT 2025 offering anyone the chance to audition and join their elite team with the chance to perform around the world on Disney Cruise Lines
There will also be a meet and greet zone where visitors can meet their favourite stars, a shopping village with the best dance clothes, shoes, accessories and props as well as photographers and much more, Acro sessions with AcroPAD, the Spotlight Sofa with live interviews from talent and artists and The Starlight Express Roller Rink in partnership with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s iconic musical, Starlight Express.
Co-Creative Director Kate Scanlan said ‘’20 years ago, Tia and I both brought artists to perform at the first ever MOVE IT! We’re excited to share with you our most ambitious show to date. This is our love letter to MOVE IT and we’re showcasing world class talent, the UK’s most diverse dance class programme for everyone from seasoned professionals and for those trying dance for the first time. There is something for everyone. We love to MOVE IT, and we hope you’re going to bring your best moves to the show and move it too!”
For more information and to book tickets go to www.moveitdance.co.uk
