An Aberdeen dance prodigy has been selected to strut his stuff as part of a prestigious training and performance programme before embarking on a Scottish tour.
Cameron Burr, aged 18, is one of 25 young dancers from across the UK chosen for Project Y, a programme which will see him create and learn four new contemporary dances before performing across the country.
The tour has been organised by YDance, Scotland’s national dance organisation for children and young people. The teenager will work with established choreographers Alan Grieg, Hagit Yakira, Steven Martin and Theo Clinkard to prepare the routines.
Cameron was introduced to dance aged five, before going on to take hip hop classes two years later and he subsequently developed an interest in contemporary styles.
He said: “I am looking forward to working with new choreographers and dancers, so that I can learn more about the way I move and develop contacts within the industry.
“I would love to be able to dance as a career and I think Project Y can help show that to employers and directors.”
Established in 2006, Project Y is the only intensive contemporary dance and performance programme of its kind for 16 to 21-year-olds in Scotland.
Every year, up to 25 young dancers are selected from a rigorous audition process to form the Project Y Company.
Many of the young performers study dance on a full-time basis at training colleges in Scotland and England, and younger participants are still at school but have a keen interest in pursuing dance as a career.
This year’s participants are from as far afield as Worthing in West Sussex. The Leverhulme Trust provide bursaries for the dancers to attend Project Y, which is funded by the Leverhulme Arts Scholarships Grant.
Carolyn Lappin, Executive Director of YDance said: “This year sees the 12th annual Project Y summer programme for young contemporary dancers from all over Scotland. This unique intensive training and performance programme develops young dancers’ technical, creative, and performance skills, and also develops them as people.
“They become more confident, motivated and ready to take on new challenges. Some of our Project Y students from the first few years are now working as professional dancers and dance workers – YDance has employed a number of them, and I am sure that this year’s company will make their mark in a similar way.”
The tour hits the road a week on Wednesday, starting in Glasgow before going on to Aberdeen and Stirling.
The performance at The Lemon Tree in the Granite City on Friday, August 4, is part of the Aberdeen International Youth Festival.
The show will also include a performance by participants of the Project Y Short Course – a week-long summer dance workshop and performance opportunity for 12 to 18 year olds, held at Citymoves Dance Agency in Aberdeen.
