Second Hand Dance’s acclaimed production The Sticky Dance, an immersive show for young children and their families, embarks on a UK tour this spring. The tour includes performances in theatres and schools around the UK, at New York’s Lincoln Center and at Sadler’s Wells’ new venue in east London, Sadler’s Wells East.
Co-created by Rosie Heafford and Takeshi Matsumoto, the engaging and colourful show sees three dancers shimmy through the audience weaving a tapestry of sticky tape. Children are encouraged to explore freely, choosing how they engage and turning the rules upside down.
The Sticky Dance visits Chats Place in Hackney, London (8 Feb), Pavilion Dance South West in Bournemouth (15 Feb) and Luton Hat Factory (18 Feb), before traveling to New York’s Lincoln Center (11 – 19 April), Park Farm Community Centre in Merseyside (26 April), The Beacon in Bradford (27 April) and Sadler’s Wells East in Stratford, London (29 – 31 May). It will visit Woodlands SEND School in Edgware, London; JFK Special School in North Woolwich, London; Hill Park School in Burgess Hill, West Sussex; and Millwood School in Radcliffe, Manchester.
The Sticky Dance is open for two hours for each performance. The recommended time in the space is 45 – 60 minutes, although guests are welcome to stay as long as they wish, with entrance slots available every 15 minutes. The first two slots have a lower capacity, for children who might prefer a gentler start.
The Sticky Dance for Sensory Groovers, sensory adapted performances designed for neurodivergent audiences, with a smaller capacity and offering a welcoming, inclusive space for children to interact with dance in their own unique way, are available at some venues on the tour. The performance runs for 60 minutes and guests are free to enter and leave the space whenever they choose.
Co-Directors of Second Hand Dance, Rosie Heafford and Claire Summerfield said: “We are so excited to be taking The Sticky Dance to new audiences around the country and internationally this spring, with performances in both theatres and schools. It is so special to be able to engage with young audiences and their adults on their own terms; to watch them grow in confidence and delight as they move, listen and feel in their own time and space.”
Established in 2013, Second Hand Dance has an adaptive leadership model, run by disabled Co-Director Rosie Heafford and non-disabled Co-Director Claire Summerfield. Creating joyful, inspirational performances and digital dance films for children and adults, the company has presented work across three continents. The company collaborates with dancers, filmmakers, animators, musicians and audiences in a co-creation process that is accessible, welcoming to all bodies, and places the audience experience at its centre.
The Sticky Dance is co-commissioned by Southbank Centre, The Place, and South East Dance, with support by Stanley Arts and Arts Council England.
Second Hand Dance became an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation in 2023.www.secondhanddance.co.uk