Sadé and Kristina Alleyne's new work for National Youth Dance Company receives its world premiere in Ipswich this April

National Youth Dance Company (NYDC), England’s flagship company for young dancers run by Sadler’s Wells, will embark on a national tour with brand-new work Memory Keepers by Guest Artistic Directors Sadé and Kristina Alleyne Co-Artistic Directors of the award-winning Alleyne Dance, the Alleynes are creating the new work with NYDC during four residencies around the country. With music by Giuliano Modarelli, lighting design by Salvatore Scollo and costume design by Ryan Dawson Laight. 

NYDC has selected the intake for its 2025/26 cohort. With 32 dancers aged between 16 and 24 years old and hailing from 25 towns, cities and villages across England, from Blackpool to Brighton,  Colchester to Exmouth, it’s a truly nationwide company. Their national tour kicks off with the world premiere at DanceEast, Ipswich on Saturday 11 April, before touring the country to Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London, Leeds Playhouse in Leeds, AMATA Falmouth in Cornwall, Sadler’s Wells East in London,  and The Belgrade Theatre in Coventry during the summer.

The London premiere of the work will be at Sadler’s Wells Theatre on Saturday 30 May. In July, NYDC will also perform at Sadler’s Wells East as part of the second edition of YFX Youth Festival, an annual festival which celebrates and showcases the exceptional range of youth work across the country. 

The 32 dancers of National Youth Dance Company’s new cohort for 2025/26 are: 
Abri (Sevenoaks), Aimée (Colchester), Amelia (Middlesbrough), Amelia (Sheffield), Amelie (Lewes), Antony (Christchurch), Charlie (Lancashire), Coco (Brighton), Daniel (Croydon), Dylan (London), Ellie (Blackpool), Elliot (Leeds), Emmanuel (London), Hannah (Rye), Isabelle (Exmouth), Isis (Brighton), Isla (London), Jack (Washington), Jay (Bracknell), Jonathan (London), Kenya (Leeds), Kitty (Totnes), Lewis (Croston), Lily (Nottingham), Liv (Cambridge), Lola (Sheffield), Lucy (Market Harborough), Michael (Blackpool), Nya (Manchester), Sona (Darlington), Zachary (Solihull), Zak Michael (Brighton). 

Covering all regions across the country, 16 recruitment workshops took place between April to August 2025 to select the new members for the 2025/26 intake. All dancers are aged 16-24 and have a range of different dance backgrounds.

During the dancers’ time with NYDC, they are offered a unique insight into the dance profession, living and working closely together as a company, alongside NYDC staff and the artistic team. The year-long experience within the company provides members with the necessary skills and techniques to pursue career opportunities and raise aspirations, self-esteem and confidence. The dancers are mentored during four intensive residencies in school holidays to create and rehearse a new piece by the company’s Guest Artistic Director. The first two residencies took place at DanceEast in Ipswich and at Elmhurst Ballet School in Birmingham. The other residencies will take place in Leeds in February, then in London and Ipswich in April ahead of the premiere. 

Founded in 2014 by sisters Kristina and Sadé Alleyne, Alleyne Dance strives for high quality and excellence in their three main objectives of Performance, Participation and Development.  Alleyne Dance is a unique and powerful company that blends Caribbean, hip hop and kathak, within a contemporary dance context. The choreographic language focuses on rhythms and textures with movement that is athletic, fast paced and dynamic, with infusions of lyrical and fluid motion.   

Kristina and Sadé Alleyne said, “Working with NYDC has been both motivating and deeply exciting. These young movers are the future, and we have loved challenging them physically, mentally, and emotionally. Witnessing such a wide range of styles and interests come together through storytelling has been truly inspiring. 
Alleyne Dance’s style is fast-paced, dynamic, athletic, rhythmical, and lyrical. To achieve this level of physicality, rehearsals always begin with our morning ritual of training, articulating the hands, connecting to the breath, exploring depth in movement, and clarifying intention. We work collaboratively with the dancers so that Memory Keepers feels rooted in their voices and lived experiences; a piece that genuinely belongs to them. The musical score is being created by Alleyne Dance long-time collaborator, Giuliano Modarelli, who is also working closely with the young movers to shape the sound alongside them.
We are incredibly excited for Memory Keepers to be seen across the nation, for the next generation stories to be heard, and for audiences to experience the physicality, honesty, and rawness of the work.”