Whilst working as a choreographer for music acts on television and in music video, Kate was distracted by the immense talent of the dancers backing the artists. She founded ZooNation as a company that could highlight the skills of these ‘backing dancers’ and give them their own platform as artists in their own right. At the time, the career path for a ‘backing dancer’ was limited whilst for a contemporary, ballet or musical theatre dancer, the breadth of employment opportunities was vast. Our first production, BoxBeat, was performed at Sadler’s Wells in the Lilian Baylis studio. It told a loose tale of three children who ran away from home and got lost in a new world of vibrant dance and music. This same idea was to be developed three years later to become Into the Hoods.
We have gained significant recognition for our artistic excellence through a variety of associateships which reflect the diverse facets of our work as artistic leaders, a trailblazing company and an enabler of the next generation of talent. Our current associations include:
- Kate Prince as Associate Artist and ZooNation as Resident Company at Sadler’s Wells
- ZooNation Youth Company (ZYC) as Resident Company at Southbank Centre
- ZooNation Academy of Dance (ZAD) West as Resident partner at The Lyric Hammersmith
- ZooNation being an Associate company at Southampton Mayflower
- Kate Prince as Associate Artist at Old Vic
Our portfolio of productions includes:
In Pictures: Celebrating 20 years of ZooNation
Take a look back through our archive at some of our most memorable moments from the last 20 years.
Message In A Bottle
Message In A Bottle is the spectacular new dance-theatre show from triple Olivier Award nominee, Kate Prince to the iconic hits of music superstar, Sting including Roxanne, Every Breath You Take, Walking on the Moon, Fields of Gold, Englishman In New York and Shape of My Heart.
A village alive with joyous celebrations is suddenly under siege. Everything changes forever. Determined and daring, three parted siblings step out on their own extraordinary adventures.
With a mix of exhilarating dance styles, dazzling footwork and breathtaking athleticism set to the music of Sting, Message In A Bottle tells a vital and uplifting story of humanity and hope.
SYLVIA
Votes for Women and a fractured family at a momentous hour in British history. 100 years after the first women in Britain were granted the vote, Kate Prince combines dance, hip hop, soul and funk to shed new light on a remarkable story at the heart of the Suffragette movement.
Co-written by Kate Prince and Priya Parmar with original music by Josh Cohen and DJ Walde, SYLVIA is a modern musical celebrating the life of Sylvia Pankhurst, her pivotal role in the campaign for women’s rights and the price of the passion and politics that tore her family apart.
SYLVIA is co-commissioned by 14-18 NOW, the UK’s arts programme for the First World War centenary, with support from the National Lottery through Arts Council England and the Heritage Lottery Fund, and from the Department for Culture Media and Sport.
Some Like It Hip Hop
Some Like It Hip Hop is a story of love, mistaken identity and female revolution. Influenced by the themes from classic movies Some Like It Hot, US hit show Mad Men and Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, Some Like It Hip Hop is a complicated comical tale that has entertained audiences across the country.
Into the Hoods
Into the Hoods was the first ever Hip Hop dance show and the longest running dance show in the West End’s history at its time. It re-tells classic fairy tales in our trademark innovative style – combining comedy with Hip Hop dance, physical theatre and a strong narrative. It opened in 2008 at London’s Novello Theatre and has since toured nationally. In 2015, Into The Hoods: Remixed returned to The Peacock, followed by a UK Tour to; Wolverhampton Grand Wolverhampton, The Grand Theatre Blackpool, The Orchard Theatre Dartford, Curve Leicester, Hall for Cornwall Truro, The Lyceum Sheffield, Brighton Dome Brighton, Mayflower Theatre Southampton, Marlowe Theatre Canterbury and HOME Manchester.
Groove on Down the Road
This production, initially performed at Southbank Centre by ZooNation Youth Company, puts our unique twist on the well-known tale of The Wizard of Oz, with the underlying theme being the importance of creative subjects in the classroom. This production has been successfully remounted in Wales, Wolverhampton and Birmingham with a cast of young people from those regions.
The Mad Hatter's Tea Party
The company’s latest work, The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party was premiered at the Royal Opera House in 2014 where it had a sell-out run. It was reimagined for the unique space of the Roundhouse in 2016. True to form, this dance adventure uses our energetic and accessible style to reinvent Lewis Carroll’s original story in a 21st-century way to explore perceptions of mental illness and what counts as ‘normal’.
ZooNation: Unplugged
After creating the show Some Like It Hip Hop, which had an original score played on a backing track but with the element of live singing, ZooNation: The Kate Prince Company wanted to find an opportunity to take another step further into the realm of live music, and to create work with a full live band. Thanks to Sadler’s Wells and the Arts Council England, ZooNation: Unplugged was made possible.
