Lift Off

Lift Off is Bracknell's annual dance festival.

Lift Off Dance Festival started in 2000 and is held in March annually at South Hill Park. The Festival has evolved from just the Schools Gala and a Youth & Community Gala into a month long celebration of dance across all styles, ages and abilities.

Groups apply to perform at the Festival and are selected based on offering the most diverse and entertaining dance Galas possible. These groups were initially from the local area, but over the years has expanded to neighbouring boroughs. In 2012 the festival will be open to all South East regions. The groups selected range from after school dance clubs for dancers ages 4 upwards, to evening course adult groups, community run adult groups, GCSE to degree level dance course students and is also a showcase for the some of the best youth dance companies in the region. Some of the groups included in the 2011 Festival were FuzzyLogic, Vanquish Dance Company, NoCo, Wycombe Swan, 4MDT Youth, Hip Hop Replacements (adult jazz dance group), as well as a solo by Chris Scott, former Berkshire Youth Dance Company dancer and current student at London Contemporary Dance School and Ambassador for Youth Dance England.

The Festival also includes performances by professional dance companies, many dance workshop opportunities and daily showings of the Xtend - Dance for Screen programme throughout the season.

In 2012 the professional dance companies will include Kathakbox/Sonia Sabri, Aakash Odedra (performing kathak/comtemporary works by Russell Maliphant, Akram Khan and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui) and the critically acclaimed Jasmin Vardimon Company. The Festival will also expand to include two Youth & Community Galas and the Schools Gala. This will mean the opportunity for around 200 more dancers to perform at the Festival.

There will also be an increased number of participation workshops from swing dance to contemporary, tap to kathak as well as dance films old and new.

If you are a dancer/choreographer or dance group leader who would like to be involved in Lift Off Dance Festival please email Lena Dee, Dance Officer, before 20 October 2011 for more information on how to apply: .