Big names in dance and musical theatre to help celebrate performance across Wales

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie star Layton Williams and the ground-breaking ZooNation –The Kate Prince Company are among the big names set to be running workshops for young Welsh dancers, as part of a virtual celebration of dance and performance this May. 

Young dancers from across Wales are being invited to take part in this digital Day of Dance, which will feature a jam-packed day of workshops and masterclasses being run by some of the country’s leading choreographers and dance organisations. 

National Youth Arts Wales are organising the event, bringing together Welsh dancers aged between 11 and 19 years old to take part in a range of vibrant workshops, featuring a wide variety of dance styles. 

Taking place on Saturday 15 May, the workshops will be led by some of the country’s best known choreographers and dance organisations, including National Dance Company of Wales, Ballet Cymru, Company Chameleon and many more. 

Best known for landing the lead role in the hit musical ‘Everybody’s Talking About Jamie’, Layton will lead a one-hour long workshop, focusing on musical theatre.  

"I cannot wait to slay with everyone (virtually) soon... Let’s dance!!” - Layton Williams

Meanwhile, the award-winning ZooNation – The Kate Prince Company, will be running a hip hop theatre workshop. 

As well as workshops, Day of Dance will also feature masterclasses and panel discussions, providing an opportunity for the country’s finest dance groups to come together and celebrate dance through a lively programme of digital interaction. The event will be capped off with a number of digital masterclasses taking place on Sunday 16 May aimed at dancers in training, graduates and professional dance artists aged 18+ working or living in Wales. 

The Saturday day event will be followed by the U.Dance Cymru online evening showcase – a national celebration of performance by young people aged 11–19 years, and up to 25 years for young people with disabilities. U.Dance Cymru 2021 is produced by National Youth Arts Wales as part of the national U.Dance programme, which is delivered in partnership with One Dance UK. 

One Dance UK and U.Dance Cymru welcome dancers performing any style or genre, and actively encourage inclusive groups to apply to dance at the festival. 

Due to ongoing Covid-19 restrictions, this year’s event will be held entirely online. 

The closing date for U.Dance 2021 applications is 5pm on Friday 30 April, and groups must be available to take part in digital workshops and activities on Saturday 15 May. 

Jamie Jenkins, Producer at National Youth Dance Wales, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be hosting two such fantastic events – Day of Dance and U. Dance Cymru in tandem. 

“At a time where we’re still having to stay apart, it’s brilliant that we can all come together virtually to celebrate dance and showcase the wonderful array of dance styles we have across Wales. 

“It’s a privilege to have some of the biggest names in dance involved with this fun and vibrant event.”