Dance Direct Blog. News, Reviews & Advice About Dance

Ausdance National announced its closure on 5 August, and Londondance was just ahead of it, two huge blows for the dance industry all over the works. For Ausdance, the association has been badly hit by decreasing government funding, resulting in diminishing reserves and severely limited resources.  Continue reading The closure of dance organisations

The list of the 20 longest running musicals in London’s West End is constantly changing. According to figures from the Society of London Theatre, the full list of 20 shows is here: Continue reading The longest running musicals

The hit musical Mary Poppins, which originally ran in the West End from 2004 to 2008, is being revived for London’s West End, running from October. It was originally directed by Richard Eyre with co-direction and choreography by iconic choreographer Matthew Bourne, playing to huge audience acclaim. Continue reading Mary Poppins to fly back in!

Michaela DePrince, a soloist rising to fame with Dutch National Ballet, is to star in a new film of the ballet Coppelia. DePrince shot to international attention as one of the subjects of First Position, a documentary following the Youth America Grand Prix, gaining recognition and popularity. A black dancer born in war-torn Sierra Leone and adopted and raised in America, she has also written a best-selling memoir, Hope in a Ballet Shoe. Back in 2016, she danced as a guest artist in English National Ballet’s Giselle. Continue reading Success for Michaela DePrince

Opening on 4 October, Into the Night: Cabarets and Clubs in Modern Art at London’s Barbican Centre explores the social and artistic role of cabarets and nightclubs around the world. Spanning the 1880s to the 1960s, the exhibition presents a dynamic history of artistic production. The first major show staged on this theme, it features both famed and little-known sites of the avant-garde – these creative spaces were places of radical thinking, where artists could exchange ideas and create new forms of artistic expression. Continue reading Cabarets at the Barbican

Matt Mattox has been described as “one of the greatest male dancers that ever was on a performing stage”, which is a compliment in itself. This is aside from the fact Mattox also choreographed nearly 30 ballets over the course of 30 years in the industry. Continue reading Matt Mattox Jazz

DanceXchange, the Birmingham-based dance house, is launching two new programmes aimed at nurturing original work from the next generation of choreographic talent. The new artists’ development strategy is designed to ensure the city becomes a leading hub for innovative ideas and will tackle the issue of how to support increasing numbers of choreographers engaging with DanceXchange who have differing levels of experience. Continue reading DanceXchange’s programmes to support artists

Akram Khan’s Giselle for English National Ballet returns to the UK for the first time since 2017, following acclaimed international performances in Moscow, Luxembourg and Chicago so far this year. The production is now returning to Sadler’s Wells, London, for 13 performances from 18–28 September. Continue reading Akram Khan’s Giselle

Dance students new to pointe are always excited to start, in awe of what they have seen through their training so far: watching older students or professional dancers en pointe is an inspiring experience. Dancers who are not training at vocational dance schools are usually allowed to begin pointe in their early teens, due to the development of their bones and technique. Other factors which must also be considered are the regularity of ballet classes, and a teacher’s approval. See some tips for sewing your pointe shoes. Continue reading Pointe shoe prep

Born To Manifest is a new hip hop contemporary dance work exploring the experiences of young black British men, glimpsing into the complexity and beauty of their journeys and contesting the power and privilege that oppress. The performance will be staged by Just Us Dance Theatre, and choreographed by Joseph Toonga. Continue reading A hip hop dance experience from Just Us Dance Theatre