Hofesh Shechter Named Guest Artistic Director of National Youth Dance Company

Award-winning choreographer and composer and Sadler's Wells Associate Artist Hofesh Shechter has been appointed as the next Guest Artistic Director of National Youth Dance Company (NYDC) for 2026/27. Shechter is Artistic Director of UK-based Hofesh Shechter Company, his internationally renowned dance company producing iconic works, across both stage and screen.

Shechter received the British Theatre Institute's Award for Excellence in International Dance, a Tony Nomination for his work on Fiddler on the Roof and multiple Olivier Awards nominations. In 2018, he was also awarded an honorary OBE for Services to Dance and made Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres in 2026.  

Hofesh Shechter said, “I am delighted to be the next Guest Artistic Director for National Youth Dance Company for their 2026/27 cohort. Over the years, quite a few of my company dancers and Shechter II dancers have come to us from this incredible pool of young talent. It's such a vital part of our dance ecology in this country - I'm excited to get started."

National Youth Dance Company, run by Sadler's Wells, is England's flagship company for young dancers. Since its inception 393 dancers have joined the company, working intensively with renowned dance artists as Guest Artistic Directors including Alleyne Dance, Boy Blue, Oona Doherty, Wayne McGregor, Alesandra Seutin, Russell Maliphant, Botis Seva, Sharon Eyal, Damien Jalet, Michael Keegan Dolan, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Akram Khan & Jasmin Vardimon.  

NYDC has already started its search for the next intake of dancers to join the company from Autumn 2026. The company will come together over four residencies in the school holidays to work with Shechter and his team on a new production for NYDC which will premiere in April 2027.

To find these young dancers, NYDC Experience Workshops will be taking place across England from April to July in the following towns and cities: Ipswich, Leamington Spa, Manchester, Blackpool, Brighton, Swindon, London, Folkestone, Exeter, Coventry, Durham, Falmouth, Nottingham and Leeds. The final audition will be held in London at Sadler's Wells East on Saturday 18 July.

Hannah Kirkpatrick Head of National Youth Dance Company said, “This is a huge year for NYDC, we have dreamed of working with Hofesh for a long time and cannot wait to see what will be created when our two companies meet in the middle. It's especially exciting that there are going to be some NYDC alumni in his team. A full circle moment! We hope to see as many young dancers as possible in our recruitment workshops across the country- all dance styles and all experiences are very much welcome.”

This year's NYDC cohort premiered current Guest Artistic Director Alleyne Dance's new work Memory Keepers at Dance East, Ipswich on Saturday 11 April and will embark on a nationwide tour with a performance at Sadler's Wells Theatre on Saturday 30 May as well as a performance at Sadler's Wells East on Saturday 18 July as part of annual YFX Festival, which celebrates and showcases the exceptional range of youth dance work across the United Kingdom.

Shechter is recognised for composing atmospheric scores to accompany the distinctive physicality of his work. His recent and notable credits include Red Carpet for Paris Opera Ballet at the Palais Garnier, Oedipus at the Old Vic (co-directed with Matthew Warchus), Nico Muhly's Two Boys at the Metropolitan Opera (New York), Bartlett Sher's Fiddler on the Roof on Broadway, and work for the Royal Court (Motortown, The Arsonists) and The National Theatre (Saint Joan).

Alongside his extensive stage work, Shechter collaborated with French filmmaker Cédric Klapisch on the feature film En Corps, for which he also composed the soundtrack, and his latest production IN THE BRAIN performed by Shechter II will open in London at the Southbank Centre's Queen Elizabeth Hall this July as part of its 75th anniversary celebrations.