Emma Gladstone News

Dance Umbrella, London's annual international contemporary dance festival, has announced the full 2024 festival programme taking place across London, and online, from 9 - 31 October. 

Dance Umbrella Festival is moving to a new co-leadership model by appointing current Artistic Director and CEO Freddie Opoku-Addaie and Executive Director Tania Wilmer as joint Chief Executive Officers.

BBC Young Dancer, the ultimate talent show for young UK dancers, has announced that the winner for 2022 is 17 year old Adhya Shastry from Reading, whose speciality is classical Indian dance style Bharatanatyam.

The live programme includes performances from the extraordinary visual artist and theatre-maker Dimitris Papaioannou, and a Dance Umbrella Festival debut from Japanese artist Takeshi Matsumoto with a new sensory show for under 5's.

The 2021 Queen's Birthday Honours have been announced. Among this year's honorees are some theatrical luminaries, as well as influential figures in the worlds of dance, music, literature, and more. 

Dance Umbrella today announces the appointment of new Artistic Director and Chief Executive, Freddie Opoku-Addaie. Only the fourth person to hold this position in 43 years, Freddie heralds a new era in the festival's artistic leadership. 

2020 marks the 42nd year of Dance Umbrella and Emma Gladstone's 7th and final year as Artistic Director and Chief Executive for the organisation before she will step down.

On Wednesday 22 July Trinity Laban's Transitions Dance Company will present an exclusive digital performance of specially commissioned contemporary works created by boundary-pushing international choreographers.

Read an important update from Dance Umbrella regarding the cancellation of its 2020 festival:

Today Dance Umbrella, London's annual celebration of contemporary dance and performance, announces the cancellation of the October 2020 festival.

Dance Umbrella, London's leading festival of international dance, has today announced that Tania Wilmer has been appointed as Executive Director.

At a time of widespread interest in Korean culture following the historic Best Picture win for Parasite at the Oscars (and the ever-growing popularity of K-Pop), A Festival of Korean Dance returns to The Place with a programme comprising four women choreographers at the cutting edge of Korean dance culture. Having built a following among audiences and critics, the festival returns once more to The Place in the year contemporary dance's touchstone institution celebrates its 50th birthday.

London's international festival of contemporary dance takes place across the capital from 8 - 27 October 2019.

Recipients of the third annual Tonic Awards were announced tonight at an awards ceremony held at The May Fair Hotel hosted by Tracy Ann Oberman. The awards celebrate the achievements of game-changing women, significant organisations, projects and productions that redefine the role of women in the performing arts, both on and off stage. The recipients of this year's awards are: Jude Kelly CBE, Alison Tickell, Open Clasp Theatre Company, Paula Garfield, Elliott & Harper Productions for Company, Shakespeare's Globe's production of Emilia, The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize and Dance Umbrella.

Dance Umbrella, London's flagship festival of international dance, is currently celebrating its 40th anniversary. To mark this milestone DU launched Four by Four - a programme inspired by the festival's four decades of artistic growth, a way of moving forwards by looking back.

Launching in the 40th year of the festival, ResCen: Dance Umbrella at 40 will be documenting the creative process of artists it has commissioned, as they develop and create new work. The programme kicks off by capturing many of this year's events but will also chart how artists approach their choreography from the inception stage of their ideas, to the development of their vision through to a finished dance work programmed and performed at future festivals.

Dance Umbrella, London's flagship festival of international dance, will celebrate its 40th anniversary this autumn. To mark this milestone DU has launched Four by Four - a programme inspired by the festival's four decades of artistic growth, a way of moving forwards by looking back.

Dance Umbrella Announces 2018 Programme

Following its recent announcement of the 2017 festival programme, Dance Umbrella, in partnership with The Space, today announces a brand new talks series that gets into the minds of Britain's top contemporary choreographers and finds out what makes their hearts beat faster.

Dance Umbrella has announced the programme for its 2017 festival. London's flagship festival of international dance will take place from 11 - 28 October 2017. Tickets are on sale today!