Announcing the Stomping Ground Commission 2026

Stomping Ground, a commissioning group which for 2026 comprised of Citymoves, Creative Crawley, FABRIC, FESTIVAL.ORG, Pagrav Dance Company, Strike A Light, The Place and Tramway are pleased to announce the Stomping Ground commission recipient for 2026. The focus for 2026 was on dance for primary aged children.

The iconic British choreographer Lea Anderson is a co-founder and artistic director of The Cholmondeleys and The Featherstonehaughs dance companies founded in 1984. As well as touring extensively throughout the UK and overseas, the companies are renowned for their pioneering work in non-theatrical spaces and venues. In 2002 Lea was awarded an MBE for her services to dance, and in 2006 was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Arts from Dartington College of Arts. In 2014 Lea was appointed Regents Professor at the University of California, in Los Angeles.

With a special interest in mentorship and the support of artists working in dance, circus, film, music and theatre, Lea Anderson will be collaborating with street dance choreographer Lewis Norman, a professional dancer and performer from Bristol, and a graduate of The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA). With a strong foundation in performance and a drive for continuous growth, Lewis has built a diverse career across multiple areas of the creative industry. His passion for movement, storytelling, and collaboration has led him to work on a wide range of projects — from stage and film to live events and brand campaigns.

Their co-created work ‘BUGs!' will see performers dressed as giant insects, presenting a series of funny, funky short dances inspired by insect dance moves- from the honeybee’s waggle dance to the ant’s tremble dance - accompanied by live rhythmic, electronic music and insect sound effects by musician Steve Blake.

BUGs! will be presented as a double bill together with Prisma, a weird and wonderful dance show inspired by children’s books, created by German-based choreographer Rotem Weissman and presented in the UK in partnership with Goethe Institute.

In 2026, the Stomping Ground commissioned work will tour around UK primary schools' playgrounds for five weeks, reaching thousands of children, many of whom will experience their first dance performance.

Commenting on the news, Lea Anderson says: “The Playground Tour is a unique and powerful way to ensure that all children experience and enjoy high class performance and learning in their own playgrounds.”

The £20,000 commission was offered to make a 20-minute outdoor solo or duet for children and families. This new shift in the commissioning model meets the increasing demand for engaging, dynamic tourable work that is small in scale but big in ambition, providing high-quality creative experiences for children and families.

This year Stomping Ground was delighted to welcome two new commissioning partners: Citymoves based in Aberdeen and Pagrav Dance Company. New partner, Pagrav Dance Company, was commissioned by Stomping Ground in 2022 to create DEVA,  and the company went on to create a version of the piece which toured to school playgrounds, widening its reach. 

Artistic Director, Urja Thakore Desai says of the experience: "Creating DEVA with the support of Stomping Ground was a special experience for everyone at Pagrav. Bringing the work into school playgrounds let us meet children in their everyday spaces and show them that dance belongs everywhere, not just on a stage. Reaching so many young people in a single tour was incredibly rewarding and seeing how strongly the piece resonated reaffirmed our belief in dance as a powerful way to spark imagination, connection, and togetherness.”