ONE of the UK's top dance companies has been performing with youngsters in Holme Wood at venues including care homes and family centres.

Sir Matthew Bourne's New Adventures, which has produced acclaimed shows such as Edward Scissorhands and an all-male Swan Lake, has been working with Bradford-based charity Dance United Yorkshire (DUY), which helps people tackle social and health issues through dance.

The charity first worked with New Adventures in 2019, on one of only two of the company's creative residencies in the UK. The five-week project, with young people from DUY, led to them putting on a show.

New Adventures was so impressed it contacted the charity again during lockdown. "They came to Bradford to make a film with our young people, filming in and around Little Germany, Kala Sangam and Bradford Cathedral. It was inspired by New Adventures' Edward Scissorhands and will be shown online at Halloween," said DUY artistic director Helen Linsell.

"Following that, New Adventures got in touch about Doorstep Duets, a series of dances performed in places like car parks and community centres, bringing dance to communities and people who have been isolated.

"They brought it to Holme Wood on Friday and there were 12 performances in total, for care homes, mental health groups, families and children. We devised the programme and some of our young people worked with New Adventures dancers.

"Doorstep Duets are about joy, music and dancing. It's been fantastic to perform outdoors after so long, and to work with New Adventures. They really value what we do."

Paul Smethurst, New Adventures Resident Artist said: “Back in 2019, we created a response performance project with DUY, inspired by the world premiere production of Romeo and Juliet. We have gone on to create an original short dance film together during the pandemic, released in autumn 2021, and we have worked with DUY to recruit young, local dancers to take part in the inaugural year of New Adventures’ training programme, Cygnet School.

"As part of this continued collaboration we are thrilled to have worked with DUY to bring A Doorstep Duet to Yorkshire. It's a short piece performed by our dancers in community spaces and on doorsteps providing a moment of escapism, joy and the sense of connection within our communities in these challenging times.”

Dance United Yorkshire has also been working in partnership with The Valley Project and ArtWorks on a project funded by Bradford cultural project The Leap, using the Valley Project adventure playground at Holme Wood as inspiration for a piece of choreography.

Dance United Yorkshire works with young people including asylum-seekers and youth offenders, adults with mental health issues and victims of domestic abuse, building self-esteem, confidence and trust contemporary dance courses. Based at Kala Sangam Arts Centre, it delivers classes which develop discipline, motivation, teamwork and confidence, as well as fitness and wellbeing.

* For more about Dance United Yorkshire go to duy.org.uk

DUY's free dance summer school takes place from August 23-27 10am-3pm at Kala Sangam, for eight to 11-year-olds. Contact Romina on 07539 154709 or Romina@duy.org.uk