National dance competition, The UK Dance Elite Championship, returns in 2017 in their annual search for the United Kingdom’s number 1 dance act. Dancers of all styles and ages are encouraged to display their talents and celebrate the diversity of dance.
The UK Dance Elite Championship, now in its 3rd year, was founded by former heart patient, Anthony Mitchell as a means of raising money for national charity, Heart Research UK, showcasing the best of the UK’s diverse range of dance acts, as well as offering the number 1 act a life-changing prize. This consists of a £5,000 cash prize but also the opportunities gained following a scholarship to the Hollywood Summer Tour.
Last year’s entrants include Britain’s Got Talent finalists London School of Bollywood (pictured) who were scouted at the finals by the BAFTA award winning TV show. This year the championship is being supported by international star and Pussycat Doll, Kimberly Wyatt (below).
The competition is the brainchild of 35-year-old Anthony Mitchell, founder of UK Dance Elite Championship, who suffered a serious heart infection when he was 26-years-old. As a result, the former dance teacher had to have surgery to replace one of his aortic valves.
Anthony is now calling on dancers of all styles, both professional and amateur including those professionally taught or self-taught, to enter the competition by uploading a video of one of their dance routines to www.ukdanceelite.com. A diverse panel of top dance judges will then assess all the entries and invite successful dancers to take part in the live regional auditions. Dancers don’t have long to enter, as the online auditions close on 30 June 2017.
The regional auditions will be held around the UK throughout July. The top performers will then be invited to perform at the semi-final on Sunday 10 September. The judges will then choose 40 dance acts to perform at the grand final, held on 8 October at the state-of-the-art ‘Art’s Depot’ in Finchley, London.
Previous judges have included Natalie Lowe from “Strictly Come Dancing”; Matt Flint, the winner of “So You Think You Can Dance”; Lisa Welham, former Contemporary choreographer for So You think You Can Dance”; and top choreographer for Film, TV & Theatre, Richard Marcel.
Heart Research UK will claim a percentage of the proceeds from ticket sales and any donations made by audience members will be welcomed. All monies received by text donation of bucket collection will help support the charity to continue its medical research into the prevention, treatment and cure of heart disease.
The charity also encourages healthy lifestyles, and dance is a good form of aerobic exercise to get the heart beating. “A lot of young people only ever associate heart problems with older people. I was in my twenties and fit from dancing, I could never have predicted what happened to me,” said Anthony. “I went from being ill at the beginning of the year to sky diving, bungee jumping and travelling the world at the end.” said Anthony.
Heart Research UK CEO, Barbara Harpham said: “We are delighted to be supported by this ever so popular event, now in its 3rdyear. It’s fantastic that people have the opportunity to take part in a national competition that gives them inspiration and enjoyment as well as getting their heart beating. We wish everybody good luck in their auditions and hope that the UK Dance Elite Championship inspire many people to consider dancing as a way to keep fit, it’s good for exercising the heart.”
For further information please contact Ben Young 0113 297 6205
You can also follow Heart Research UK on its website: www.heartresearch.org.uk or on Twitter: @heartresearchuk or like our Facebook page:
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