Dance United’s home may no longer be in Bradford – but its heart always will be.

Helen Linsell, director of the dance academy, said it could no longer afford to lease the building in Upper Parkgate, Little Germany, but added that it would always be dedicated to Bradford.

Dance United grew out of a project in Ethiopia transforming the lives of street children through dance.

She pledged to continue the valuable work the academy does – working with young offenders and helping them change their lives through the intensive contemporary dance course – and maintaining the important partnerships with the other organisations.

“There is a team of us who are very dedicated to Bradford and we will always endeavour to continue working in Bradford.

“Whether our premises are here or not, we will keep the relationships with Bradford College, the schools, Bradford Youth Offending Team and Bradford Connexions because it was Bradford born,” she said.

“It’s obviously very sad but we see it as an exciting new adventure in developing partnerships we have in Bradford and beyond and establishing it as a Yorkshire project.”

Bradford was the flagship academy when Dance United launched in the city in 2006.

“The London academy, which is now in its first term, would not have been here if it wasn’t for Bradford,” she said.

The move is designed to help the academy reach more people and she is adamant the project is here to stay, having seen the benefits it brings to the young people.

Testimony to the impact it has, she said many of the former students, who they had not seen for three or more years, were attending the recent graduation academy performance at Northern Ballet’s new theatre in Leeds.