NYE Honours list announced
One Dance UK is delighted that the dance sector has once again been recognised in Her Majesty The Queen’s New Year’s Honours list. This acknowledges the strong contribution that dance – in all its diverse forms – makes to the health and well-being of our nation.
This year we are thrilled to see so many incredible faces from across our sector being recognised, including an MBE for our Chief Executive Andrew Hurst. The award recipients are as follows:
OBE
Dr Stuart Gary Hopps – Choreographer. For services to dance
Robert Lockyer-Nibbs (Bob Lockyer) – For services to dance and broadcasting
MBE
David Hamilton – Founder, Phoenix Dance Theatre. For services to dance
Andrew Hurst – Chief Executive, One Dance UK. For services to dance
Greta Mendez – For services to dance
Dr Harold George Patten (‘H’ Patten) – For services to African and Caribbean Dance
Chita Sundaram – For services to South Asian Dance
Sharon Watson – Lately Artistic Director, Phoenix Dance Theatre, Chief Executive and Principal, Northern School of Contemporary Dance. For services to dance
BEM (British Empire Medal)
Anand Bhatt – Co-Founder, Aakash Odedra Company. For services to dance and to the community in Leicester
Margaret Campbell – for Services to Pipe Bands and Sollus Highland Dancers.
Aakash Odedra – Co-Founder, Aakash Odedra Company. For services to dance and to the community in Leicester
Catherine Sinnadurai – For services to Dance Education, Training and Performance
Recognising these talented dance professionals in this year’s honours demonstrates how highly dance is valued, perhaps now more than ever. The focus on the dance sector in these awards, at a trying time for us all is a welcome demonstration of not only the breadth and diverse nature of dance but also the impact and importance of the pioneering and innovative work that these dance leaders have achieved.
