Strictly's Darcey Bussell to present BBC Young Dancer competition final
Darcey Bussell is to swap judging Strictly celebrities for advising the stars of the future as she joins the grand final of the inaugural BBC Young Dancer competition, it was announced today.
Bussell, a former Royal Ballet principal, will co-present the finale of the nationwide hunt for the best young dancers — from hip hop and South Asian to contemporary and ballet —when it takes place on May 9.
The competition forms one strand of BBC Four’s Year of Song and Dance with Radio 3.
The Strictly judge said it was important dance and music played a “significant role in people’s lives” because they were inspiring and uplifting.
She added: “I’m delighted to be involved in the BBC Young Dancer which I know will encourage and support the next generation of new dance talent. The BBC is unique in being able to offer such a fantastic platform to young dancers.
“The BBC’s Year of Song and Dance is essential to bringing new perspectives on culture to a wide audience, and I am thrilled to be a part of it.”
She joins a team which includes performers and choreographers Tamara Rojo, Akram Khan, Carlos Acosta and Matthew Bourne. The 2015 plans look set to fulfil the promise of Lord Hall, director general, to put culture at the heart of the BBC.
They also include a documentary on the popular BalletBoyz team, a programme on Louis XIV’s pivotal role in modern ballet and the screening of Wim Wenders’s award-winning film, Pina, about German dancer Pina Bausch.
Performers from London’s Trinity Laban Conservatoire will also star in a history of modern dance. The year kicks off on Friday with composer Neil Brand on Britain’s favourite songs in Sound of Song.
