Try your hand at burlesque

Burlesque has joined Déda’s busy adult dance class schedule and will be held on Wednesday evenings from April 15.

The instructor is artist and dancer Soleil Webster, who has performed throughout the UK, including the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. She will also lead a new programme of Zumba dance fitness classes at Déda.

Meanwhile, Déda’s Juniors and Youth Academy programme has also been expanded with new Circus Acrobatics classes held on Tuesday afternoons and early evenings from mid-April.

These will be led by Frank Terry from Derby-based Du Sol School of Acrobatics. Frank has performed throughout the world and is also a professional mime artist. He has taught acrobatic skills since 1986 and some of his pupils have gone on to become successful professional performers.

Déda’s head of dance development and learning, Clare Limb explained: “These new classes join a programme of around 50 different classes a week and are the perfect complement to the artistic direction of the organisation.

“LaDéDa Cabaret is now an established and highly popular show at Déda – with a wide range of Burlesque and Cabaret acts which make for a great evening’s entertainment. Their popularity has prompted the introduction of Burlesque classes.

“And the introduction of aerial classes for both adults and young people in the New Year have proved so popular that we have expanded that programme further, based in our recently opened dance and circus arts studio.”

For more information about the Déda class programme and performances at the dance house, please visit www.deda.uk.com or telephone 01332 370911.

n Two of Déda’s youth performance companies have won coveted places in a top level national dance festival in Plymouth this summer.

Bounceback is a group of 16 young dancers who rehearse at Déda in Chapel Street, while Derbyshire Youth Dance Company is a group of 14 young people from North Derbyshire who are based in Chesterfield.

Both were among 20 youth dance groups from across the UK who performed original 15-minute choreographic pieces at the prestigious Clore Ballroom at London’s South Bank Centre, in front of members of the public, the other competing groups and a judging panel of dance professionals.

It was announced that the Derbyshire groups are among the final selection of six groups who will perform at U.Dance 2015, which will be held in Plymouth in July (22-25).

The annual event celebrates and showcases the very best youth dance work from across the country, led by Youth Dance England.

The Derbyshire groups will perform at the festival alongside the National Youth Dance Companies of England and Wales. They will also have the unique opportunity to work with nationally renowned artists, inspiring them to develop their own dance skills and introduce them to new creative ideas.

In addition, Déda Youth Performance Company, Incompany have been selected for the Regional U.Dance Selection event, My Dance, at Nottingham Playhouse on April 11.

Clare Limb said: “We are over the moon that both of our auditioned youth dance companies have made it to the prestigious U.Dance 2015 festival and that Incompany will be performing at the regional event in Nottingham.

“Bounceback and DYDC performed in the New Dimensions programme of the national competition framework which is the top level of youth dance in the country. The feedback from the judges in London was incredible, recognising an experimental approach to choreography and performance which pushes the boundaries of youth dance. This is a reflection of just how hard our young dancers have worked to achieve a place at the national festival.”