Inspiring the Next Generation: BDSA and London Youth Games Partnership Launches New Primary Dance Competition

The British DanceSport Association (BDSA) is very proud to celebrate a meaningful new partnership with the London Youth Games (LYG), built on a shared ambition: to make dance accessible, inclusive, and inspiring for primary school children across London.

At its heart, this collaboration is about opportunity – ensuring that every child, regardless of their circumstances, has the chance to move, perform, and thrive.

Breaking Down Barriers to Participation

For children growing up in London, opportunity is not evenly distributed. Across the capital, around 38% of children – close to 800,000 young people – are living below the poverty line, the highest rate in England.

In some boroughs, this rises to more than half of all children, underlining the depth of inequality many families face.

Alongside financial hardship, access to sport and creative activities is far from universal. While participation in dance, sport, and extracurricular clubs can be transformative, around one in three young people do not take part in any organised activities at all.

Barriers such as cost, limited local provision, and lack of confidence continue to prevent many children from engaging.

Even where opportunities exist, activity levels remain a concern. In London, more than half of young people are not meeting recommended daily levels of physical activity, highlighting how many are missing out on regular movement, sport, and performance experiences.

These figures paint a clear picture: too many children are growing up without consistent access to the kinds of activities that build confidence, creativity, and resilience.

This is why the BDSA and LYG partnership is so important.

By bringing dance directly into schools, the programme removes many of the traditional barriers to participation. It ensures that children from all backgrounds can take part in a sport they love – because every child deserves the chance to explore their interests, build skills, and discover where their passions lie.

Whether they choose to dance, play, or perform, access matters. Opportunity matters.

The Power of Competition and Expression

A key part of this initiative is giving children the chance not only to take part, but to truly experience what it means to be a performer.

Through the newly launched primary school dance competition, pupils are able to:

• Compete as individuals or as part of a group

• Perform in front of a professional judging panel

• Receive constructive feedback on their performances

• Work towards a meaningful and prestigious award

For many young people, these kinds of structured opportunities simply aren’t available. Yet they are vital. Participation in competitions and clubs helps children develop discipline, teamwork, and self-belief – qualities that extend far beyond the dance floor.

Last week, the first stages of the competition took place, with children stepping onto the dance floor with excitement, nerves, and pride. For many, it was their very first experience of performing in a judged environment – an experience that will stay with them for years to come.

A Moment to Be Seen

One young dancer captured the impact of the event in the simplest and most powerful way. She said the competition made her feel “seen.”

And that, truly, is everything.

To feel recognised, valued, and celebrated – especially at a young age – can have a profound impact on confidence and self-worth.

In a city where so many children face economic and social barriers, moments like these become even more significant. They provide not just an opportunity to perform, but a platform to belong, to express, and to be acknowledged.

If this partnership achieves nothing more than making children feel seen, then it is already a success.

Learning from the Best

As the competition progressed, children were also given a truly special opportunity to learn directly from top professionals in the dance world.

On days two and three, participants were treated to group dance lessons led by distinguished judges and professional competitors:

• Roman Sukhomlyn and Olga Gandembul

• Rosie Ward and David Cockram

These sessions allowed children to develop new skills, gain confidence, and experience high-quality coaching in a fun and accessible way.

For many participants, this was a rare opportunity. Access to expert coaching is often limited by cost or availability, yet it can play a crucial role in building aspiration and belief in young people.

Indeed, for many of the children, this was the highlight of the competition – well, apart from those who went on to win awards and secure their place in the finals!

Performing in Front of Experts and Icons

Participants had the incredible opportunity to perform in front of an exceptional and varied judging panel across the competition:

• Day One: Ansell Chezan

• Day Two: Tomasz Wezykowski

• Day Three: Henry Hilton (One Jazz radio DJ)

Across the event, the panel also featured some of the most recognisable names in dance and broadcasting:

• Marcus & Karen Hilton MBE

• Angela Rippon

• Nancy Xu and Anton Du Beke

For young dancers, performing in front of such figures is both inspiring and empowering. It reinforces that their efforts are valued and connects them to the wider world of dance in a meaningful way.

Promoting Movement, Confidence, and Wellbeing

Beyond competition, this partnership champions something even bigger: the role of dance in children’s lives.

At a time when over half of young Londoners are not sufficiently active, initiatives like this provide an engaging and inclusive way to move, create, and connect.

Dance supports physical health, encourages creativity, and builds emotional resilience. It offers an alternative pathway into activity for those who may not feel drawn to traditional sports, helping to address inequalities in participation that often affect children from lower-income backgrounds most strongly.

In this way, dance becomes more than an activity – it becomes a tool for inclusion, wellbeing, and personal growth.

Looking Ahead to the Finals

The journey will culminate in the finals at the beginning of July – a celebration of talent, effort, and achievement.

For those who reach this stage, it will be a chance to showcase their growth, perform with pride, and compete for a prestigious award in front of an expert panel.

But regardless of the outcome, every participant is already a winner. Each child who has taken part has gained confidence, experience, and a sense of belonging.

A Partnership with Purpose

The collaboration between the British DanceSport Association and the London Youth Games is about more than a single event – it is about addressing real inequalities and creating pathways for the future.

In a city where hundreds of thousands of children face poverty and many miss out on structured activities, programmes like this demonstrate what’s possible when barriers are removed.

It is about giving children the chance to participate in the sport they choose, to challenge themselves, to learn, to be recognised – and to shine.

And if one little dancer can walk away feeling “seen,” then we know we are moving in the right direction.

Because every child deserves that moment.

(Credit to John Moloney for the photography.)