Our Level 2 and Level 3 Dance students are set to take to the stage at this year’s Applause Youth Dance Festival, held at Nottingham’s iconic Royal Concert Hall this April.
The group will perform their powerful original piece “Shell Shocked” on Sunday 12 April. The work explores the intense fear and vulnerability experienced in a warzone, showcasing the students’ emotional depth, physical skill, and creative vision.
They will be joining twenty‑three companies and solo performers from across the East and West Midlands for the two‑day festival, which runs on Saturday 11 April and Sunday 12 April. Applause brings together dancers aged 11–19, and up to 25 for dancers with disabilities, celebrating young talent from a wide range of backgrounds and levels of experience.
This year’s festival features school and college groups, private dance schools, and youth dance organisations, creating a vibrant mix of styles, stories and perspectives. As the U.Dance Regional Platform for the Midlands, Applause gives audiences the chance to experience original works created and performed by the region’s most exciting young dancers.
On Sunday 12 April, Nottingham College students will perform alongside four other East Midlands groups, including Park Vale Senior Dance Academy, Dance Development Project, Manushi Dance and Northampton School Dance Academy. They’ll also share the stage with talented West Midlands groups including Ignite AMTD, Linden Youth, Eloquent Dance, ME Dance Youth, Afrocave Dance and Our Lady St Chad.
In addition to the performances, the festival will host a daytime marketplace, offering visitors the chance to meet dance organisations, explore training opportunities, discover projects, and learn more about progression pathways within the dance world.
We’re incredibly proud of our dancers and can’t wait to see them shine at this inspirational celebration of youth creativity.
