Phoenix Dance Theatre is proud of its heritage as a Black British dance company born in Leeds. There are few contemporary dance companies that have had the impact Phoenix has had over its more than 40-year history. Phoenix is the longest-standing contemporary dance company outside London, one of few mid-scale contemporary dance companies to employ a permanent company of professional dancers, and unique in being co-located with a ballet company. It tours nationally and internationally whilst retaining its position as one of the key cultural organisations in Leeds and one of the UK’s leading contemporary dance companies. It currently performs mixed programmes of work curated by its newest Artistic Director, Marcus Jarrell Willis. Built on Nadine Senior OBE’s principles of providing the highest quality, accessible dance provisions, the company’s Learning & Development department is celebrated for inspiring and empowering young people through the medium of contemporary dance. The department delivers over 1,000 workshops each year reaching over 6,500 people with the aim to empower, engage and inspire through exceptional dance provision, from weekly classes, prevocational training in the Phoenix Youth Academies based in Leeds, York, Doncaster, Sheffield, Gateshead and Oldham, to bespoke schools’ packages working on cross-curricular or performance led projects.
