Over the past year, in partnership with Eastside Educational Trust, the talented Daniella Rice and Patrycja Cygan have been following three Step into Dance Youth Company members, as they progress through their academic year, in order to gain an insight into the Step into Dance Youth Companies.
Step into Dance, led by the Royal Academy of Dance in partnership with the Jack Petchey Foundation, is the largest ongoing, inclusive secondary school dance programme in the UK. It provides focus, creative experience, live performance opportunities and a chance for young dancers to further learn and develop through its work in over 200 schools throughout London and Essex. It is the largest provider of dance for schools, and is going from strength to strength.
The Step into Dance Youth Companies involve some of the most gifted dancers on the programme, who rehearse weekly during term time at the Royal Academy of Dance. The dancers receive a high level of training from professional teachers and perform at prestigious venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Piccadilly Theatre and Sadler’s Wells. This year the Programme will be launching its Inclusive Youth Company, a new creative company that will bring together dancers from mainstream and SEN schools, specific ones Step into Dance works with.
Daniella and Patrycja have followed the students on their Step journeys and have created a film, gaining an overview of the companies and a snapshot of what it’s like to be a member of the Jazz, Street and Contemporary Youth companies. Some dancers are members of more than one company, relishing the opportunity to express themselves through being part of the Step into Dance programme. Each dancer involved has developed in their skills, as a result of the highly motivating team.