Inspired PERFORMANCES
Dance Woking provides high quality opportunities to watch, perform and take part in dance providing new experiences that we hope inspire artists, audiences, participants and communities. We do this by: Raising ambition and developing talent; Creating a dynamic and sustainable dance community; Engaging more people in meaningful dance.
Dance Woking hosts performances in various venues in and around Woking & Surrey; seeks out exciting and innovative companies to present work at various locations and events including the free one-day family festivals Party in the Park, hosted in Woking Park and Encounters in Woking Town Centre. Dance Woking engages with the diverse local communities that make up Woking & Surrey through a model that enables them to watch, perform and take part in activity. We run approx. nine platforms a year hosted during three seasons of work called ‘Shorts’ in Winter, Spring & Summer.
Winter Shorts
Spring Shorts
Summer Shorts
In the Autumn we host three platforms – Winter Shorts
Young Dance Makers Platform over two Evenings
Young Dancemakers is a local schools and colleges dance platform showcasing the culmination of 8 weeks creative and highly enjoyable work of each school’s dance club. The schools use highly topical stimulus to create their pieces; for example, in 2019 sustainability and the environment were the stimulus. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
The workshops are designed to encourage creativity and imagination of movement and to support this process we use non-verbal classical music as we believe this gives the dancers more scope to use develop their ideas when creating movement and work.
The project starts in September 2021 and runs for 8-weeks involving 8 weekly one-hour dance lessons. The participants get to experience performing in a professional theatre, see how other groups have interpreted the stimulus, and it’s a good opportunity for young children to be inspired, build self-esteem, see progression routes. There is a real sense of support, respect, excitement and community. If you are interested in taking part in 2021 contact Us
Suitable for: Primary, Secondary, Higher Education – College & University
Type: Curriculum or Extra-curricular Options
Innovate Contemporary Dance Platform
This platform focuses on Contemporary dance. The Platform takes place on a Saturday and dance schools are encouraged to watch rehearsals to help build community, respect and peer to peer support. In 2019, 17 dance groups took part in Innovate. Performing alongside locally based dance companies were guest groups: Scatter Dance Company from London’s The Place; Ryde Elite Dance Team, Isle of Wight; Actual Size Dance Company from University of Surrey; Tuffney Performing Arts Academy from Buckinghamshire; Illume Dance from Berkshire; and Betty Bloom Dance, Oxfordshire.
This is a great opportunity for dance Schools to showcase and promote their Dance Schools, the platform is extremely well supported and sells out each time it has been presented.
Details of 2021 of how to get involved will be shared in September 2021
Suitable for both youth dance groups and adult dance groups
In the Spring, generally February / March – Spring Shorts
Woking Slam – An urban style community dance platform
This platform focuses on street, hip hop, urban dance styles. In 2020, 15 dance groups performed from 10 different dance schools. Closing the platform was guest group Ombrascura Dance Company, who performed their highly acclaimed piece ‘The Moon and Me’, using a collective of top industry professionals whose combined credits include The X-factor, The Brit Awards, The NTA’s, One Direction, The Vamps, Adidas, Paco Rabanne, Spotify, House of Fraser and Jack Jones.
As well as Dance Schools focussing on Urban/Street dance, we also encourage schools to get involved. The dance project starts in January 2022 and runs for 8-weeks involving 8 weekly one-hour dance lessons. The participants get to experience performing in a professional theatre, see how other groups have interpreted the stimulus, and it’s a good opportunity for children to be inspired, build self-esteem, see progression routes. There is a real sense of support, respect, excitement and community.
If you are interested in taking part in 2022 Contact Us
Suitable for: Primary, Secondary, Higher Education – College & University
Type: Curriculum or Extra-curricular Options
Boys Platform – encouraging boys to become active through dance
This Platform celebrates both male dancers and choreographers. It is a contemporary led community dance platform focusing on boys’ dance and how we can use dance to engage more boys in becoming active.
As well as Dance Schools focussing on Urban/Street dance, we also encourage schools to get involved. The dance project starts in January 2022 and runs for 8-weeks involving 8 weekly one-hour dance lessons. The participants get to experience performing in a professional theatre, see how other groups have interpreted the stimulus, and it’s a good opportunity for children to be inspired seeing progression routes. There is a real sense of support, respect, excitement and community.
If you are interested in taking part in 2021 Contact Us
Suitable for: Primary, Secondary, Higher Education – College & University
Type: Curriculum or Extra-curricular Options
Introducing Platform
To support talent growth dance Woking endeavours to host a platform showcasing new talent to Woking audiences. 2019 saw new work from Jack Philp Dance, Boyz In Motion Dance Company and Katie Dale-Everett Dance. This platform links into Dance Woking’s Associate Artist Scheme
In Summer we host various outdoor platforms – Summer Shorts
Encounters- Schools & Community Platform celebrating culture
Encounters is delivered in a fun parade style event through Woking town centre culminating in a ‘Flash Mob’ style dance around Jubilee square memorial. This is a fun, interactive dance event similar; previous years’ themes have been Carnival, 60s and 70s music, a Sci-fi medley and a Grease mega mix medley. The dance project starts in April 2022 and runs for 8-weeks involving 8 weekly one-hour dance lessons. The participants get to experience performing in a fun, group parade and performance, with other groups all learning the same material. It’s a good opportunity for children to be inspired, build self-esteem, there is a real sense of support, respect, excitement and community.
If you are interested in taking part in 2022 Contact Us
Suitable for: Primary, Secondary, Higher Education – College & University & Community Dance Schools
Type: Curriculum or Extra-curricular Options
Party in the Park – Eclectic mix of dance styles
This platform showcases the variety of dance in Woking and Surrey as well as some of the community projects and activities Dance Woking has been delivering throughout the year. This is a great event to be involved in with community and professional companies performing in a specially designated dance field with a dance stage, participation area and pop-up performances.
If you are interested in taking part in 2022 Contact Us
Suitable for: Primary, Secondary, Higher Education – College & University & Community dance Schools
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Highlights year by year
An opportunity to relive the best bits from each year.
