Cumbria Youth Dance News

New dance opportunities for youngsters!

Cumbria County Council has created a wide range of new opportunities for young people across Cumbria to learn and perform dance. The project, which has been operating in some districts since October, has been funded by Sport England, Cumbria’s borough and County councils, Youth Work in Cumbria Partnership, Arts Council North West, and local School Sports Partnerships. The opportunities are all of high quality and are highly subsidised to ensure access for all.

September will see the launch of new dance classes in addition to those already existing. The weekly sessions will run during term times from Saturday 8th September as follows:-

Saturdays 10.00-11.00am Breakdance
8-12 year olds, beginners level
MJ’s Fitness Studio, Carlisle
£2.00 per session

Saturdays 11.00-12.00noon Breakdance
13-17 year olds, beginners level/open
MJ’s Fitness Studio, Carlisle
£2.00 per session

Mondays 4.00-5.00pm Kirkby Stephen Infant Dance Group
4-7 year olds, beginners
Kirkby Stephen Grammar School, Kirkby Stephen
£1.00 per session

Mondays 6.00pm-7.00pm Eden Youth Dance Company (from 8th October)
14-17 year olds, intermediate-advanced level (contemporary)
The Play Station, Penrith
£2.00 per session

Mondays 5.00-6.15pm Copeland Junior Dance Company
8-12 year olds, beginners level/open (contemporary)
The Rosehill Theatre, Whitehaven
£2.00 per session

Mondays 6.30-8.00pm Reach (Copeland Youth Dance Company)
13-17 year olds, intermediate-advanced level (contemporary)
The Rosehill Theatre, Whitehaven
£2.00 per session

Mondays 8.00-9.00pm Adult Contemporary Class
18+ year olds, beginners level/open
The Rosehill Theatre, Whitehaven
£2.00 per session

Wednesdays 4.30-5.30pm Breakdance
13-17 year olds, beginners level/open
Penrith Leisure Centre, Penrith
£1.50 per session

Wednesdays 6.30-7.30pm Breakdance
13-17 year olds, beginners level/open
Samuel Kings School, Alston
£1.50 per session

Wednesdays 6.00-7.00pm Carlisle Youth Dance Company
13-17 year olds, intermediate-advanced level
St Aidan’s School, Carlisle
£2.00 per session

Thursdays 4.00-5.00pm Breakdance
13-17 year olds, beginners level/open
Brampton Community Centre, Brampton
£2.00 per session

Thursdays 5.00-6.30pm Vibe (Allerdale Youth Dance Company)
13-17 year olds, intermediate-advanced level
Carnegie Theatre, Workington
£2.00 per session

To find out more about the classes and to book a place please contact Daniel Ibbotson on 07958 372815 for all breakdance classes, Emma Rowbotham on 07792 330250 for other classes in Copeland and Allerdale, and Alison Horn on 07765 917855 for other classes in Carlisle and Eden.

Breakdance Group

Eden Breakdance Project has been running from Penrith Leisure Centre every Wednesday 4.30-5.30pm since March 2007.  Fifteen young people aged 13-16 turn up weekly to develop their skills in breakdancing and body-popping.  The sessions are led by local breakdance specialist, Daniel Ibbotson and the group was further inspired in May by a trip to the Theatre Royal in Newcastle to see Jonzi D's Breakin' Convention.  The group would really like to start sharing the work they have done and competing against other breakdance crews in the North West and beyond.

Scatter - short dance film, June 2007

During April and May 2007 five Cumbria-based dancers created a site-specific dance film, working alongside Kevin Finnan (Artistic Director of Motionhouse Dance Theatre) as part of a major European professional development project funded by the European Social Fund (EQUAL) and Cumbria Vision. The film encouraged the dancers to work outside the confines of a studio and to develop choreography in response to a series of different sites. Several of the scenes were filmed within the Lowther Castle estate. By coincidence, one of the dancers – Nick Barry – hails from Lowther village. Nick said, “I really enjoyed the project. It gave me a real sense of the professional dance world and that’s where I want to be.”

The inspiration for the title and narrative of the film came from the chequered history of Lowther Castle itself and makes reference to the tank regiment based at Lowther Castle during World War II. Shielded by great secrecy, the tank regiment was experimenting with special sound and strobe lighting effects to startle and outwit the enemy. This history, together with the richness of the Castle ruin and estate provided more than enough material to create a high quality short film. The film will premiere at the Lowther Show 2007 and feature at several other cultural, film and dance festivals across Europe during 2007/08.