Dance Live!

Dance Live! is an exciting dance event for schools and colleges brought to you by The Guildhall Trust.

Dance Live!

Dance Live! is an exciting dance event for schools and colleges brought to you by The Guildhall Trust.

Embracing an ever-evolving digital world and how this is changing the face of modern performance, Dance Live! sees those in KS2-4 and Further Education compete with choreographed routines to the backdrop of a giant digital screen with pupils showcasing a range of skills from dance, performance and off-stage technical skills to creative design.

With a focus on raising aspirations and developing skills for creative career choices, Dance Live! also delivers a range of supportive workshop opportunities for schools.

Following the overwhelming success of Dance Live! we are now also pleased to launch Dance Live – Studio Edition, for dance schools, studios and youth dance companies. Head to the Studio Edition page for more details of this event.

Dance Live! Portsmouth 2022

Registration for Dance Live! Portsmouth 2022 is now open!

Register for Dance Live! Portsmouth 2022

Dates for Dance Live! Portsmouth 2022
Heats: Monday 7th – Sunday 13th February
Finals: Tuesday 3rd – Wednesday 4th May

Official registration is open until 5pm, Friday 24th September 2021. There is no financial commitment at the point of registering.

Please don’t hesitate to contact the Dance Live! team if you have any queries.

Before registering please read the 2022 Information Pack, even if you have competed in Dance Live! before as there are some changes for next year.

Information for Dance Live! Portsmouth 2021

Dance Live! is going online for 2021!

“I am glad that I am a part of Dance Live! It makes me feel like all my worries just disappear. It brings me happiness when we can just have fun and pretend for a while that bad things don’t exist”

It was comments like this one from an 11 year old at Rowner Junior School that made us determined to meet the challenges posed by Covid-19 restrictions and find a way for the event to go ahead safely for the young people who have already missed out on so much over the last year.

At the end of May we have been taking an LED screen, backdrop, dance floor and filming equipment into each participating school or college where pupils have recorded their performance in their bubbles. Pupils have also produced their ‘Journey to Dance Live!’ and ‘Screen Content’ videos as planned, which will then be judged and brought together to be live streamed in a final for all to view on Saturday 19th June.

Stay tuned! Dates and details of how you can purchase a link to view will follow soon…!

Dance Live! 2021 Judges

Dance Live! has today released its judge line-up for this year’s online TV format of the popular, annual Dance competition for schools and colleges.

Mark Smith

Head Judge

Dance Live’s first Patron and Head Judge, Mark Smith, is a Choreographer, Movement Director, Dance Teacher, Workshop Leader and Director, Founder and Artistic Director of Deaf Men Dancing, Patron for The Imperial Society of Teachers and Dancing (ISTD) and was nominated as Best Choreographer in the Off-West End Awards and the Broadway World UK Awards for Ace of Clubs, Call Me Madam & Iolanthe and Live Theatre & British Theatre for Tommy.

Sally Garner-Gibbons

Stage Manager and Lecturer in Technical Theatre Studies, Sally Garner-Gibbons has worked in West End and regional theatres throughout the UK and has held the position of Company and Stage Manager at Chichester Festival Theatre for over 25 years. Sally enjoys her work in Production Arts education where she trains the next generation of theatre technicians in lighting, sound and stagecraft.

Jamie Kluckers

Technical Consultant for Stage Electrics, Jamie Kluckers, trained in Production at Guildford School of Acting and has worked in the industry as a Production Manager, Technical Manager and Stage Manager with theatre credits including the Olivier award-winning Showstoppers (Apollo), Uncle Vantage and Three Sisters (Wyndham’s Theatre) and Guys & Dolls and Gypsy (Chichester Festival Theatre).

Ben Derham

New to the judging team for this year is professional Dancer, Ben Derham. A graduate of The Royal Ballet School and Bird College, Ben has danced internationally for music videos, film, TV and on stage with his credits including Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures’ World Premiere production of Romeo and Juliet, Christmas on Ice Niagara Falls and London Musical Theatre Orchestra’s ‘Mack and Mabel’.

Dance Live! is expanding...

Express Your Interest Today!

Want Dance Live! to come to a town or city near you?

Following interest from schools and colleges up and down the country we are looking to expand Dance Live! to new areas so that even more young people can experience the benefits of this exciting competition.

To find out more Dance Live! please take a look at our brochure or watch our video below.

We are now asking Schools and Colleges across the country to formally give an Expression of Interest so we can determine if there is enough interest in your area to proceed with events.

An Expression of Interest is an indication of your intent, not a binding agreement to participate. If enough interest is received for your area, we will confirm events and open a formal registration process.

Express Your Interest Here!

Please read the Information Pack before Expressing your Interest so you have a good understanding of the requirements of the event.

New To Dance Live?

If you haven't heard of Dance Live! before, or want to know more about our brilliant event, you can watch our video below or download our 'Introduction to Dance Live!' e-resource, available here.