The West Midlands has a wealth of youth dance talent and there are lots of youth dance groups. But it’s very rare that young dancers get the chance to work with professional choreographers and perform on a stage like the Hippodrome - in front of 1800 people! A ‘Curtain Raiser’ is a short dance piece, often before ‘curtain up!’ By expanding this programme, we will give young people from all backgrounds the chance to develop performance skills and self-confidence through inspirational experiences

With your help we will expand our Curtain Raiser opportunities to deliver five projects in 2018, engaging 200+ young people with a love for dance. Younger children aged 9-11 will work get the chance to take their first steps into dance, and young adults aged 16+ will work with professional dance companies to develop their own choreography and dancing skills. Both age ranges will get to perform their dance work in front of audiences on our theatre stages, and at platforms at our outdoor festivals