National Youth Dance Company (NYDC), the country’s flagship organisation for young dancers, will present its work, Speak Volumes, in a London premiere at Sadler’s Wells on Saturday 24 July, led by the company’s Guest Artistic Director, Alesandra Seutin.
Speak Volumes celebrates young people overcoming stereotypes and being able to speak their minds free of judgement. The work explores the impact of the media and societal pressures on young people and asks adults to take responsibility for how young people are treated.
Speak Volumes is a contemporary piece rooted in African and hip hop physicality and will include spoken word written by the NYDC company members. Audiences can expect buoyant physicality and a mood which shifts between dark and joyous.
NYDC will continue to present Speak Volumes on a UK Tour following the Sadler’s Wells performance, and their first performance at DanceEast on Tuesday 20 July.
NYDC Guest Artistic Director Alesandra Seutin, said: “Speak Volumes is an open floor for the voices of the younger ones of these times, a space for their existence and truth to be heard, acknowledged and experienced lights on.”
Hannah Kirkpatrick, Head of NYDC, said: “We have had nearly a full year of Zoom residencies and rehearsals. The resilience and perseverance of the company and the artistic team has been inspiring. Now they have the chance to share this piece with audiences across the country and show the world quite how powerful they are as young artists.”
The cohort of 29 is made up of 21 dancers recruited virtually in November 2020, who join eight returning dancers from last year’s cohort. The group is made up of 19 female and 10 male dancers from over 20 different towns and cities across the country. The NYDC company age range is 16-18, or up to the age of 24 for deaf or disabled dancers, and this year’s company span the full age range.
Now in its ninth year, NYDC has, since its inception, established a reputation for producing high-quality, critically acclaimed productions by leading choreographers: Russell Maliphant (2019 – 2020) Botis Seva (2018 – 2017), Sharon Eyal (2017-18), Damien Jalet (2016-17), Michael Keegan-Dolan (2015-16), Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui (2014-15), Akram Khan (2013-14) and Jasmin Vardimon (2012-13).
Demonstrating their commitment to the next generation of young dancers, these internationally acclaimed artists highlight the power young dancers have to shape the future of dance. 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.
Graduates from NYDC have since danced in Michael Keegan-Dolan’s Teaċ Daṁsa, Hofesh Shechter Company, BalletBoyz, Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures, Cullberg Ballet, Ultima Vez, Russell Maliphant Company, Rambert2 and the Jasmin Vardimon Company.
