DanceXchange has excellence, innovation, education and inclusion at its heart – and, together with Birmingham Hippodrome and Birmingham Royal Ballet, is part of the largest dance partnership in Britain.
We take the best British dance to a worldwide stage, and bring outstanding talent from across the world to Birmingham. We also engage people from all backgrounds in healthy dance activity, and nurture gifted young people to help shape the dance artists of the future.
The Patrick Centre is one of the UK’s most important dance houses, with a year-round programme including established companies, emerging artists and regular performances from international companies, many of them exclusives within the UK. The Patrick Centre is also a nationally important centre for the production of new dance works, with DanceXchange supporting artists and companies to create new performances in the venue.
We run a recreational class programme of over 45 dance classes each week for people of all ages, from beginner to professional, in a diverse range of styles – from Contemporary to Capoeira, Kathak to Hip Hop and Funk Styles.
dx productions has two shows touring in 2010-2011; Funny Bones, a brand new double bill of contemporary dance for children, and The 5 Man Show, a revival of the acclaimed innovative dance show with an all male cast.
International Dance Festival Birmingham (IDFB) is a major biennial festival produced by DanceXchange in partnership with Birmingham Hippodrome. Building on the huge success of the inaugural festival in 2008 and featuring over 20 dance companies from five continents working in a huge range of styles, IDFB 2010 takes place from Monday 19 April to Sunday 16 May.
Our Access and Inclusion programme includes a focus on the following communities: disabled people; groups that include people of all ages; areas of the West Midlands that have less dance activity than others; and young people who have been excluded from school, are looked after by their local council, have been affected by mental ill health, homelessness or domestic abuse.
A partnership between DanceXchange and sampad South Asian Arts, our Centre for Advanced Training for South Asian and Contemporary Dance
is aimed at young people aged between 11 and 16 who have shown exceptional talent or potential in dance.
Dance artists and recent graduates receive advice from us about how to manage the business of being a freelance dance artist. We also run a regular professional development programme of classes for professional dancers and 2nd/3rd year vocational degree students, often led by companies performing at The Patrick Centre.
Our Youth Dance team works together with Youth Dance England and regional Youth Dance contacts in the West Midlands to develop, support and champion dance for children and young people.
We work with nationally strategic dance programmes and partnerships such as Telford Culture Zone and the Find Your Talent pathfinder scheme. In Telford we deliver high quality dance activity as part of the Cultural Offer for all young people aged 0-19. This broad programme of work includes community performances; projects in partnership with schools and other cultural organisations; Saturday dance classes; Telford Youth Dance Company; and the Making Choreographers scheme.
