National Youth Dance Company, a company for young dancers run by Sadler’s Wells, has selected the intake for its 2023/24 cohort, with 32 dancers, aged between 16 and 24 years old, from 21 towns, cities and villages across England. They will join Guest Artistic Director Oona Doherty to work on new work Wall, which premières at Leeds Playhouse on Saturday 13 April, before touring to Wakefield, Falmouth, Ipswich, Latitude Festival, Leicester and London.
"If you spoke to Britain what would it say?" Wall asks a group of young people from around England to say what they think. It features music by Turner Prize-winning artist Mark Leckey, lighting design by founding member of Malaprop Theatre John Gunning and costume design by Ryan Dawson Laight. Photographer and video maker Luca Truffarelli is the audio, photo and video collaborator and NYDC alumni Nya Bardouille is assistant to the choreographer.
The 32 dancers of National Youth Dance Company’s new cohort for 2023/24 are: Aleesha Moyo (Leeds), Anya Rakshit (Derby), Aoibh Ryan (Manchester), Ayuna Berbidaeva (London), Charly Knights (Leamington Spa), Daisy Bilsland (Ashford), Ernie Shorten (Somerset), Francis Henry (Leeds), Frank Thorpe (Sheffield), Fue Akama (Huddersfield), Georgia Coulson (Penzance), Gilbert Dicks (Cambridge), James Airey (Chesterfield), Kitty Newton (Haslemere), Lina Kasasa (London), Luis Green (Folkestone), Luke James (Birmingham), Maisie Lincoln (Ipswich), Matthew Atkinson (Durham), Meeri Niva (London), Megan Chaytor Wilson (Durham), Megan Georges (London), Monét Brooks (London), Morgan Heimsoth (Newbury), Otis De Ville Morel (Okehampton), Phoebe Mufushwa (Winchester), Rosa Boadle-Soumah (Leeds), Roselynn Gumbo (Manchester), Rowan Williams (Somerset), Ruben Morais (Devon), Venus Shury (London), Wray Maxwell-Mulligan (Manchester).
Doherty said, “I’m amazed at the creativity, stamina, and energy of the company. It's infectious, and inspiring to get to work with the next generation of performers and dance makers. As well as a learning curve into the professionalism of ‘care’ by the whole NYDC team. I think many choreographers and companies could learn a lot by collaborating with NYDC. I'm excited to see what we as a team will create and share. It makes me proud to work in dance.”