Youths marginalised in society participate in intensive contemporary dance training, which in turn offers them educational qualifications and useful life skills.
Over the years, Dance United has worked with a diverse range of beneficiaries, including Ethiopian street children, adult women prisoners and people from across the political divides in Berlin and Belfast.
He created a partnership with an Addis Ababa NGO, the Ethiopian Gemini Trust and together they established Gem TV, a film-making company run by former street and working children which continues to this day.
A range of distinguished teachers came to work with Adugna including Tara-Jane Herbert, Susannah Broughton, Mags Byrne, Tamara McClorg and Royston Maldoom.
After watching this project unfold and in an attempt to expand the work, Andrew Coggins, Royston Maldoom and Mags Byrne founded Dance United, as a registered UK charity in 2000.
The final project of Stravinsky's Le Sacre du printemps with school children formed the basis for an internationally successful documentary, Rhythm Is It!
Encouraged by what she discovered, Susannah invited Tara-Jane Herbert (who went on to become Dance United's Artistic Director from 2005 to 2011) to join her in creating a longer programme of activity specifically aimed at working with women in prison.
While maintaining contemporary dance training of a professional standard, participants can earn qualifications at levels 1 and 2 through a National Open College Network accredited curriculum.
Dance United Volunteer Mentors give one-to-one support to our young people, helping them plan and achieve their personal goals beyond the London Academy.
Each company works with renowned teachers and choreographers, thus providing an opportunity for its members to perform at high-profile dance platforms and Academy events across the UK.
Upcoming Performances 2 Temple Place 2 Temple Place, Strand London WC2R 3BD Thursday, 4 April 2013 7pm and 8pm Friday 5 April 2013 7pm and 8pm Choreography: Sarah Dowling Name of the piece: If the walls could speak Trinity Laban Theatre Creekside, Deptford, SE8 3DZ as part of U-DANCE 2013 Sunday 14 April 2013, 7pm Choreography: Lee Smikle Name of the piece: Silver Past Performances A Holding Space, 20 & 22 October 2012, The Place Opening of Koestler Exhibition, 19 September 2012, Southbank Centre London Academy Graduation, 18 August 2012, Unicorn Theatre Arrival of Olympic Torch, 26 July 2012, Kings Cross St Pancras Big Dance-Sadler's Wells, 7 July 2012, Granary Square-Kings Cross Festival of the World, 25 June 2012, Queen Elizabeth Hall Celebrate the City, 23 June 2012, Cheapside Street EC2V World Refugee Day, 20 June 2012, Matrix Chambers London Academy Graduation 4 April 2012, Bernie Grant Arts Centre ReFresh 2012 18 February 2012, The Place Speak but one word to me 25th, 26, 27 January 2012, Two Temple Place FRESH 3 December 2011, The Place COMMA 40 18 November 2011, Bloomberg SPACE Rite of Passage 1 6 & 7 September 2011, Sadler's Wells Lilian Baylis Studio Theatre London Academy Graduation 20 July 2011, The Cochrane Theatre Flashmob 10 July 2011, Royal Opera House Front of House Scoop Festival 9 July 2011, The Scoop at More London London Academy 3 week performance 14 June 2011, RichMix Project Earth 24 May 2011, Selfridges Ultralounge London Academy Graduation 20 April 2011, Westminster Kingsway College London Academy 3 week performance 8 March 2011, Bernie Grant Arts Centre Made up of solely Wessex Academy graduates and each member is pursuing a professional dance course at university.
The film encapsulates the way in which the project brought the company's work full circle as it features two of the original street child from Addis Ababa and now international dancers, at its heart.