GET SERIOUS: An insight into the Dance Industry
FOR AGES 13-19
Thurs 26 Feb 2026, 4-9pm (arrive 4-5pm)
FREE ENTRY
Galleon Arts Centre,
Boundary Road, Barking IG11 7JR
Bookings are open for individuals and group bookings from schools, colleges or any dance group/organisation. Please click on the booking form link above. This should be completed by the young person’s parent/guardian or the school/college group leader.
Get the knowledge to GET SERIOUS about a career in dance.
GET SERIOUS is packed with essential insight and info for young people aged 13-19 who are considering a future career in the dance industry. Discover different jobs and career pathways, and find out about the training, education and experience to help get ahead in this highly competitive industry.
Join our expert panel from the world of professional dance and the arts for an evening of workshops and panel discussions. They’ll answer your questions and share know-how, top tips and inspiring stories from their extensive past experience - from dance training and professional performance, to choreography, casting and producing.
Kate Scanlan – Creative Director/CEO of East London Dance & Director of Scanners Inc
Bradley Charles - Dancer, Choreographer, Performer, Actor, DJ
Michelle Norton - Director of Breakin’ Convention - the international hip hop dance theatre festival
Boy Blue - acclaimed hip hop dance theatre company
FOOD WILL BE SERVED FROM 4-5PM
Bookings are open for individuals and groups from schools, colleges and dance groups/organisations. Please click on the booking form link below, which should be completed by the young person’s parent/guardian or the school/college group leader.
MEET OUR GUESTS…
Bradley “Bradz” Charles Dancer, Choreographer, Performer, Actor, DJ
Bradley “Bradz” Charles is a two-time Olivier Award-winning company member, choreographer, actor, DJ, and coach/mentor who works closely with the youth sector. Previously the Artistic Director for ZooNation Youth Company, he is currently ZooNation’s Associate Artist and Participation Manager. His credits include performing in Sylvia Old Vic (2023); director, choreographing, and performer in Studio 3 Arts’ Black Tea; serving as movement director and choreographer for the Rose Theatre’s Peter Pan (2022) and Derby Theatre’s Four Walls (2023); Associate Choreographer for the National Theatre’s Hex (2021); and Assistant Choreographer for the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games (2012) and StreetDance 3D (2010). Further credits for ZooNation include Associate Director and Choreographer of Ebony Scrooge (2025), Resident Director and Choreographer for The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party with the Royal Ballet and Opera (2024), and co-directed ZooNation’s 20th Anniversary production Mixtape at Sadler’s Wells (2022).
Boy Blue
Founded in East London in 2001 by composer Michael ‘Mikey J’ Asante and choreographer Kenrick ‘H2O’ Sandy, Boy Blue is a radical force that has defined the potential and power of hip-hop dance theatre across the UK. The company have created works that challenge common perception while delivering a new voice from the streets and clubs that have long inspired a generation.
Having brought street dance to the GCSE syllabus, Boy Blue sit at the cutting edge of cultural innovation. Artistic Associates of the Barbican, London, they create works for the stage and screen, tour nationally and internationally, and run a highly respected dance training programme.
“There can be few people to whom British hip hop dancing owes a greater debt than choreographer Kenrick Sandy & composer Michael Asante” — Evening Standard
Kate Scanlan - Creative Director/CEO of East London Dance & Director of Scanners Inc
Kate is a creative producer working in the cultural sector since 1998. She has a track record of producing pioneering projects and curating transformative events with artists, young people and communities.
She is the Founder of Scanner’s Inc, a creative non-profit that creates connection in public spaces through culture, retail and the arts. Events like The Bridge, Popin’ Pete’s Pop Shop, Sofa Sessions and Fit Street bring people together and create joy. In a time when we’re lonelier than ever, this work boosts mental health, provides positive intergenerational activity and makes a positive economic impact.
Kate is joint Creative Director/CEO of East London Dance with Tia Hassan, and together they have also been Creative Directors at MOVE IT, the world’s largest dance event of its kind for nine years. She has also produced for Breakin’ Convention, Fuel, Sadler’s Wells, Battersea Power Station, Studio Wayne McGregor: Random Dance, EcoWorld London, Rambert, Lendlease Elephant Park, Croydon Council, English National Opera and others. Kate is a Clore Fellow and gives guest lectures at a range of organisations including Goldsmiths, Ravensbourne, UEL, Swindon Dance, Matthew Bourne’s Re:Bourne and for Shechter II.
Past casting associate credits include Netflix’s The End of the F**King World and Robert Egger’s The Lighthouse starring Willem Dafoe & Robert Pattinson.
She is a member of the Casting Directors Guild UK, and the Casting Society of America. In 2023 she was nominated for a Royal Television Society award for best casting. She has been recognised as a Screen International 'Star of Tomorrow', a BAFTA Breakthrough Artist, and a CSA Artios Nominee, and a CDG Award Winner.
Michelle Norton - Director of Breakin’ Convention
Michelle’s career at Breakin’ Convention began at the very first edition in 2004. With a background in performance and arts management, Michelle progressed from Festival Volunteer to Projects Coordinator, to her current role as Director - leading the organisation. Michelle is the embodiment of Breakin’ Convention, having worked the festival inside and out from its genesis.
