Lothian Youth Dance Company Choreographer Call Out

Photo: LYDC perform at the Dance Base Festive Show, 2024. Image credit: Sally Jubb.

Deadline: Monday 5 January 2026, 23:00

Dance Base is looking for a choreographer to work with Lothian Youth Dance Company (LYDC) for a week of residency in April 2026, culminating in a new performance piece.

The choreographer will work with a cohort of 19 young dancers to create an ensemble performance piece 7-10 minutes in length. This work will be shared with the public on day five of the residency week, at Dance Base’s Summer Show, and during Dance Base’s 2026 Festival Programme.

What is LYDC?

Lothian Youth Dance Company (LYDC) is Dance Base’s in-house performance company for young dancers, aged 14-21. Established in 2016, LYDC offers talented dancers the opportunity to broaden their contemporary dance and performance experience. Over the course of a year, the company meets for one full day each month to develop their technique, creative skills and rehearse for upcoming performances. The company also meets for two week-long intensive creation periods during the year.

The opportunity will provide the selected choreographer with:

A total fee of £1,416 for their engagement. This will cover:

One day of independent preparation
Five days of delivery where the choreographer will lead daily classes and creative sessions for LYDC dancers to create a new work which will be 7-10 minutes in duration
A sharing of the work on day five of the residency
A handover meeting at the end of the residency for rehearsal notes and costumes and lighting ideas with LYDC coordinator Melissa Heywood
Support from LYDC coordinator Melissa Heywood ahead of the residency and during the week as a support dance artist

Please note that the funding for this project does not come with an additional travel or accommodation budget.

Who is it for?

This opportunity is open to dance artists who:

Live in or have a base near Edinburgh.
Have demonstrable experience of working with young people in dance
Are working at a professional level and have a proven track record of seeing a project from its idea stages to final product
Have an inclusive, person-centred approach to working with young people from various backgrounds
Have an interest in developing their choreographic practice in the context of group ensembles
Have a practice rooted in contemporary dance. Though we welcome applications from dance artists who combine styles/influences.

How to apply?

To Apply, please ensure you have read the Application Pack before submitting our Online Application Form

The form will ask:

What is the creative idea that you would like to explore for this new piece?
Describe the piece you want to make in 5 words
What experience do you have of working with young people?
Describe how you approach working with young people in your practice with clear examples (if it feels useful you could provide us with a lesson plan)
Provide a link to your CV clearly listing relevant experience
Provide at least one link to a video of a piece of your choreographic work (preferably a work that shows ensemble dancing)
An Equalities, Diversity, and Inclusion form: This is anonymous and will be used to capture who we are reaching through our call-outs.

Timeline