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Main Stage Sponsor
Addict Dance Academy was founded in 2012 by director Gareth Chown. We believe in excellence in training for young dancers.
At Addict Dance Academy we provide training in a breadth of dance styles, all of which are delivered by teachers who have, or who are currently working in the industry, providing the technical training and industry knowledge required for a sustainable career in dance.
We are completely committed to our students and are always looking to create exciting industry opportunities which will provide them with the tools needed to become successful dancers and confident people.
We have beautiful facilities with 12 inspiring studios. Situated in the heart of Leicester’s city centre we attract likeminded dancers from all over the UK and Europe, who are dedicated, passionate and committed to improving their skills and becoming the best dancers they can be. We are proud to have created a dance academy that is having such a positive impact upon dancer’s lives and careers.
Gareth Chown
Founder & principal
Super Convention Centre Stage Sponsor
The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) is home to a dynamic, international and inclusive community of students undertaking university-level training in the performing and creative arts. LIPA is home to creatives, performers, technicians, filmmakers and business people who learn by working together on fully realised productions and projects.
Our undergraduate Dance degree trains you to not only be a technically strong, versatile dancer, but also a dance artist – a performer who retains what’s unique to you. During your time here, the discipline and etiquette expected of a professional becomes second nature to you, ensuring you will be fully equipped to pursue a range of careers in the field.
Super Convention Centre Stage Sponsor
Liverpool Sixth Form College prepares you for a future in the performing and creative arts through our industry-engaged and project-based learning. We were rated Outstanding by Ofsted in 2019, and continue to be among the country’s highest rated sixth form colleges.
Our Dance course will improve your skills, technique and versatility as we prepare you for a variety of dance career options. Throughout your time here you’ll benefit from workshops and masterclasses with visiting professionals, and you’ll have exciting opportunities to collaborate with students from other disciplines to put on a range of thrilling performances.
Masterclass Games Sponsor
Our mission is to provide the best professional training available, so that our students are fully equipped in their technique to successfully gain and sustain longevity in one of the most competitive, yet rewarding of industries.
The Wilkes Academy has very quickly become one of the leading performing arts colleges in the country.
A school is only as good as its teachers. At the Wilkes Academy, the teaching staff consists of the best working professionals possible. Professionals that are still very much at the forefront of their working careers. Adding to the exciting array of permanent staff, we also strive to employ a constant stream of exciting guest teachers that cover all genres.
Each student will have opportunities to attend masterclasses and gain valuable experience working with current Directors/ Choreographers/ Musical Directors/ Casting Directors/ Producers and performers.
The academy is fortunate to have fantastic state of the art studio space. We’re very proud to have created the optimum environment for our students to learn, grow and develop their own creativity. We are always looking for new and innovative disciplines and recently we have added aerial training to our repertoire and have our own aerial apparatus onsite.
Supporting the academy, we are extremely fortunate to have a group of patrons that are very active in their support of the college and the individual growth of our students.
We are so grateful to be working alongside one of the best commercial dance agencies around- Dancers Inc.
Here at the college we pride ourselves on our pastoral care, each student is important to us, not just in the studio but also outside of the academy. Our door is always open for guidance and support, something we have believed in since day one and will continue to do so
We believe that support for our students shouldn’t end when they graduate, therefore we have set up the Wilkes Academy Agency for all of our graduates. This gives all our students the required professional guidance at the start of the career. As we are in partnership with Isles Management, already an established agent in the industry, the students gain both someone who gets to know them as a performer plus a team with a wealth of knowledge and connections. This, along with the numerous casting directors, producers, choreographers and creatives that we have visit us on a regular basis means we believe that we give each student the best opportunity to embark on their professional career.
Northern Ireland Sponsor
he Hammond is a performing arts school in Chester, England. It offers full-time training for students across school, college, and degree courses.
We have been supporting the development of hugely successful students for over a century, and our training ensures our graduates meet the rigorous demands of the performing arts industry.
The Hammond is a nationally recognised centre of excellence for dance training and is a member of the Music and Dance Scheme (MDS), which provides funding for talented dancers aged eleven to sixteen.
For post-16 students, The Hammond offers Level 6 Professional Trinity Diplomas in Dance or Musical Theatre. Our Diploma courses provide the highest standards of education, training, and guidance required for a career in professional dance and musical theatre performance.
In addition to the above, we also offer Theatre Arts courses, these are full-time specialist Acting and Music Performance programmes to support aspiring young actors and musicians in reaching their full potential as creative and performing artists.
The Hammond is a vibrant and supportive community where students can develop their talents and pursue their dreams of a career in the performing arts. Year on year, former students can be seen on the West End, in national and international tours, and in some of the best dance companies in the world.
BOA
AcroPAD
Harlequin
Royal Academy of Dance
Acrobatic Arts
Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing
British Theatre Dance Association
Associated Board of Dance
Showtime Circus
Move It
BOA is a high-performing 14-19 academy specialising in creative, digital and performing arts located in the heart of Birmingham’s city centre.
Specialising in the arts, we provide a dynamic and personalised learning pathway for each individual. It is our philosophy to unlock each student’s potential. Through our teaching, partnerships, industry links, pastoral care and monitoring we aim to foster ambition and a culture of high expectations and standards.
AcroPAD offer a range of high quality products and services, all based around our inflatable flooring and equipment. Allowing students to explore and develop their skills to be a technically rounded performer while massively reducing the risk of injury. Space saving, highly functional, easy to store, and portable makes AcroPAD products a key piece of equipment to have in your facility. We also offer AcroPAD Workshops, Workshop Intensives, Masterclasses, Private Lessons, and Product Hire.
HARLEQUIN FLOORS; supplier of professional floors for dance, the performing arts, entertainment and display.
Recognised as world leaders in advanced technology flooring for dance and performing arts, Harlequin Floors is renowned worldwide, with operations in Europe (London, Luxembourg, Berlin, Paris and Madrid), the Americas (Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Forth Worth) and Asia Pacific (Hong Kong and Sydney).
Harlequin dance and performance floors are versatile and durable because they’re designed in close collaboration with the artistic, technical and medical world. Harlequin sprung floors offer assurance for better protection from injuries for dancers, providing them with a feeling of optimum safety.
The Royal Academy of Dance is one of the world’s most influential dance education and professional membership organisations.
Founded in 1920, they are present in 79 countries with over 14,000 members worldwide, 1,000 students in their teacher training programmes and a quarter of a million students examined on their syllabi. They set global standards for exams in classical ballet, teacher training and Continuing Professional Development for dance.
Mandy Yip
Dance Educator, Founder Acrobatic Arts Inc
As the founder and CEO of Acrobatic Arts Inc, Mandy manages the staff and delivery of all training programs, and the Acrobatic Arts syllabus in over 4500 dance studios in USA, Canada, UK, Australia and over 25 other countries. She heads the Acrobatic Arts examination program, and trains and certifies adjudicators to administer exams in studios around the world. Over 350,000 dancers participate in Acrobatic Arts classes on a weekly basis!
Mandy created the Acrobatic Arts training and certification program, and the Acrobatic Arts curriculum, seeking advice and recommendations from industry experts in physiotherapy, artistic and rhythmic gymnastics, biomechanics, pilates, inversion, anatomy of movement, ballet, contortion, circus arts, and more to create the most comprehensive, researched program possible. Mandy also created the Acrobatic Arts App, My Acro App, the Acro Adjudicator App, and the AcroDance Preschool App.
A lifelong learner, Mandy has attended and achieved certification in countless courses, including contortion, hand balancing, inclusive learning, tap, jazz, gymnastics, and safe coaching, to name a few. Mandy currently sits on the advisory board for YPAD, and assists with the mission of keeping kids safe in dance through this organization. Mandy has taught thousands of dance teachers, and provided expert classes at Dance Teacher Summit (NYC), Dance Teacher Web Live (Las Vegas), Dance Teacher Summit (LA), Toronto Dance Teacher Expo, Calgary Dance Teacher Expo, Move It Dance Convention (London), Can You Dance Super Convention (Liverpool), Victorian Dance Festival (Melbourne), and CLI Studios (LA). Highly sought for clinics and workshops across North America, Europe and Australia, Mandy is known for bringing passion, technique and in-depth practical knowledge to engaging classes.
Derek Piquette Bio:
Derek Piquette
Dancer, Instructor, Choreographer, Director
Dancer, Director, Choreographer and Teacher Derek Piquette began dancing at the young age of 10 in his hometown of Chicopee, MA. From there his dance career accelerated quickly. By the age of 16, he received full scholarships for several ballet intensives and won several National Titles. Derek then moved to Miami to follow his dreams of becoming a professional dancer, training over 50 hours a week and taught at Stars Dance Company. As a performer, he was a principal dancer in the Bridge To Artists productions of Carmen and The Maid. He has also performed in the Paul Mitchell Fashion Show, Revlon Hair Show and MOVE the World Charity Event. One of the most exciting experiences in his young career took place in 2015, when he competed on Season 12 of So You Think You Can Dance, finishing among the top 4 stage dancers and performing for over 37 million viewers. He followed up his appearance on the show with the So You Think You Can Dance Live Tour, performing in 70 cities across North America. In early 2017, Derek launched his newest project, Intrepid Dance Company, which had its first performance entitled “HER” that he directed and choreographed. Currently Derek is the lead role in Cirque Du Soleil’s KOOZA as the “Trickster” traveling under Big Top in Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Singapore and China. One of Derek’s most recent endeavours included competing as a finalist in 2019 on NBC’s World Of Dance Season 3.
As a teacher and choreographer, Derek has worked for various dance organizations including On the Floor, Hit the Floor, CLI Studios, Mather Dance Company Online, Acrobatic Arts, Step Up 2 Dance, Twilight Dance Convention and Top Ten Dance Challenge where he has judged, taught, and assisted top choreographers in the industry. His career has taken him to destinations throughout the United States, Canada, London, Central America, Australia, China and Singapore where he has taught at over 200 competitive and professional dance studios. Since 2014, Derek choreographed more than 350 award winning pieces, including pieces for stars on Dance Moms, Disney Channel’s Backstage and So You Think You Can Dance. Derek currently teaches and assists for On the Floor: The Ultimate Dance Experience, working with young dancers all over North America. He has also choreographed pieces and been a principal dancer in On the Floor’s Gala for SickKids Hospital in Toronto for 4 years and has helped raise over $250,000 for the ChildLife Program.
With his inspirational drive and love of dance, Derek has achieved many professional and artistic goals and helped other dancers do the same. Derek is especially focused on working with young dancers around the world, hoping to instil in them his enthusiasm for dance and inspire them to become the best they can be. A natural teacher, Derek has an exceptional way of connecting with his students, whether it be in class, through choreography or through performing. He makes a lasting impression, leaving his students touched, encouraged, and educated.
The Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) is one of the world’s leading dance examination boards. From Ballet to Ballroom, they have 12 dance faculties covering Theatre, Dancesport and Social Dance.
Since 1904 they have provided training for dance teachers and examiners, enabling teachers to enter their students for examinations, develop new techniques and spread the joy of dance.
As a registered educational charity and membership association, the ISTD’s mission is to educate the public in the art of dancing in all its forms, to promote knowledge of dance, to provide up-to-date techniques for our members, and to maintain and improve teaching standards. They support their members through updated teaching syllabi and techniques, plus a wide variety of courses, summer schools and congresses.
BTDA is a forward thinking Dance Association which offers both Regulated and Self-Regulated Examinations in a wide variety of dance disciplines. In addition we have a varied performance award programme. Why not visit our website for further details, there’s something for everyone.
Associated Board of Dance Ltd – ABD (by guarantee) is an international dance examination board offering regulated and accredited examinations.
ABD is a non-profit organisation. ABD is a member of and recognised by the following professional regulatory bodies: British Dance Council – BDC, Theatre Dance Council International – TDCI, Graded Qualifications Alliance (GQAL), Board of Dance Qualifications & Training (Full Awarding Body Accreditation) – BDQT and Sports & Recreation Alliance – SARA.
LIFE IS BETTER UPSIDE DOWN!
Showtime Circus was founded in 2018 and is a fully inclusive circus school for babies, children and adults. Having franchised in 2023, we are now able to extend our welcome to many circus families all over the UK.
We aim to provide a safe space for everyone to explore learning and try many skills on their own personal journey. With CPD accredited teachers who are able to tailor their technique to individuals, we welcome any and everyone and have classes to suit children and adults from all different backgrounds. We really are a caring, community, circus family.
There are many, many circus skills and we know the importance of finding something that you just "click" with and the confidence it gives us when we master it - and we aim to give that confidence to all and know the transferable skills it gives a child too.
We are proud to have grown so quickly to a place where we can now offer business owners their chance to open their very own circus school by franchising with us and we are really excited to see many more students be able to experience the JOY of the circus.
MOVE IT the world’s biggest dance event gets set to celebrate its 20th anniversary from 7-9 March 2025 at ExCeL London. Immerse yourself in three electrifying days of MOVE IT magic, bringing the entire dance and performing arts community together under one roof. Whether you’re a dancer, teacher, spectator, or professional, this unforgettable event has something to inspire everyone, no matter your skill level.
