An international festival of dance is coming to Croydon, bringing an exciting two-day programme packed with performance-parkour, baby block parties, bollywood, hip hop, homegrown-talent, hands-on activities and much more.
Filling – and spilling out of – the newly-refurbished Fairfield Halls on Friday 18 and Saturday 19 October, Dance Umbrella’s DU: Fairfield Takeover includes top acts and shows including international dancer Mythili Prakash; hip-hop company Boy Blue; outdoor parkour act Urban Playground; Hocus Pocus, a dreamlike spectacle for kids, and much more.
Events start from 10am and go through to the end of the day, with many free to attend and tickets for some individual shows starting at just £6.
DU: Fairfield Takeover will also showcase local talent, including from the Access Croydon programme delivered by Dance Umbrella in partnership with Croydon Council. Over the last 18 months, the programme has brought free training and performance opportunities to neighbourhoods, targeting those who might not otherwise have the opportunity to get involved in dance. Among them is Girls in Front, a project which has offered free weekly dance classes and summer programmes to girls aged 11-18 years at Stanley Halls. They will showcase their performance project, led by choreographer Sara Dos Santos, at DU: Fairfield Takeover next week.
Other Access Croydon projects performing at DU: Fairfield Takeover include Dance Festival Croydon, led by Anusha Subramanyan of Croydon’s Beeja Dance and Assemble Croydon, a collaborative project from Drum the Bass, bringing together musicians and dancers from across the borough.
There are also plenty of chances to have a go with DIY choreography and dance workshops in different styles. To find out more, see a full calendar of events and book tickets visit www.danceumbrella.co.uk/event/du-fairfield-takeover
Dance Umbrella has working in partnership with Croydon Council to bring large-scale, free dance events to the town centre since 2017. This year’s two-day event, funded by the council in partnership with Arts Council England, is the biggest yet.
Paula Murray, Creative Director, Croydon Council, said: “Our partnership with Dance Umbrella has created so many new opportunities for local people to enjoy, participate in and be inspired by dance, from delivering classes in our neighbourhoods, to events like this weekend, which are amazing and accessble to all. It’s great to welcome them to our newly-refurbished Fairfield Halls.”
Emma Gladstone, Chief Executive and Artistic Director, said “We are truly looking forward to DU: Fairfield Takeover next week. We have found a huge amount of energy in the dance scene since we started working in Croydon in 2017, and we hope to not only showcase some of that alongside the international festival artists, but also invite in audiences to catch a dance for the first time.”
