Street dancers make history
FIRST SPECIAL NEEDS TEAM TO QUALIFY FOR MAJOR CONTEST
A DANCE group from Uxbridge has made history by becoming the first special needs team to qualify for a major European competition.
Autism with Attitude, a street dance team from Hillingdon Manor School, has secured a spot at the United Dance Organisation’s (UDO) European Championships in Kalkar, Germany, and to help them on their way some big names in the world of hip hop dance have signed up to help.
Boy Blue Entertainment, UMA, Definitive, IMD, Unity and all girl trio Code 3 are among the acts who will appear at a benefit night at the Broadway Theatre, in East London, on Saturday January 20 to raise money to send Autism with Attitude to the competition.
The dance group is made up of a group of 12 to 15 young people with autism from Hillingdon Manor School, an Outcomes First Group centre of excellence in education and development for children aged five to 19 with an autistic (ASC).
Autism with Attitude will be ambassadors for autism, showing what young people with disabilities can achieve.
Some of the students have never been abroad before but they are no stranger to the world of dance performance. They are all highly trained and have worked hard to build both their physical abilities and their performance skills.
School staff are working on travel arrangements, looking for a local hotel close to the venue and trying to make sure everything is as calm and organised as possible so that the students, who are all on the autistic spectrum, can give their very best.
The first step is to raise money for the trip and dance teacher Jonathan Baron has been revisiting his industry contacts, networking and taking the students to perform and participate in different events. spectrum condition
“This is huge,” he said. “All the artists I have spoken to are really proud of Autism with Attitude and are keen to show their support by giving their time and energy to make the fundraiser a success.”
Autism with Attitude has certainly made an impression on the world of hip hop dance and will be meeting some of their idols.
“Boy Blue Entertainment is an award-winning hip-hop dance company founded in London by choreographer Kenrick ‘H2O’ Sandy and composer Michael ‘Mikey J’ Asante,” said Mr Baron. “Our students study them for GCSE; now they’re performing on the same bill.”
The performance will take place on January 20 at The Broadway, Broadway, Barking IG11 7LS.
Tickets are priced at £13 (£9 concessions) and can be booked online at www.thebroadwaybarking.com/sales/genres/community/autism-with-attitude-fundraise.