Over 150 young people join a celebration of Dance!
30th April, 2026
More than 150 young people from across the island of Ireland joined together recently at Unanimous, an annual celebration of dance, led by DU Dance (NI), Northern Ireland’s dance development organisation, supported by the National Lottery through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.
Now in its 14th year, Unanimous is an exciting platform for young people aged 12-24 to showcase their talent in a professional theatre setting, and more importantly, to come together to form new connections.
Ten dance groups took part in the event at the MAC, performing to a live audience. The event is non-competitive and some dancers are experienced performers and others are on stage for the first time. The overall aim is firmly focused on DU Dance (NI)’s commitment to fostering dance and providing a supportive environment for dancers of all experiences and backgrounds.
Watch the video take at rehearsals below.
Jack Philp, Artistic Director, DU Dance (NI), said, “Unanimous brings together young people from across the island in a way that feels both generous and ambitious. It creates a space where dancers can connect, take risks and experience what it means to work at a professional level. Having come into dance through youth programmes myself, it’s really exciting to see that energy here, not just in the performances, but in the sense of momentum and possibility that sits around them.”
Gilly Campbell, Director of Arts Development, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, added, “Unanimous is a brilliant platform showcasing dance from around the island. It’s not only a terrific opportunity to bring groups together to showcase their skills, talent, and the hard work they've put in all year, but it’s also a chance for their friends and family to come and celebrate the work they’ve been doing. DU Dance (NI) is Northern Ireland's only dedicated dance development company, and they work with a range of people, in a range of communities to really bring dance to the forefront of community cohesion. DU Dance (NI)’s work helps to ensure that more people from all backgrounds can enjoy arts experiences. Congratulations to all involved.”
DU Dance (NI) has an inclusive policy of participation, without preconception of ability, and aims is to introduce people to dance as a tool for personal and social development. One of their key development areas is encouraging boys to take part in dancing, so the company set up Belfast Boys who also took part in Unanimous.
Sean O’Neill, Lead Artist for Belfast Boys, said, “Belfast Boys is a youth engagement programme under DU Dance (NI). We meet every Saturday at the MAC. It is an all-male dance company, and we specialise in contemporary dance and physical theatre. The group was created to discriminate positively towards boys to get them more into dance and the arts. Dance improves young people's self-confidence, their self-esteem, and their mental health and wellbeing. So Unanimous is a brilliant opportunity to really put boys on the platform and showcase them dancing, and dancing brilliantly.
Next up for DU Dance (NI) are their Primary Schools Dance Festivals in Belfast in May and Derry~Londonderry in June, a Cultural Connections Ceili event in Dungannon in June, and a coffee morning meet and greet with DU Dance (NI)’s new Artistic Director, Jack Philp, at the Crescent Arts Centre in Belfast on 16th June. DU Dance (NI) also has community dance classes on offer in Ballycastle, Dungannon and Belfast.
For all this and more visit www.dudanceni.com