History
The Grand Final of the first ever Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Young Dancer was held at Sadler’s Wells on 9 May 2015. It followed a nine month search to find the UK’s most gifted and dedicated dancers aged 16-20 in four categories; Ballet, Contemporary, Hip Hop and South Asian Dance.
At the Final the winners from each category performed alongside two additional ‘wild cards’ for the overall title in front of a judging panel made up of some of the biggest names from the dance world: Artistic Director of New Adventures, Choreographer and Director Matthew Bourne, Artistic Director of ZFin Malta Mavin Khoo, 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.
Following memorable performances by all six finalists, 17-year-old contemporary dancer was named Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Young Dancer 2015 by the competition’s ambassador Carlos Acosta.
Connor is now training full time at Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance.
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Young Dancer, along with Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Young Musician, is central to the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ’s support of the arts and its commitment to the development of new talent.
The Category Winners at Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Young Dancer 2015 were:
| Name | Style |
|---|---|
| Archie Sullivan | Ballet |
| Jacob O’Connell | Contemporary |
| Harry Barnes | Hip Hop |
| Vidya Patel | South Asian Dance |
Wildcard places at the Grand Final were awarded to:
| Name | Style |
|---|---|
| Connor Scott | Contemporary |
| Kieran Lai | Hip Hop |
