Urban Dance Festival Takes To MCR Streets

TAKE A WALK down Market Street on a busy Saturday afternoon and you'll be more than aware that Manchester often comes alive with a vibrant dancing spirit in the shape of talented street-artists and eccentric buskers. 

“Once again we’ve got a fantastic line up of companies, including work homegrown in the North West"

Saturday 6 September sees the return of Urban Moves International Dance Festival to Piccadilly Gardens and Cathedral Gardens for a free celebration of contemporary dance.

The day long festival will showcase a variety of styles of movement and dance, from improvised Brazilian Capoeira and traditional Indian Kathak, to acrobatics and b-boying. There’s even a pas de deux between a dancer and BMX bike.

BMX 'pas de deux' with Etta Ermini Dance Theatre 

Urban Moves is brought to the city by Dance Manchester and Manchester International Arts. Established in 2005, the festival was a first for Manchester, laying strong foundations for what is now a national trend.  

Levantes Dance Theatre

Deb Ashby, Dance Manchester Director, said: “We are delighted to be bringing Urban Moves back to the heart of the city. Once again we’ve got a fantastic line up of companies, including work homegrown in the North West, plus the latest work from internationally renowned artists from France and Spain. We hope that Urban Moves will inspire you and reveal the city in a different way.”

HurYcan dance company performing the 'get off me would ya' dance

All the performances are lead by fifteen professional companies from right across the UK. See Dance Manchester and the Urban Moves Festival websites for the full line-up.