Young dancers from Moira ‘excited to represent Northern Ireland’ as they head to Glasgow for prestigious national festival
Young dancers from Moira will take to the stage this July, to represent Northern Ireland at the UK's largest youth dance festival.
Talented young performers from CN Youth Ballet Company are set to travel to Glasgow to showcase their skills at the U.Dance National Festival after being selected from thousands of applicants nationwide.
The dancers will perform at the prestigious event run by One Dance UK, taking place from July 3 - 5 at Tramway in Glasgow.
This remarkable achievement means the young dancers will join hundreds of their peers from across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland for an extraordinary weekend of performances, workshops and career development opportunities in the bustling city, which is also playing home to this year’s Commonwealth Games.
The festival is organised by One Dance UK, the national support organisation for dance across the UK.
The U.Dance programme supports youth dance groups throughout the year, culminating in the prestigious National Festival where young dancers get the chance to perform on a professional stage as well as learn from industry experts.
Established in 2024 in Moira, Northern Ireland, CN Youth Ballet Company is a creative performance group for young dancers aged 9 to 22 training in RAD Ballet at Clare Novaes Ballet School.
Bringing together a range of ages and abilities, the company meets weekly to collaborate creatively and explore choreography inspired by themes that are important to them.
Their piece is inspired by David Attenborough’s documentary 'Ocean'. With choreography by Rebecca Runchman, they explore the beauty and fragility of coral reefs and marine life beneath the sea through dance. Contrasting this with destructive fishing practices, the piece reflects on our responsibility to protect our blue planet and reminds us that there is still hope if we act now.
Speaking about being selected for the festival, group leaders Rebecca Runchman and Clare Novaes said: “We are so excited to represent Northern Ireland at the U.Dance National Festival after such a positive experience at our regional platform.
"As this is our first national festival, we cannot wait to meet new dancers, take part in inspiring workshops and watch performances from groups we have never seen before.
"Opportunities like this one help our dancers to build confidence and connect with others.
"It is great to see a wide range of career options in dance whilst developing valuable life skills such as teamwork, creativity and resilience.
"We will get to work with, and watch, other dance groups that we may never have otherwise.”
The U.Dance National Festival offers young dancers an unparalleled opportunity to showcase their talent on a professional stage alongside other youth dance groups from across the UK.
Participants will also engage in enriching workshops with leading dance companies and gain insights from inspiring speakers during career talks.
Head of Children and Young People's Dance at One Dance UK, Laura Nicholson, said: "We are absolutely thrilled to be bringing the U.Dance National Festival to Glasgow for the first time ever this July.
"Year on year we are completely blown away by the sheer energy, talent and creativity of all the young people involved and we can't wait to see what CN Youth Ballet Company brings to the stage.”