Chance to Dance in Bradford shows ballet is for everyone, say pupils

BBC News

19-02-2025

School children from Bradford have praised an "amazing" dance programme that has shown them ballet is for everyone.Year-four pupils, aged eight and nine, have been taking part in the Chance to Dance scheme, which provides classes led by the Royal Ballet and Opera (RBO).The RBO started working in the city in 2023, when it launched a four-year project aimed at broadening access to arts education for young people.It is preparing the children to take part in Sing, Dance, Leap - a mass performance by 2,000 children in June, to celebrate Bradford's year as UK City of Culture.
Some of the pupils involved in the project put on a show at St George's Hall last week."I was a little bit nervous but the more I did it, the more confident I got," said John.He said he had been surprised at how much "strength and discipline" it required."Some people thought it was only for girls but it is also for boys," he added.
Umayyah, a pupil at Thornbury Academy, said it had been a surprise to get the opportunity to take part."It started in year three," she explained."Some Chance to Dance people came to our school and they chose the best dancers to carry on."She said she now wanted to do ballet "constantly"."Ballet just makes me happy," she said.
Fellow dancer Noor said she had been very nervous - but soon learned she loved ballet."It's the teamwork, the respect in our sessions," she said."My favourite thing is working very elegantly, and very smooth and sharp movements."I think it's absolutely perfect for anyone."Abdullah said he had also been nervous and "scared" at first but it had made him "really excited to learn new skills".He said he would like to go on to become a professional dancer."Ballet is not just for girls, it's even for boys, it is for anyone," he said."It doesn't matter who you are, anyone can do ballet."
Tom Whitehead, Bradford-born principal character artist with the Royal Ballet, said he hoped the project would help improve the accessibility of the art form.He said: "For me it's super important, I feel very fortunate that I fell into ballet and dance."I don't think then ballet and the arts were accessible to everybody, they weren't the norm."He said he thought Billy Elliot, Strictly Come Dancing and Chance to Dance were "so valuable" in exposing young people to the world of dance - and the project was worth the work even if only one child took an interest."What I get from these children is a reminder of the essence and purity of movement and why projects like this absolutely fill me with joy and pride," he said."I am really proud to come back to Bradford and hopefully excite these young people and inspire these young people and encourage them."Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.