National Youth Dance Company X Boy BlueGravity
A film by Eleanor HannProduced by Sadler’s Wells
Go behind the scenes of the creation of Gravity – a brand-new work performed by the National Youth Dance Company (NYDC), under Guest Artistic Directors Boy Blue, the UK’s most celebrated hip hop dance company.
NYDC is made up of 33 talented dancers in England aged 16-24; in this film, they share what makes them move and why it’s so important for young people to have access to dance.
Hear from Kenrick ‘H20’ Sandy and Michael ‘Mikey J’ Asante, co-founders and co-artistic directors of Boy Blue, on their collaboration with NYDC and how the themes of community and togetherness reverberated not just throughout the show but throughout the company.
This film also merges NYDC past and present, having been directed by Eleanor Hann, an NYDC Alumni who was in the company from 2016-17.
Photo © Richard Lakos
Credits
Director and Producer – Eleanor Grace Hann
Director of Photography – Scarlett Gardner
Camera Assistant – Poppy Lang
Sound Operator – Liam Cromby Editor – Eden Read
Colourist – Alyssa Medina
Composition – Michael ‘Mikey J’ Asante
Gravity – NYDC
Guest Artistic Directors 2024/25 – Kenrick ‘H20’ Sandy and Michael ‘Mikey J’ Asante
Choreography – Kenrick ‘H20’ Sandy
Composer – Michael ‘Mikey J’ Asante
Lighting Design – Adam Carrée
Costume Design – Ryan Dawson Laight
Costume Design Associates – Jordan Goertz Edwards and Josh Cartmell
Rehearsal Directors – Nathaniel Impraim-Jones and Lara Rose McCabe
Producers – Christopher Haddow and Bia Oliveira
Production Manager – Mishi Bekesi
Sound Engineer – Yao Yin Yau
LX Programmer & Touring Relighter/Production Manager – Matthew Carnazza
Touring Sound Engineer – Mark Webber
NYDC Dancers 2024/25
James Airey, Yunus Ayhan, Sara Belal, Archie Bilsland, Monét Brooks, Kingsley Campbell-Golding, Megan Chaytor Wilson, Orson Crane, Luke Curran, Dylan Dennis, Dexter Duffy, Mimi Etete-Edge, Sheldon Golding, Kasra Hastings, Francis Henry, Florence Hodgson, India Hurley, Luke James, Jacob Lincoln, Lucca Masters, Zak Michael Smith, Thea Petrie, Blake Rainey, Dayang Safiya Isabella Abang Suhaili, Sonia Sansford, Iona Statham, Nya Stewart, Ada Trotman, Faye-Elise Walmsey, Hali Warsame, Ella Watson, Rowan Williams, Marshall Wilson.
NYDC Team
Guest Artistic Directors 2024-25 – Kenrick ‘H20’ Sandy and Micheal ‘Mikey J’ Asante
Director of Learning & Engagement – Joce Giles
Head of NYDC – Hannah Kirkpatrick
Company Manager – Waddah Sinada and Becky Leslie
NYDC Coordinator – Brittany Roberts
NYDC/ Learning & Engagement Intern – Ratiba Ayadi
Creative Support Artist – Corinne Meredith (Head), Nya Bardouille, Maiya Leeke
Company Support – Jo Beattie (Head), Ruben Brown, Beth Emmerson, Grace Ford, George Frampton, John William Watson
Company Wellbeing – Anna Brodrick (physiotherapist), Dr Lucie Clements (dance psychologist)
With thanks to Kathleen Murphy, Associate Producer for Boy Blue, and the wider Boy Blue Team
Film Commissioned and Produced by Sadler’s Wells Digital Stage & Studio
Director of Digital Stage & Studio – Bia Oliveira Senior Content Manager – Jen Richards
Producer – Eithne Kane
Digital & Content Apprentice – Emma Cosgrove
Digital & Content Officer – Ella Murphy-O’Neil
Video & Digital Specialist – Sarah Vaughan-Jones
Marketing Consultant – Izzy Madgwick
In kind support from Lacoste
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