Our Heritage
East London Dance has come a long way in the last three decades – we weren’t even called East London Dance when we started! But the creative energy and dynamism that emerges when artists and communities are brought together, has been a foundation of our work from those very early days right thought to the present.
Read our 30th Anniversary Impact Report here
1987
Formed as East London Regional Dance Council by local dance teachers to enable schools and local community groups to work with professional dancers and companies
1994
Became regularly funded by what later became Arts Council England
1996
Relaunched with new name, East London Dance, becoming a regional dance development agency and registered charity
2001
Moved into Stratford Circus Arts Centre as a Founding Resident Partner and formed Leap of Faith
2002
Established the East London Youth Dance Company
2004
Began 10-year partnership with the Royal Opera House to create new work with young people and professional artists inspired by its opera programme
2006
Established London Thames Gateway Dance Partnership with Chisenhale Dance Space, Greenwich Dance, Trinity Laban and 10 local authorities to position dance at the forefront of social and urban regeneration
2009
Became the Big Dance hub for east London, securing four-year investment from Legacy Trust UK to take dance into unusual spaces in 2010 and 2012
2012
Delivered a far-reaching and ambitious programme for London 2012 Cultural Olympiad and launched training programme The Fi.ELD (Future Innovators. East London Dance)
2013
Produced a special performance for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee performed in the gardens at Buckingham Palace and broadcast to over 3 million viewers on BBC1
2016
Formed Dance Cluster East with Sadler’s Wells, English National Ballet and Studio Wayne McGregor to create a world-leading hub for dance in east London
2018
Produced East Wall in the moat of the Tower of London, with Hofesh Shechter Company, Historic Royal Palaces and LIFT, which was later named in the top 10 best dance of the 21st Century by The Guardian
2021
Established a new home for East London Dance and our creative communities at The Talent House as part of Sugar House Island alongside music partner, UD. Kate Scanlan and Tia Hassan took over leadership of the organisation.
2022
The Talent House officially opened by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan. Established OUR HOUSE a building takeover programme curated by artists for their communities. Launched youth and adult dance classes and artist free space scheme. Produced large scale outdoor performance Dystopia to Utopia to launch East Bank on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
2023
Launched BRAINWAVES a 6-month paid artist development programme that built the wellbeing, resilience and positive mental health of artists from the Global Majority. Piloted Navigate, a targeted school mental health intervention combining movement, coaching and one-to-one sessions.
2024
Introduced the Creative Collective a paid advisory board of diverse creatives tasked to challenge organisational thinking, influence decision-making and co-design delivery. Launched Talent House Ignite to support artists via Commissions, a Creative Community Network and continued Building Takeovers. Programmed local artists as part of GDIF’s Dancing City.