Three new dance works in development, created for Leap 2026, exploring identity, intimacy and liberation. This event takes place in Shakespeare North Playhouse’s Studio.
Taciturn | Women Holding Things
In the rhythm of everyday life, their hands gather the things that keep the world moving. They carry the quiet responsibility of nurturing and sustaining the spaces where life unfolds. Within them rests a living archive of memories, joys, griefs and hopes. In their care, love becomes both weight and strength, something held gently yet carried forward.
C(P)LAY | Price of Silence
What happens to the body when adapting and complying become the only way to maintain stability within a relationship?
Price of Silence examines the subtle and often invisible pressures that exist within unequal relationships. In many situations from intimate partnerships to wider social structures, stability is maintained through constant adjustment, and this adaptation is rarely shared equally.
Olena Hrabchak | Canvas of Becoming
Canvas of Becoming is a symbolic exploration of personal growth and self-liberation. The dancer’s white costume represents openness and possibility. What begins as beauty evolves into visual and physical burden.
Produced by Chaos Arts CIC for Leap Dance Festival. Find out more about Leap 2026: leapfestival.co.uk
It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing! Join us for a 6 week introduction to Lindy Hop course.
This course will give you the history and foundations of swing dancing and prepare you for our mixed level Wednesday night classes. Our goal in Mersey Swing is to get people making friends and dancing. Come alone or with a mate, and leave with your toes tappin’ and a smile on your face!
Please note: That this course will need a minimum number of participants in order to run.
The course is £30 per person, payable in advance and non-refundable.
Straight after the last class of the course (the 21st May), we’ll be having a social dance at Live Wire to celebrate you completing 6 weeks of dancing! This will be a chance for you to practice what you’ve learned and to share this with other experienced dancers. The social is included with the price of the course.
FAQs
Do I need a partner? No! We encourage everyone to get to know each other each week by rotating partners throughout every class.
What do I wear? A clean shirt, and shoes that aren’t too grippy on wood floors will be fine. Bringing a water bottle and a spare shirt and towel might help you (and your partners) feel more comfortable throughout the evening.
Where is is?
Live Wire Dance Studio, 77a Renshaw Street, L1 2SJ. Please come through the pink door, ring the bell and one of our teachers will buzz you into the studio.
A Big Apple was originally a dance where moves got called out from the front (bit like a barn dance). This Big Apple was performed by Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers for a film called ‘Keep Punching’ and has since became a routine in it’s own right. It’s fast, it’s fun and we can’t wait to get stuck into it!
Watch: The Big Apple from Keep Punching
Watch: Mersey Swing dancing the Big Apple in Liverpool City Centre in 2014.
Sessions will be at Live Wire Dance studio on Mondays at 6.30pm-7.30pm from the 20th April to 18th May.
Please register for the full course via our website. If the course doesn’t sell out, drop in places will be available for £5 per class.
Angel Field Festival is an exciting week-long multi-arts festival at The Capstone Theatre and Liverpool Hope University’s Creative Campus, taking place from Friday 17th April until Saturday 25th April.
Not to be missed, expect an enthralling and diverse programme of music, art, dance, film, workshops and discussion.
Angel Field Festival presents, Built on Bach – Neil Cowley Trio, The Loose Moose String Band & The Speakeasy Bootleg Band: A Double Bill Concert, Electronic Music Triple Bill: Ian Boddy / Sulk Rooms / Field Lines Cartographer, Liverpool Hope University Musical Theatre Summer Showcase and loads more.
Leap Dance Festival’s day of free dance activity in the heart of Liverpool City Centre returns. Enjoy outdoor performances and workshops from the region’s leading dance artists.
Expect to see a wide variety of dance styles and colourful characters throughout the day at Liverpool One.
Produced by Chaos Arts CIC for Leap Dance Festival 2026
Following the hugely successful event last year, our community dance event simply had to return to Sefton Park Palm House.
Groups from across Liverpool City Region, of all ages, abilities and backgrounds, will perform in a range of styles. Last year, we cheered on 14 different groups with performers spanning seven decades in age.
There will also be free taster sessions taking place throughout the day, inside and outside this iconic venue, offering the chance to try something new (and maybe discover a hidden talent!)
Produced by Chaos Arts CIC for Leap Dance Festival
What does invisibility mean to you? You and Us asks why we hide parts of ourselves to fit in, and what it might mean to be fully seen. What began with Cathy’s personal experience of invisible disability, grew into a collaboration unravelling the stories of hundreds of people and challenging the unwritten rules of belonging.
Featuring emotionally charged dance performance against an original, pulsing soundtrack created by the MOBO award winning Lewis Wright.
Presented as part of The Angel Field Festival in partnership with Liverpool Hope University. Part of Leap Dance Festival 2026 leapfestival.co.uk/shows
A powerful mixed bill showcasing work by internationally renowned choreographers, this compelling evening of dance places creative collaboration at its core, and explores themes of duality and the fusion of distinct artistic voices. Featuring duet and ensemble works, each piece offers a bold and dynamic interplay between contrasting perspectives, celebrating the beauty of shared vision and artistic exchange.
Choreography by James Pett & Travis Clausen-Knight, Ed Myhill, and Marcus Jarrell Willis & Yusha-Marie Sorzano.
Part of Leap Dance Festival 2026
The beloved Christmas classic returns!
After last year’s acclaimed tour, Crown Ballet® brings back its dazzling production of The Nutcracker, Tchaikovsky’s timeless masterpiece.
Follow young Marie as her Nutcracker doll transforms into a prince and leads her into a world of snowflakes, magical battles, and the sparkling Kingdom of Sweets.
A heart-warming holiday tradition — magical, memorable, and utterly unforgettable.
Leap Dance Festival’s opportunity for emerging dance artists returns. Four shortlisted artists and companies will each receive £500 to create a new piece of work and compete for a development grant of £1000.
Those presenting work will be announced once shortlisting has taken place, following the open call. Artists from Liverpool Dance Prize 2024 went on to present work at Edinburgh Fringe, Warrington Contemporary Arts Festival and at Turn North West.
