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About Us
• To encourage the youngsters to value themselves and appreciate the value of dance as a tool for well being.
• To inspire young people to fulfil and unlock their full creative potential and to develop confidence.
• To allow first hand experience and access to high quality performance opportunities with professional artists in a professional setting.
• To support and celebrate excellence through high quality participatory practice that will contribute to the artistic, social and cultural development of the individual and the local community.
• To encourage more boys to dance
• To promote a healthy dance ecology in West Dorset and make the arts more widely accessible.
BYD supporting emerging and young artists.
In the past year, thanks to continued support from Arts Council England, we have been supporting a number of young artists in lead roles including choreography, performing, cinematography, art/set making, composition and admin. Also, BYD continues to mentor young people interested in in entering dance education. M<any are able to develop their teaching skills as assistant teachers and leaders within the company
A History of BYD & Nikki Northover
Nikki started to dance aged two years old at the local dance school - Bernard Gale School of Dancing. Her passion for dance and the arts grew throughout her childhood and was nurtured throughout her growing up.
Nikki has now been working in the performance and dance education industry for over thirty years. She is a promoter and great supporter of the arts and in particular dance to children and young people in West Dorset who may struggle with rural isolation. Following her studies in dance and dance education at Roehampton and Surrey University Nikki worked both in London and her hometown as a dancer, teacher, choreographer and creative producer. Alongside working within London dance schools Nikki maintained her roots in order to provide valuable artistic opportunities to children in a more rural setting.
In 1994 she established Summerthing Children's Art Festival which brought artists from across the UK and from all cultures in a celebration of the arts. This project had a significant impact on many children who later went on to forge careers of their own in music, art and dance.
Nikki established Bridport Youth Dance in 2001. Throughout this time BYD has offered an after school programme in contemporary, tap, specific boys classes – has established the successful Bridport Boys Dance programme and most recently an urban programme. Nikki has always worked hard to ensure that classes are affordable and has established a scholarship scheme offering subsidies to talented children and young dancers from families on a low income. The boys programme comprised of specific classes for boys only which saw a surge in boys dancing in Bridport.
Pre pandemic Nikki ran an after school dance programme, a summer school - Summer Dance Scene led by artists from Matthew Bourne's New Adventures company and choreographers including Mark Bruce. She also holds an annual high quality production with live music. Next year is BYDs ( as the school is fondly known) 20th production.
In response to the pandemic Nikki relaunched with an outdoor programme – ART AND DANCE IN THE LAND - which runs alongside the BYD dance development programme and includes site specific work and The Dance Weavers films.
Emerging from lock downs Nikki continued to provide creative and performance opportunities for the young dancers. They danced in gardens with live music, on beaches and created short films The Dance Weavers. Their first film - Emerging included a score by award winning composer Andrew Dickson ( Mike Leigh's films - Secrets and Lies, Naked, Vera Drake and High Hopes). Our second film The Dance Weavers – Freedom/Connection was premièred at The British Film Institute as a part of the U Dance national dance platform. Both films were selected to represent South West England. She has never given up in her commitment and dedication to dance and to celebrating the young people of Dorset.
Past students have become theatre directors, dance teachers, dance academics - studying Butoh dance and have even joined the circus. BYD students last year went on to study dance education at Canterbury University and circus at Cirqe Media, Bristol. She taught BBC young dancer of the year Nafisa Baba together with Danny Collins Wright who later played Dr. Jekyll in Drew McOnie's acclaimed Jekyll and Hyde production.
This year BYD's graduates have gained places at London Contemporary Dance School and from the boys dance programme the Northern School Of Contemporary Dance and London College of Dance followed by Itali Conti. BYD has become a pathway which opens up future careers in dance for children and young people who live in a small rural town.
As a response to the pandemic Nikki had a new vision and relaunched with the creation of an outdoor dance programme. This marks the beginning of a new journey of exploring dance in the environment and celebrates not only the young people but the beautiful countryside of Dorset. Her work has created an incredible legacy.
Nikki inspires, encourages and empowers local young people; sharing her passion for dance. This year celebrates the 21st anniversary of Bridport Youth Dance and Nikki's 31st year of teaching and sharing this passion for the arts.
She has taught thousands, probably tens of thousands of young people within the past thirty years-n all will have learnt to value and appreciate the arts as future audiences.
Nikki has earned a glowing reputation promoting dance in Dorset, in particular tap and is passionate about dance and encouraging creative learning in children and young people. She aims to inspire in her students a love of learning and of dance that will last a lifetime.
Bridport Youth Dance has been described as a group that is leading the way for youth dance in the area with exciting, dynamic and innovative work that at times pushes artistic boundaries.
Nikki maintains a close association with the American Tap Dance Foundation having attended The New York City Tap Festival numerous times.
Bridport Youth Dance Funders.
BYD's ART and DANCE in the LANDscape is supported by:
Arts Council England
The National Trust
Dorset AONB Partnership through its Sustainable Development Fund.
Dorset Council - Youth Development Fund
Dorset Council - Culture and Community Fund
Bridport Town Council
Groves Nurseries
Brit Valley Rotary
Bridport Charities
BYD education programme is supported by:
The Walbridge Trust, Bridport Town Council, Groves Nurseries, Little Fones Landscape, JD cleaning and one anonymous angel.