22nd July 2026

We’re delighted to share that DU Dance (NI) has been awarded funding through the Dormant Assets NI programme, delivered by The National Lottery Community Fund.

Through policy direction from the Department of Finance, in Northern Ireland, this money supports the Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector to build capacity and become more sustainable.

The National Lottery Community Fund is the largest non-statutory community funder in the UK. They support activities that create resilient communities that are more inclusive and environmentally sustainable that will strengthen society and improve lives. They are proud to award money raised by National Lottery players and work closely with Government to distribute other grants and funding from key programmes and initiatives.

Our Artistic Director, Jack Philp said: “This support comes at an exciting moment for the organisation as we look towards our 20th anniversary year in 2027. The support will strengthen DU Dance (NI) for the future through investment in fundraising, a new website and digital infrastructure, and governance, ensuring we continue to grow our work with artists, young people and communities across Northern Ireland and beyond.

A heartfelt thank you to the Dormant Assets For All fund for investing in the long-term future of DU Dance (NI). We’re incredibly grateful for the support and excited for what lies ahead.”

7th July 2026

There are few situations that bring people with different interests and generations together but our intergenerational group – Alternative Energies – does just that.

Led by Philip Johnston and Michalea Elliott and based in Ballycastle,
Belfast Boys celebrate end of termTo celebrate the end of another busy year, there were fun demonstration of class warm-ups and a sharing of films with family and friends.

With a poetry reading and musical performances by Philip Glass, Louis Armstrong and Fergus McCreadie, it was a truly special evening. As one audience member said: “It was great to see all generations joining together to sing and dance.”

The event was really well attended with an audience of 60 who were also welcomed onto the stage at the end to dance with the performers.  Afterwards everyone had stories to share and connected further over refreshments.  This celebration of energy, dance, creativity and fun is what Alternative Energies is all about.

If you know any 14-18 or 65+ year old interested in joining the group in September, please do get in touch with deborah@dudanceni.com for more information.

Thank you to the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, LFT Charitable Trust, Solas Wellbeing and Causeway Coast & Glens Borough Council for their support of Alternative Energies.

3rd July 2026

Saturday marked the end of another busy Belfast Boys year with a gathering of family and friends at The MAC. Sean invited EVERYONE up to join in a short, fun movement workshop to begin with, then both Juniors and Seniors demonstrated examples of their class warm-ups and movement work.

This was followed by sharing of the short films Sean and the boys have made.

Belfast Boys Seniors film is called ‘ENNUI’ and is composed by one of the senior dancers, Noah. It explores the feelings of rest and listlessness and one parent said: “Today’s performance was incredibly moving and so important as a showcase for how dance contributes to young people’s development. I’m so grateful that my own boy gets to be part of such an important initiative.”

Watch the Belfast Boys Senior film at: https://vimeo.com/1205760259?fl=pl&fe=sh

Belfast Boys Juniors turned up the tempo with their film ‘GO!’ which saw them energetically exploring spaces in The MAC and outside areas. It really encapsulated the energy, creativity and enthusiasm the boys have for dance.  You can watch it here: https://vimeo.com/1205762628?fl=pl&fe=sh

Parents feedback about this project is so encouraging: “The freedom to move, feel and express real emotions through dance as well as having fun is so important.”

The event came to a close, certificates were handed out and big plans made to get back together in September for the new term. Why? Well in the words of one family: “Belfast Boys makes our Saturdays great!”

2nd July 2026

On Wednesday we were delighted to present a Cultural Connections event at @craictheatreni to celebrate the vibrancy of Dungannon and the local community.

The aim of the evening was meet other dance groups in the area, make connections and share in a celebration of culture and dance. Some participants had never danced or performed before – and they did brilliantly, supported by a very enthusiastic audience.

Thank you to all the dance groups who took part:

SUPERSTARS is a newly established group based at Dungannon Youth Resource Centre – and this was their first performance ever! Well done!

CRAIC YOUTH THEATRE’s resident group created a themed piece for this event called ‘Connections’ which was really special.

Two dancers representing DU Dance NI’s youth engagement project SUTEMOS blended movement familiar to their cultural background blended with their own dance interests in their performance.

A Polish language group from STEP Language School joined us and incorporated a creative workshop activity which our audience enjoyed joining in with.

Thirteen dancers aged 5 to 15 years from Lithuanian folk dance group SPIE?IUS performed two folk dances in beautiful costumes.

DANCE DYNAMICS, who are based in Stewartstown and run Ballroom Dancing classes across Mid Ulster, performed the Cha Cha and Waltz. What an honour just before they head to Blackpool to compete at World Championship level. Good luck!

ABCE (Association Bulgarian Culture and Education Children)’s folklore group shared traditional Bulgarian songs, dancing and instruments including the bagpipe!

After the wonderful range of performances everyone was given a certificates of participation, joined a ceili and enjoyed the chance to meet, chat and share dance stories over pizzas.

Thank you to CRAIC Theatre for hosting and to everyone involved for creating such a special CULTURAL CONNECTION including dance artists Sean and Ayesha who ran a number of workshops with some of the groups in the run up to the event.

Photo credit: Jim Corr Photography

26th June 2026

This June we invited schools from the Derry / Londonderry area to participate in the region’s first Primary School Dance Festival at The Playhouse.

Over one hundred children from St Columba’s, St Patrick’s, St Eithne’s, Model and Longtower Primary Schools joined us for an energetic day in this welcoming space.  This teacher’s feedback says it all:

“Thanks so much for organising this event for the children and inviting the Model Primary School. It is hugely meaningful to children to be invited to dance at an event. It it gives them a focus, inspiration and joyful anticipation in classes and feelings of pride and accomplishment in their performance. It is especially nice to have the children performing for other children in a non-competitive shared space that is just for them. Our children had a wonderful experience and a really fun day!” – Tina McCauley

Thank you to Ayesha and Zoe who supported on the day and worked with some of the schools in the run up to the festival. We look forward to coming back next year to do it all again!

We were delighted Derry Dance Collective joined as guest company for the event following their fantastic performance at Unanimous 2026 in April.

22nd June 2026

For the past fifteen years, the Primary School Dance Festival has provided hundreds of children aged 5 to 11 years in the Greater Belfast area with the opportunity to celebrate dance in a professional theatre.

This year we welcomed almost 200 children from nine different schools over two busy, noisy, joyful days of movement, creativity and sharing at Belvoir Players Theatre. Just have a look at these photos below.

The aim of the non-competitive, annual festival is to increase interest in dance in primary schools and develop the skills and confidence of teachers by giving them tools at pre-festival workshops they can use to embed dance in their school curriculum.

One teacher explains why these workshops are so vital:

“We have loved having Sean work with us over the last two weeks. His sessions are the highlight of the day. Full of fun and great energy! The children have thoroughly enjoyed their practices and it shows in their excitement for the upcoming performance.”

On the day, the schools performed for each other and watched a live solo piece called Disco Snails created by professional dance artist and Belfast Boys director Sean O’Neill.  There are also art activities, snacks and outdoor games to enjoy.

Hannah Penton from Glenwood Primary School said:

“I just wanted to say a massive thank you for the wonderful day the children had. My class absolutely loved it and have been non stop asking for Disco Snails to dance to. Many thanks to you and the whole team for making it happen.” 

(Photo credit: Jim Corr Photography)

Our intergenerational dance group – Alternative Energies – is thrilled to perform at the Lir Arts Festival in Ballycastle on 1st July 2026.

14th May 2026

We’re at an exciting moment in the company’s journey as we move forward under the artistic direction of Jack Philp.

Building on the legacy of the organisation, we’re looking ahead to a new chapter, continuing to create ambitious and inclusive dance experiences while strengthening connections across communities, artists and the wider professional dance landscape.

As we begin shaping this next phase, we are opening the doors and inviting people in for a conversation, a coffee, and a chance to get to know the team.

Come grab a coffee, meet Jack and the team, and catch up with with fellow artists, partners, and participants.

DATE: Tuesday 16 June
TIME: 11am – 12pm 
PLACE: Crescent Arts Centre Boardroom (First Floor)

This is a relaxed drop-in gathering, so feel free to come by whenever suits you. To help us manage numbers, please RSVP HERE.

Accessibility and dietary requests are warmly welcome. For further information, contact morag@dudanceni.com

See you there!

11th May 2026

We’re delighted to share that DU Dance (NI) has been awarded £20,000 in funding from the Garfield Weston Foundation.

This support comes at an important moment for the organisation and will help strengthen our ongoing work with communities and young people across Northern Ireland, while supporting the company through its next chapter.

The Garfield Weston Foundation is a family-founded grant-maker supporting charities across the UK that make a positive difference within their communities.

A sincere thanks to the Foundation for their belief in the value of long-term, community rooted dance practice.

We’re excited for what’s ahead.

5th May 2026

With the generous time and support of the Belfast Boys parents, we have produced a really compelling short film which explains exactly why this project means so much to so many.

We hope you find it really enlightening and do get in touch if you would like to find out more, or share your thoughts about our unique youth engagement project Belfast Boys.

Have a watch here!