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CAT and NorthWestDance

Dance scheme at The Lowry seeks aspiring young dancers

As The Lowry Centre for Advanced Training in Dance (The Lowry CAT) celebrates alumni working across the dance sector, and one of their class of 2017 students Matthew Rawcliffe reaches the BBC Young Dancer 2019 Grand Final, the North West base of the national training scheme is looking to recruit aspiring young male and female dancers for its next cohort of students.

Aimed at dancers aged 11 – 16 who are passionate about dance and interested in the art-form as a career, The Lowry CAT is offering Free Open Days across the region in May and June. The Open Days, along with Audition Preparation Classes will give further insight into the scheme and its final audition day at The Lowry in Salford Quays, Greater Manchester on Sunday 9 June.

The Lowry CAT is part of a national programme, Centres for Advanced Training, funded by the Department of Education’s Music and Dance Scheme. The programme exists to help identify and assist children with exceptional potential, regardless of their personal circumstances, to benefit from world-class specialist training as part of a broad and balanced education. This enables them to proceed towards self-sustaining careers in music and dance.

The training programme has a highly successful track record and graduates from the course have gone on to study dance at major UK conservatories & vocational schools including: Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance; Central School of Ballet; the Northern School of Contemporary Dance; London Contemporary Dance School (The Place); and Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance and Bird College.

Alumni of The Lowry CAT have gone on to perform with Matthew Bourne’s New Adventure’s, Motionhouse, VERVE Graduate Dance Company, EDge Graduate Dance Company, Southpaw Dance Company, Jasmin Vardimon 2, Disneyland Paris, Fallen Angels Dance Theatre, Cilla The Musical, and many more. Others have pursued a variety of careers associated with dance, including choreography, directing, teaching, project management and physiotherapy.

Matthew Rawcliffe, The Lowry CAT Graduate 2017 & BBC Young Dancer 2019 Grand Final contender, said: “The Lowry CAT scheme helped me understand the discipline required to be a professional dancer. It allowed me to realise dance was something I was passionate about and it opened my mind to many opportunities in dance. As a Lowry CAT student I worked with so many dance professionals, it was so inspirational, and it gave me the confidence to audition for Rambert School. I am now in my second year and competing in the BBC Young Dancer Grand Final! For any young dancer looking for a way into the profession, guidance and support, I can’t recommend The Lowry CAT enough.”

Sally Wyatt, Centre for Advanced Training Manager, said: “The open days and audition come at a very exciting time for The Lowry CAT as Matthew wins the BBC Young Dancer 2019 Contemporary Dance category and reaches the Grand Final. Matthew is an incredibly hard working and dedicated individual and has an exceptional talent for performance and choreography. We are extremely proud of all his achievements and hope his success inspires more young dancers from the North West to audition for The Lowry CAT. On behalf of everyone at The Lowry we wish him the best of luck for the Grand Final!’

More information about the The Lowry CAT, its free open days, drop-in sessions and audition can be found here.

The BBC Young Dancer 2019 Grand Final will be broadcast live on BBC Two on Saturday 18 May.