In 2014/15 our organisation set out to improve health & wellbeing through dance, expand to work on new projects in new areas of Leeds, and establish a solid organisational infrastructure. This year DAZL has worked with 7138 young people of which 27% were boys. We delivered 2083 dance sessions within 50 schools and 32 community dance group, delivering 2562 hours of dance activity across the city of Leeds and participating in 194 events. These events have attracted a dance audience of 139,668 people (figures trapped though DAZL Data) and include audience figures which are a combination of live performances hosted by DAZL and those with partner organisations. For a full read of the Dance Action Zone Leeds (DAZL) Annual Review 2014/15 please click here  DAZL Annual Review 1415
DAZL receives support for East Leeds work – Jimbos Fund
DAZL is proud and excited to announce we received funding from The Leeds Community Foundation -Jumbos Fund to support our work across East Leeds. The funding will provide dance opportunities which addresses health inequalities through the weekly DAZL Community dance programs across LS9,LS14, LS15. The program will include a dance film project working in partnership with Wayne Sables Project which will happen throughout this years school Summer Holidays, Dance activity in Half & regular weekly classes. We will also be creating a New weekly accredited DAZL East Leeds Youth Dance Company which would have a focus on high quality contemporary dance all would feed into local community event for young people & wider community. All provision for the young people/ community is designed to be inclusive, fun, accessible and have a real young people led / focus within them which is the ethos of DAZL, training up local people to inspire & work back in the community.This will be a mixture of new projects & building on supporting existing work/ enthusiasm. Were so thankful to the Community Foundation and this funding will also help us celebrate our 15th Year Birthday. All work will lead up to a two day showcase event which is also Support by Arts Council England at the Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre titled #Connections with finale performance Leeds Based contemporary Dance Company – Phoenix Dance Theatre and Artistic Director Sharon Watson.
DAZL Gets Arts Council Support
DAZL is so trilled to announce we received funding from our First Grants For The Arts by the Art Council to support our DAZL is 15 years Celebrations. This will involve a series of unique high quality artistic opportunities which culminate in a special two day celebration event at the home of Phoenix Dance Theatre and The Northern Ballet – “Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre”. This also includes a digitally interactive innovative experience created in partnership with Phoenix Dance Theatre and Wayne Sables Project. Celebrating 15 years of Dance Action Zone Leeds inspiring and serving, creative opportunities and engagement to the most deprived communities and young people of Leeds through dance. Sharon Watson, Artistic Director of Phoenix Dance Theatre will be creating new workwith the professional company and young people from Dance Action Zone Leeds (DAZL) Which is such an amazing way to celebrate been 15 year with a Leeds based dance company which has International respect and successes. We feel so fortunate to have our young people have this experience, the process will be Film by Wayne Sables and showcase on 24th, 25th November 2015 at the Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre. We will also be creating two dance for films with Wayne Sables Project which will also be shown at our event and across the region. Wayne will also be working with the DAZL team to create a digital experience for the audience along with LIVE Streaming of the work. Both projects will showcase how far DAZL has come and the vision for where we would like to go in the future and we thank the Arts Council for the support in this journey. #DAZL15yrs
DAZL Male Company Selected for U:Dance 2015
On Saturday 25 April, 25 youth dance groups from around Yorkshire performed across West Yorkshire Playhouse and Yorkshire Dance as part of Fresh 2015. With some groups being considered forU.Dance, Youth Dance England’s annual competition, we are proud to announce that the judges have chosen Atmosphere (Cockburn School, Beeston) and DAZL Male Youth Dance Company (South Leeds) to be put forward to be part of the competition in Plymouth, which will be taking place from 22-25 July 2015. The judges also stated that DAZL’s ‘Contaminated’ was ‘thoroughly engaging, authentic and visually strong’. ‘Contaminated’ looked at transmitted diseases and the stigmas and stereotypes attached to them by society. Two very different pieces, but both very worthy of their entry into U.Dance. We wish them the best of luck in the competition! The day as a whole was a fantastic success, with copious amounts of talent being presented by all young people involved, bring on Fresh 2016! Big Thank You to Tracey Witney for supporting us with the initial setup of this company, Also big well done to DAZL Choreographer Vicky Mawson and New DAZL Choreographer and NSCD Student Mason Jubb.
Dancing Beebies event at Trinity Shopping Centre
Dancing Beebies event at Trinity Shopping Centre Following the Dancing Beebies event at Trinity Shopping Centre before Easter there are a couple of videos on the BBC Get Inspired website promoting dance and featuring our very own DAZL Goldstars: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/get-inspired/32221845 Such a wonderful event for all the young people involved and showcases the wonderful talent across Leeds. Please view the contributors of the Leeds City Of Dance on this website – www.cityofdance.co.uk
DAZL in Print
DAZL Boys work is featured in a book which looks at the makings of contemporary masculinity Invisible Boy – Featuring the DAZL Boys This is follow on to the previous Masculinity and Dance work is featured part of the Invisible boys book, chapter 10 writing by Dr Rebecca Watson (Leeds Beckett University) & Ian Rodley (DAZL) “Dazzling yet invisible? The curious cultural location of boys in cheerdance”. Published February 2015 in hardback and online version. Please click on this link for the online version and have a read  https://invisibleboydotorg.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/invisible_boy_web.pdf
FRESH 2015
Congratulations DAZL…. The panel have selected the DAZL Male Youth Company & DAZL Youth Company, to show there work part of the Fresh Fringe. Fresh received 46 applications which is an amazing number of group and the quality of applications they recived this year from across the region was just fantastic. The panel were very impressed with the DAZL Youth Company and the ownership that the young people show and the engagement with the theme, they therefore felt that this piece is most suited to the loft space at Yorkshire Dance. The panel were very impressed with the DAZL Male Youth Companies enthusiasm, energy and commitment that the young people show and feel that the piece has a great deal of potential. They felt that the choreography was strong and engaging and that the young people gave 100% to the piece which would be best suited to the West Yorkshire Playhouse Main Stage Fresh will take place on the 25th April and the group will be required during the afternoon for workshops and evening for the performance. http://www.yorkshiredance.com/commyouth/regional-youth-dance/fresh
DAZL Youth Companies New Developments
The DAZL Youth Dance Companies are working on two new dance and health creations which has been choreographed with DAZL Dance Development Officer Vicky Mawson. “HOOKED” which explores addiction and “Contaminated” looks at issues around contracting diseases and infections. We Youth Companies have submitted both these works to Yorkshire Dance Annual Youth Dance Platform FRESH and will look to develop the work/ choreography further and take them to perform at other events across the region. Please click the YouTube link for “HOOKED” DAZL Youth Dance Company “HOOKED” Please click the YouTube Link for “Contaminated” DAZL Male Youth Company #Contaminated The DAZL Youth Companies are committed to creating work which tackling issues/ explores themes with a youth development/  health focus“]
Leeds Lets Get Active – DAZL CHEER FIT
Leeds Lets Get Active – DAZL CHEER FIT DAZL Parents were going to be running FREE adults DAZL Cheer Fit session supported by Leeds Lets get Active. We will offer dance aerobics with poms and that traditional DAZL magic. Mondays 6-7pm at Tenants Hall , Middleton, Leeds LS10 4HX Wednesday 5-6pm at Ebor Gardens Community Centre, Burmtofts, LS97PL Thursday 5.30-6.30pm at The South Leeds Youth Hub, Middleton Road, LS10 3JA Fridays at St nicks Church, Gipton, Oakwood Lane, LS9 6QY Hope to see as many of you there as possible, You also get other FREE sessions at bodyline gym and swim when you sign up at the first session. Call 01132706903 or email [email protected]
DAZL Staff Running Team
We at Dance Action Zone Leeds (DAZL) would like to say a massive well done to the #TeamDAZL running team who took part in the Plusnet Yorkshire Marathon part of the Northern Gas Corporate Relay 2014, DAZL and 79 teams run the 26 mile course around the city of York Sunday 12th October 2015. The DAZL Team took 4 hours raising money for DAZL and also the cancer charities, we had a wonderful and would recommend organisations to get involved and get fitter in the process. Well Done to DAZL Dance Artists Kayley Davidson, Stephen Croft, Lizzie Ingham, DAZL Dance Facilitators Cherry Brown and Vicky Mawson and DAZL Director Ian Rodley.
