Dance Umbrella

12/10/2026

An extraordinary conversation with at The Bhavan ❤️

The biggest thanks to Akram, Director of Royal Ballet and Opera Kevin O’Hare, Akram Khan Company’s Associate Artistic Director and Coach Mavin Khoo, English National Ballet dancers and James Streeter.

We cannot wait to bring you the full recording of this conversation to our digital programme running, available to watch online until 30 November.

🔗 Link in bio to get your Digital Pass (£7-£15)

12/10/2026

🚨 Final tickets released (event begins at 7pm today): Book now! https://danceumbrella.co.uk/event/akram-khan-company-artist-encounters-anatomy-of-a-story/

We’re delighted to announce that choreographer will be in conversation with Kevin O’Hare, Director of Royal Ballet And Opera, for Artist Encounters: Anatomy of A Story on 12 October at The Bhavan, London.

This landmark event will offer a rare window into the inner workings of Akram’s artistic process. Through conversation, reflection and live demonstration, he will explore how storytelling, personal history and intention underpin every stage in developing his internationally acclaimed productions.

The live demonstration will be led by AKC’s Associate Artistic Director and Coach Mavin Khoo, featuring English National Ballet’s (former Lead Principal dancer and now Repetiteur) and (First Soloist) 🩰

🎟️ Tickets £10
Book now: https://danceumbrella.co.uk/event/akram-khan-company-artist-encounters-anatomy-of-a-story/

For anyone unable to attend the event in person, you will be able to watch the full talk with a Digital Pass until 30 November!

Get yours now: https://danceumbrella.co.uk/digital-pass/

Image credits:
- Akram Khan by Camilla Greenwell
- Kevin O’Hare by Andrew Crowley

12/10/2026

BTS of Dance Umbrella Festival 2026 Week 1️⃣

What a start to the festival it’s been 💓

The panel for Curating in Context: Anthea Lewis, Mané Touré, Richard Ampadu Kofi, Quito Tembe, Isabel Moura Mendes

The panel in motion at Somerset House

Technicolor tech rehearsals for Mamela Nyamza’s THE HERD/LESS at Sadler’s Wells East 🌈

THE HERD/LESS costumes 👗👒👚

The tin cans THE HERD/LESS dancers spend the ENTIRE performance wearing 🥫

Pre-show vocal warm-ups, ready to make their voices heard 🗣️

Dance Umbrella Co-CEO Tania Wilmer prepping her launch party speech 🎤

Launch party ready ✨ D/ diana badila

Admiring the programme for THE HERD/LESS 🤗

The audience showing love to the dancers 👏👏👏

Post-show talk Mamela Nyamza Freddie Opoku-Addaie

The company Mamela Nyamza ❤️

Office life 💻🐶

At The Place London for A Place to Dance with Dawn (Head of Development) and Lucy White (Head of Marketing)

Pre-show vibes ⚡️ Yinka Esi Graves

Poliana Lima 💚

A round of applause for Yinka Esi Graves & Poliana Lima 👏💚

12/10/2026

We had so much fun at the launch party for Dance Umbrella Festival 2026 at Sadler’s Wells East 🎉

Thank you to our friends in the dance and wider cultural community for celebrating with us 🤗

📸 Captured by Foteini Christofilopoulou

💛💚🩷 The festival runs until 27 Oct in London, with our digital programme running until 30 Nov 🩷💚💛



Dance artists Dickson Mbi Company & Miguel Altunaga Verdecia - Miguel will be presenting his work Eshu at the Croassroads later this month at the Albany | South East London's Leading Arts Centre, Brixton House and The Place London ❤️🐓

Our newly announced 2027 Guest Curator Amy Lawrence and 2027 Curatorial Fellow Ray Young ✨

Artistic Director & Co-CEO Freddie Opoku-Addaie with Visiting Curator ONYX / Sheree Lenting, supported Fonds Podiumkunsten

Freddie Opoku-Addaie with Aaron Wright, Head of Performance and Dance at Southbank Centre, and Koen Guiking, Cultural Policy Officer at 🇳🇱 Dutch Embassy in the UK 🇬🇧

Our superstar producer trio: D/ diana badila (Festival Assistant), jessagreer.produces (Senior Festival Producer) and (Assistant Festival Producer) 🌟

Dance artist Eva Recacha

Dance Umbrella Co-Chief Executive Tania Wilmer

Sightlines Project Manager Rachel Evans with Daisy Heath, Executive Producer at Roundhouse

Dance artist Valerie Ebuwa with Eva Martinez, Associate Programmer for Dance at Lowry

Isabel Moura Mendes, Senior Relationship Manager British Council, with Lili Chopra, Artistic Advisor Chaillot – Théâtre national de la Danse

Dance Consultant Theresa Beattie

Dickson Mbi Company with Sir Alistair Spalding, Artistic Director and CEO Sadler's Wells

Rob Jones, Associate Artistic Director at Sadler's Wells

Our 2026 Guest Curator Anthea Lewis — catch her curation Touch The Floor laster this month at Rich Mix 🎧🎤

Guests listening to the speeches 🩷

10/10/2026

Moving together on the dance floor 💫 Now that’s how you a start a dance show ✨

A Place to Dance by Poliana Lima & Yinka Esi Graves at The Place 💚

✨ Part of Dance Umbrella Festival 2026

10/10/2026

🗣️ “It was tough because dancers don’t want to do that. They want to dance!”

After the opening night performance of THE HERD/LESS, choreographer Mamela Nyamza spoke to Freddie Opoku-Addaie on stage at Sadler's Wells East about the many layered meanings within her newest work.

BSL interpreter: Erin Hutching

09/10/2026

The energy tonight ⚡️⚡️⚡️ A Place to Dance in London

Thank you , , , Lucía Martínez for bringing electricity, spirit, music and togetherness to the dance floor 🎆

You have one final chance to experience A Place to Dance in London!!

🔗 Link in bio for tickets

09/10/2026

🗣️ “I wanted to reflect on what South Africa is exactly, because we are noisy. We don’t need music!”

After the opening night performance of THE HERD/LESS, choreographer spoke to on stage about the many layered meanings within her newest work.

BSL interpreter: Erin Hutching

There are TWO performances left of the show, tonight and tomorrow at : don’t miss it 💛🧡🩵🩷💚❤️

🎟️ There are a limited number of £10 tickets available - get yours now via the link in our bio!

08/10/2026

Standing ovation for the London premiere of Mamela Nyamza’s THE HERD/LESS at Sadler's Wells East 🩷💚💙🧡❤️💛

What an extraordinary performance 🤩