Press Release

Plans announced for Big Dance 2010 and 2012: Mayor invites everyone to dance
20-1-2010   042

• T-Mobile UK – the company behind the iconic "Dance" advert – announced as sponsor for 2010
• 10,000 people take part in show-stopping Big World Dance in the streets of London in July 2010
• Wayne McGregor to choreograph London in 2012
• £2.89 million funding from Legacy Trust UK for London's Big Dance
• Visit the website - www.bigdance2010.com

In a year when dance has finally taken off as the nation's favourite art form, plans were launched today for BIG DANCE. The world's biggest and most influential dance festival will take place from 3-11 July 2010 and again in Summer 2012, just before London’s Olympic and Paralympic Games, with hundreds of events already confirmed in London and an open invitation to cities and communities around the country to join in.

Big Dance was established in 2006 by the Mayor of London’s Office in partnership with Arts Council England. It is a biennial festival that has grown to become the UK’s most important dance initiative, with opportunities to experience, learn about and take part in dance for millions of people.

More than a major dance festival, Big Dance is a vibrant campaign to get everyone taking part – wherever they are, whatever their age, experience or ability. Supported by leading figures from the dance world, it is delivered through a network of national and regional agencies.

This year Big Dance was selected by Legacy Trust UK to receive a grant of £2.89 million as its keynote project for London, enabling a major expansion and a huge increase in its reach, with an anticipated three million Londoners taking part by 2012. The Mayor of London is also providing significant funding as part of his 2012 legacy commitment to increase participation, cultural opportunities across the capital and see Londoners get more active and healthy.

T-Mobile UK, the company behind the iconic "Dance" advert, has come on board and is set to involve as much of London as possible in the Big Dance events, promoting participation from both T-Mobile and non-T-Mobile customers.

T-Mobile Big Dance 2010 will include a daring takeover bid of London's streets and public spaces with Big World Dance, a showstopping dance for 10,000 people, culminating in Trafalgar Square. Luca Silvestrini will direct five co-choreographers for the Big World Dance on Saturday 10 July 2010.

Wayne McGregor, the Artistic Director of Wayne McGregor / Random Dance, recently described by The New York Times as "the closest thing to a rock star that ballet can currently claim", takes the commission in 2012. McGregor is the first Resident Choreographer of The Royal Ballet to have come from the world of contemporary dance.

T-Mobile Big Dance 2010 features hundreds of other performances, workshops, free events, schools events, large-scale participation events and community programmes are featured in Big Dance 2010 in London, organised through a network of London's leading dance organisations, East London Dance, English National Ballet, Greenwich Dance Agency, Sadler's Wells and Siobhan Davies Dance, acting as hubs to develop the vast programme of events featuring every kind of dance style in the capital.

Jacqueline Rose, Director, Big Dance, said: "Dance combines creativity and physicality in a way no other art form does. Thanks to the support of Legacy Trust UK, and all our many partners, Big Dance will champion and celebrate dance in all its forms. From the elite artists of the national stages to the extraordinary achievement of this country’s urban dance movement to simple, every day exercise, Big Dance is an invitation to everyone to join in."

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: "I'm delighted to once again support Big Dance. Anyone switching on the television lately cannot fail to have seen how enormously popular dance is - not just the lively shows, but the dancercise commercials. Big Dance is a terpsichorean feast that takes it quite literally one step further. We want to get as many people moving as possible this July and afterwards, to 2012 and beyond. Whatever your style, whatever your age or ability, as the Lady says 'Just Dance'.'

Richard Moat, Chief Executive Officer, T-Mobile UK: "From our experience with our Dance advert – which attracted over 17 million views on YouTube and spawned many fantastic imitation videos – we know how dance can really capture people’s imagination and spur them to get involved.  We’re delighted to be supporting Big Dance 2010."

Welcoming the T-Mobile sponsorship deal, the Mayor added: "It's fantastic news that T-Mobile have come on board. We'll be using the most flexible and adaptable methods to take this most agile of artforms to even more people. With hundreds of thousands already dancing across the capital - from hip hop in Hampstead, a gavotte in Greenwich, or a riverdance along the Thames - many thousands more will be able to join in Big Dance thanks to the most up to date technology."

Dugald Mackie, Chair of Legacy Trust UK said: "The Olympics are about more than sport. As the handover ceremony showed, the Games will be a once in a lifetime opportunity to showcase Britain and to inspire generations of young people. We are delighted that projects such as Big Dance will encourage people throughout the UK to take part in cultural and sporting events, and leave a lasting legacy from the 2012 Olympics."

Moira Sinclair, Executive Director, Arts Council England, London said: "Big Dance has already created some wonderful moments in the capital, bringing people together through movement. I'm really pleased that Legacy Trust UK funding will enable the festival to grow, and I look forward to working with all our partners to see what can be achieved as we approach 2012."

Big Dance is London's Legacy Trust UK programme led by the Greater London Authority in partnership with Arts Council England and supported by major organisations including: Sport England, NHS London, London Councils, Museums, Libraries & Archives, London and the British Council.

www.bigdance2010.com

Notes to Editors

1. As part of his commitment to a lasting legacy for London following the 2012 Games, the Mayor aims to support increased access to and participation in sport and cultural activities across the capital. 'A Sporting Future for London', published last year, sets out the Mayor's vision to create a fitter, healthier, more active London, backed up by a £15.5 million investment in grass-roots sport. The Mayor is set to publish his draft cultural strategy for London in 2010. For more information contact Ben McKnight at the GLA: 020 7983 4071. www.london.gov.uk/mayor/publications/2009/04/sporting-future.jsp / www.london.gov.uk/mayor/culture/cultural-metropolis
2. Legacy Trust UK is an independent charity whose mission is to support a wide range of innovative cultural and sporting activities which celebrate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and which will leave a lasting legacy in communities throughout the United Kingdom. For more information go to: www.legacytrustuk.org.
3. About T-Mobile UK: T-Mobile is one of the world’s largest mobile operators with more than 150 million customers worldwide and is the service provider of choice for 16.6 million customers in the UK. T-Mobile offers a range of innovative products and services, such as Solo, the SIM-only plan, Combi, a traditional minutes and text package, and Flext, the UK’s first flexible tariff. T-Mobile continues to innovate with new devices such as the Android™-based smartphone, the T-Mobile G2, and the T-Mobile Pulse, the UK’s first Android™ handset available on pay as you go. T-Mobile has pioneered the mobile internet, and operates an award-winning 3G network with speeds of up to 4.5Mbps. As a pioneer of deep network sharing in the UK, T-Mobile is continuously improving population coverage for 3G services and will operate the best 3G network by the end of 2010. For more information about T-Mobile UK, please visit www.t-mobile.co.uk 

PUBLIC/NON-MEDIA ENQUIRIES: Call the Public Liaison Unit at the Greater London Authority on 020 7983 4100

MEDIA ENQUIRIES: Press information is available from Ben McKnight on 020 7983 4071, or email communitydesk@london.gov.uk

DUTY PRESS OFFICER: For out-of-hours media enquiries, please call 020 7983 4000

Terms and conditions

Accessibility

Privacy 

Freedom of information