The Southbank Centre is full of dance this month, with a number of highlights.
As part of Africa Utopia, a number of pop up performances will be taking place from Saturday 21 – Sunday 22 July, on the Riverside Terrace, outside Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall. The African music and dance pop-up performances are free throughout the Africa Utopia festival.
On Sunday 22 July, The Clore Ballroom at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall will see Alleyne Dance be part of Africa Utopia too. Kristina and Sadé Alleyne from Alleyne Dance will present a free extract from their latest piece A Night’s Game. A modern, multi-disciplined dance company based in London, they perform many genres of dance including traditional African dance, Hip Hop, Kathak, Latin and Circus Skills.
A free African Contemporary Dance workshop invites people of all ages and abilities to take part on Sunday 22 July, in The Clore Ballroom at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall. The workshop is another element of the Africa Utopia programme.
Young dancers aged 11+ are able battle it out in solo, duo and group performances in the Afro Dance Championships on Sunday 22 July. The championships are presented by George aka ‘Unkle TC’ and Kurtis aka ‘Kurtyswift’ otherwise known as HomeBros, an organisation established in 2010, considered to be one of the pioneers of the Afrobeats industry in the UK. The championships will take place in the Clore Ballroom at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall.
On Saturday 28 July at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre Associate Company ZooNation Youth Company presents a spectacular show of dance and musical talent created for and by young people. Kicking off the school holidays, ZooNation Youth Company, under the direction of Rhimes Lecointe, perform an innovative night of dance, music and spoken word alongside guest performers.
The company was founded in 2006 and comprises some of the best young hip-hoppers in the UK, presenting the next generation of talent.