Sadé and Kristina Alleyne, co-founders and Co-Artistic Directors of Alleyne Dance—a company that blends Caribbean, hip hop and kathak, within a contemporary dance context—have been appointed the next Guest Artistic Directors of National Youth Dance Company for 2025–26.
Founded in 2014, Alleyne Dance has worked with companies including Martha Graham Dance Company, Trioler Landstheater: Ballet Company, Phoenix Dance Theatre and 2Faced Dance Company and has received awards for Best Independent Company—National Dance Awards, Black Female Icons of Lewisham—Brockley Max and The Mayor of London and Bench 2019 Women of Colour Commission.
Previous Guest Artistic Directors for NYDC, run by Sadler’s Wells, have been Boy Blue, Oona Doherty, Wayne McGregor, Alesandra Seutin, Russell Maliphant, Botis Seva, Sharon Eyal, Damien Jalet, Michael Keegan Dolan, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Akram Khan and Jasmin Vardimon.
This month, NYDC will begin its search for the next intake of young dancers through NYDC Experience Workshops across England from May to July who will create a new piece of work with Alleyne Dance from autumn 2025 to be performed in April 2026. The final audition will be held in London at Sadler's Wells East on Saturday 6 September.
This year’s cohort performed current Guest Artistic Director Boy Blue’s new work Gravity at Leeds Playhouse on 18 April and will embark on a nationwide tour including performances at Sadler’s Wells Theatre on 19 July and at Sadler’s Wells East on 25 July as part of the new annual YFX Festival.