Step LIVE! is Step into Dance’s biggest youth dance celebration to date.
On Sunday 12 July, young dancers from across London joined together in London’s biggest celebration of youth dance at Sadler’s Wells, celebrating youth dance in all its forms.
The performance each year of Step LIVE! forms the end of year showcase from Step into Dance, a partnership between the Royal Academy of Dance and The Jack Petchey Foundation providing dance programmes in over 200 schools across London and Essex. All year, 6,000 young people from both mainstream and SEN schools have been participating in dance classes thanks to the Step into Dance programme.Following a series of London-wide events, plus a round of auditions, the most talented and committed groups were selected to perform on the Sadler’s Wells stage at Step LIVE! 2015. The show featured over 400 young dancers, all aged between 11 and 18 years old. Step LIVE! was particularly special this year, marking the 15th anniversary of the Jack Petchey Foundation, and Jack himself turned 90. 300 balloons floated down into the auditorium as the performance closed, and a rousing ‘Happy Birthday’ was sung.
The Step into Dance Contemporary, Street and Jazz Youth Companies – made up of some of the most gifted dancers on the programme – took to the stage together with groups from 17 different schools. Alongside these were two specially commissioned works from international choreographers, James Wilton and Natasha Gilmore. Natasha’s inclusive piece brought joy to all, giving a peek of what is to come with the new Inclusive Youth Company, which is to be officially launched in September 2015.
The essence of Step LIVE! Is full of energy, zest and joy: there is something very special about so many young people from different backgrounds and with different abilities all performing together.