Sadé and Kristina Alleyne Announced as next Guest Artistic Directors of National Youth Dance Company for 2025/26!

Uprise Rebel are pleased to announce that Sadé and Kristina Alleyne will be the new Guest Artistic Directors of Sadler’s Wells’ National Youth Dance Company for 2025/2026. Alleyne Dance is a unique and powerful company that blends Caribbean, hip hop and kathak, within a contemporary dance context. The choreographic language focuses on rhythms and textures with movement that is athletic, fast paced and dynamic, with infusions of lyrical and fluid motion.  

Kristina and Sadé Alleyne said, “We are thrilled to step into this role as Guest Artistic Directors and to shape a new, vibrant chapter with NYDC. Alleyne Dance has always been about pushing physical, emotional, and creative boundaries, and we look forward to bringing that same energy and vision to this exciting journey. We believe in dance that speaks, challenges, and inspires, and we can’t wait to discover the voices that will help us tell powerful new stories." 

Hannah Kirkpatrick, Head of National Youth Dance Company, said, “We are so excited that Kristina and Sadé will be starting this new chapter with NYDC. They have been connected to the company since the early days having worked as rehearsal directors when the company was led by Akram Khan. They know NYDC well and were a clear choice to follow Boy Blue, as they trained with them when they were teenagers. It’s set to be a fantastic year, they have a huge amount to share with our young people. We are looking for dancers from all dance styles and backgrounds and can’t wait to meet them!”

This month NYDC will begin its search for the next intake of young dancers to join the company and work with Alleyne Danceto create a new piece of work from autumn 2025 which will premiere in April 2026. To find these young dancers, NYDC Experience Workshops will be taking place across England from May to July in the following towns and cities: Leeds, Brighton, Birmingham, Manchester, Falmouth, Blackpool, London, Ipswich, and Coventry. The final audition will be held in London at Sadler's Wells East on Saturday 6 September.

Sign up for the workshops on the NYDC website here: National Youth Dance Company How to Join NYDC - National Youth Dance Company

Photo Camilla Greenwell