Young people from London and Essex participate in Battle
Image of Step into Dance’s youth company SYNC. Image by Marble & Sky.
Last weekend, the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) hosted Battle: Break-It-Down, a hip-hop event produced by RAD’s Step into Dance programme, the UK’s largest inclusive dance programme for secondary school students, in partnership with Jack Petchey Foundation.
Designed for young people aged 11-18 (up to 25 for SEND students) who attend a school in London or Essex, the event at RAD’s headquarters in Wandsworth saw young people learn all about about hip-hop culture and how this informed its sub-genre, battling.
Schools from across London and Essex took part including groups from:
- Bacon’s College
- City Heights E-ACT Academy
- Capital City College (formerly City & Islington College)
The event featured workshops including Krumping, Voguing, Locking and more, freestyling opportunities, plus talks by industry professionals including Kenrick ‘H20’ Sandy MBE, Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director/Choreographer of Boy Blue, Emma Houston (Shortbread the Breaker) and Caine Harrison.
Established in 2006, Step into Dance enables young people to develop their passion, skills and understanding of dance. Working with mainstream and SEND schools across London and Essex, Step into Dance reaches around 4,000 students annually through a diverse and inclusive programme of weekly classes, workshops and performance opportunities, aiming to reach those that might not otherwise connect with dance.
Larry, a member of the Youth Consultation Panel at Jack Petchey Foundation said: “These young dancers brought incredible energy to the workshops. What a brilliant day of learning about different forms of dance.”
Click here to find out more about the Step into Dance programme.
