Akram Khan to lead National Youth Dance Company Akram Khan has been named as the next guest artistic director of the National Youth Dance Company. The choreographer will begin in his role from October, when the company of 16 to 19 year-olds begins its second year of operation. Khan takes over from Jasmin Vardimon, who was the company’s inaugural guest artistic director. He will create new work for the NYDC, which will be performed in 2014. Previous pieces from Khan include DESH, which won the Olivier award for best new dance production in 2012, and choreography for a section of the London 2012 Olympic Games opening ceremony. He is also an associate artist at Sadler’s Wells. Arts Council England and the Department for Education are joint-funding the three-year initiative, which was launched last year after the Henley Review of Cultural Education recommended that a new permanent national youth dance company be created and funded. Sadler’s Wells, which was chosen to run the NYDC, will receive up to £400,000 per year from 2012 to 2015. During this time there will be three yearly intakes of 30 teenagers, who will have the opportunity to stay for the duration of the programme. Khan said: “The positive role of the arts in our society is fundamental in providing young people with the skills they need to succeed in any walk of life. Having dance recognised by the setting up of this company is a real achievement for the industry as it presents a fantastic opportunity to nurture the next generation of artists and inspire a host of young people to get involved. I’m honoured to be involved in this project.” To audition for the next phase of the company, dancers should contact NYDC@sadlerswells to attend a free workshop.
Posted on: Fri, 21 Jun 2013 23:18:02 +0000
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