10 hours ago
Thousands of Bradford children take to stage for ballet and opera
More than 2,000 Bradford primary school pupils took to the stage recently to perform a ballet and opera inspired by their own hopes and dreams.
The children filled the newly refurbished Bradford Live to perform the new ballet and opera as part of Sing, Dance, Leap - a mass participation project for young people commissioned by Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture.
Tom Whitehead, a Bradford-born Royal Ballet dancer who returned to his hometown for the project, said: "It has been a real privilege to be able to help bring Sing, Dance, Leap to my hometown and see the impact it has had on these brilliant young people.
"I know how much I would have loved to have been involved in a project like this when I was young, so it makes it extra special to be able to give Bradford's next generation this opportunity.
"If Sing, Dance, Leap can be that spark of inspiration for one child to pursue their passion, whatever that is, then this project has been a huge success."
The Sing, Dance, Leap project was commissioned by Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture (Image: Elly Welford)
Led by the Royal Ballet and Opera, Opera North, and Northern Ballet, the Sing, Dance, Leap project intends to help children to express how they feel about themselves, and their city, through ballet, opera, and the arts.
The children's thoughts and feelings helped shape the performance's music, lyrics, and choreography, which were created respectively by Will Todd, Kadijah Ibrahiim, and Carlos Pons Guerra.
Jillian Barker, director of learning and participation for the Royal Ballet and Opera, said: "Sing, Dance, Leap is a real celebration of young voices and the power that access to the arts can have.
"We want to ensure that projects like this give children more than a momentary experience – we want these young people to take what they have learnt in this project and continue to be creatively inspired in their daily lives.
The project was led by the Royal Ballet and Opera, Opera North, and Northern Ballet (Image: Elly Welford)
"We have seen firsthand how impactful projects like Sing, Dance, Leap can be on young people, and we will continue to advocate for greater arts access for children across the UK, both in our own work and in the national curriculum."
Rhiannon Hannon, director of creative engagement and participation for Bradford 2025, said: "It's so fitting for Bradford's young people to be among the first to use this stage to share this inspiring new work."
Sing, Dance, Leap is part of a four-year community partnership, launched in 2023, between the Royal Ballet and Opera and Bradford.
