SHAWBROOK YOUTH DANCE COMPANY 2002 - 2017

Shawbrook Youth Dance Company was set up in 2002 by Artistic Director Anica Louw, with the support from The Arts Council of Ireland. Her vision was to create a professional working environment for young dancers and give them experience in performance, choreography and dance technique across a wide range of genres. Over the years she has invited choreographers and practitioners from Ireland and abroad to work with companies including Liz Roche, Chantal McCormick (Fidget Feet), Catherine Young and Ella Clarke among others. They have made numerous trips, and have attended Move It in London for 3 years, attended performances at The Royal Opera House, Peacock Theatre, and Sadlers Wells Theatre.

In 2015, as the company grew and expanded, incorporating 3 strands: Shawbrook Youth Dance Touring (SYDT), the elite, senior company; the Shawbrook Youth Dance, for children over 13 years of age, and the Junior Shawbrook Company, for dancers aged 12 and under. SYD have performed in theatres, street-theatre, Glastonbury Festival, Burning Man, Nevada; Electric Picnic, International Youth Arts Festival, Prague and site-specific work including the Forest Safari at Shawbrook which attracted audiences of up to 300 people in May 2016. In 2017, the company expanded to collaborate with young creatives from across the creative arts, including music, film, spoken-word, theatre, visual arts and dance.