BBC Young Dancer 2015 Category Finalists announced

Twenty category finalists from across the UK announced today ahead of a series of programmes to be broadcast this April and May on BBC Four which will follow their journey to be BBC Young Dancer 2015.

I am excited to be a part of BBC Young Dancer and I am passionate about investing in the new generation of young dancers and their journeys.
— Mavin Khoo, Artistic Director, ZFin Malta
  • Grand Finalists selected by leading dance experts: Dominic Antonucci, Clara Badajo, Mark Baldwin, Mira Balchandran Gokul, Christopher Hampson, Padmashri Pratap Pawar, DJ Renegade and Jasmin Vardimon joined Kenneth Tharp on judging panel across four categories
  • Artistic Director of ZFin Malta dance ensemble Mavin Khoo announced to join judging panel for the Grand Final

Four programmes documenting the determination of 20 of Britain’s most talented young dancers will be broadcast this April and May on BBC Four. Cameras have followed their journey as they compete for the chance to perform in the Grand Final of the first ever BBC Young Dancer, which is to be held at Sadler’s Wells on 9 May and broadcast on BBC Two.

Dancers aged 16-20 from across the UK were selected through two preliminary rounds to compete in four Category Finals – Ballet, Hip Hop, Contemporary and South Asian dance. Today the panel of leading dance experts is announced in full: for Ballet Dominic Antonucci, Ballet Master of Birmingham Royal Ballet and Christopher Hampson, Artistic Director of Scottish Ballet; for Contemporary, Mark Baldwin, Artistic Director of Rambert Dance Company and Jasmin Vardimon, Artistic Director of Jasmin Vardimon Dance Company; for Hip Hop, DJ Renegade and Choreographer & Artistic Director of Indahouse Clara Badajo, and for South Asian dance, Padmashree Pratap Pawar and Mira Balchandran Gokul, Bharatanatyam dancer and co-Artistic Director of SANKALPAM. They join Kenneth Tharp, Chief Executive of The Place, who judges across all of the Category Finals.

Each programme will focus on an individual Category Final and include profiles of the young dancers, go behind the scenes as they prepare for their performances with their teachers and mentors, and introduce each of the dance forms. With highlights of their performances and the thoughts of some of the foremost dance experts in Britain today. BBC Young Dancer provides an insight into what it takes to succeed in one of the most competitive and pressurised of disciplines.

At the end of each BBC Four programme the Category winner will be announced, with two further wild card selections revealed in the last programme ahead of the Grand Final. All six Grand Finalists will work with a leading young choreographer, who will create a brand new solo for them to premiere on BBC Two as part of their performance on the main stage of Sadler’s Wells, alongside a solo from their repertoire and a pas-de-deux or duet.

Artistic Director of ZFin Malta dance ensemble Mavin Khoo is a new addition to the judging panel for the live Grand Final, joining Artistic Director of New Adventures, Choreographer and Director Matthew Bourne, Choreographer and Director Wayne McGregor, English National Ballet Artistic Director Tamara Rojo, Dancer and Choreographer Kenrick Sandy, and Alistair Spalding, Chief Executive and Artistic Director of Sadler's Wells.

Mavin Khoo says: “I am excited to be a part of BBC Young Dancer as I am personally passionate about investing in the new generation of young dancers and their journeys...I was certainly provided with opportunities myself, to construct my own professional path internationally, and I have had the most wonderful opportunities to be able to explore new ideas, new journeys and remain relevant as a contemporary artist whilst maintaining the integrity of my classical lineage and tradition. An award like this provides the opportunity for a South Asian dancer to be an equal; to be judged on merits that are determined by artistic quality, virtuosity and excellence."

Due to an unforeseen alteration to his international performance schedule, Akram Khan has regretfully had to withdraw from judging the Grand Final, but will contribute to the documentary content included within the series.

BBC Young Dancer is also part of Get Creative - a year-long BBC celebration of British arts, culture and creativity in partnership with What Next. To find out more ways of participating in the arts visit BBC Get Creative #bbcgetcreative

Category Finalists

Ballet: Paris Fitzpatrick (19), Hertfordshire; Jenny Hackwell (18), Warrington; Hamish Scott (17), Essex; Sayaka Ishibashi (19), Hiroshima (based in London), Archie Sullivan (18), London.

Contemporary: Jacob O’Connell (17), Swindon; Kasichana Okene-Jameson (19), London; Diana Patience (19), Eastbourne; Connor Scott (16), Northumberland; Kai Tomioka (19), London

South Asian: Sivani Balachandran (18), Middlesex; Anaya Bolar (17), Birmingham; Jaina Modasia (20), Watford; Vidya Patel (19), Birmingham; Lakshmi Ranjan (18), London

Hip Hop: Harry Barnes (18), Wirral: Jonadette Carpio (20), Abercwmboi; Jodelle Douglas (19), London; Kieran Lai (18), Southend-on-Sea; Sharifa Tonkmor (20), London

BBC Young Dancer will be broadcast from 17th April on BBC Four in the run up to the live Grand Final which will be broadcast live on BBC Two.

Broadcast Information

  • Friday 17 April, 8.00pm BBC Four - Contemporary Final
  • Friday 24 April, 8.00pm BBC Four - Hip Hop Final
  • Friday 1 May, 8.00pm BBC Four - South Asian Final
  • Friday 8 May, 8.00pm BBC Four - Ballet Final
  • Saturday 9 May, BBC Two - Grand Final


Notes to Editors

The project is part of the BBC’s continuing commitment to the arts and support of new artists joining BBC Young Musician as a showcase for talented and dedicated young performers, and is also a part of BBC Four’s Year of Song and Dance, a year of programming exploring the extraordinary power of song and dance across a whole spectrum of eras and styles.

BBC Young Dancer is managed and produced by BBC Cymru Wales. The Series Editor is Paul Bullock and the Commissioning Editor Jan Younghusband (Head of Commissions, Music and Events TV) for Controller of BBC Two Kim Shillinglaw, and Editor of BBC Four Cassian Harrison.

BBC Radio 1Xtra, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 3 and BBC Asian Network will also broadcast complementary programming around the time of the Grand Final.

For more information
Website: www.bbc.co.uk/youngdancer
BBC Young Dancer launch
BBC Year of Song and Dance

GET CREATIVE - a year-long celebration of British arts, culture and creativity - was launched by Director General of the BBC, Tony Hall in February 2015 - in partnership with cultural movement What Next? as well as a huge range of arts, cultural and voluntary organisations across the UK.

The BBC is working closely with an unprecedented number of external organisations for Get Creative, including the founding champions Culture at King’s, Voluntary Arts, 64 Million Artists, Fun Palaces, Cultural Learning Alliance, and Arts Council England. It came about as a result of the Warwick Commission on the Future of Cultural Value, and is the first time amateur and professional arts organisations have come together on a national project of this scale. Get Creative will get more people doing and sharing art than ever before…

The BBC is supporting Get Creative with a bigger commitment to arts programming in prime time. Each month, there will be a Saturday night arts special on BBC Two accompanied by other content across the BBC with landmark seasons in 2015 planned on dance, film, theatre and poetry. The initiative is a core part of Tony Hall, Director General’s, vision for arts at the BBC is to work more closely with the country’s leading arts organisations.

The campaign will culminate with a finale weekend in February 2016 showcasing the creativity of the nation and reflections on the year.

Visit www.bbc.co.uk/getcreative / #bbcgetcreative for more details.

KD

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