ZooNation Youth Company Twice In Time rehearsals
About the company
As well as performing as part of the cast of West End show Into the Hoods, ZooNation Youth Company has performed in the Channel 4/BAFTA short film The Holloway Launderette (Channel 4/BAFTA/Big Dance), Breakin’ Convention, Move Like Michael Jackson (BBC), Nelson Mandela’s 90th Birthday Celebrations (worldwide broadcast) and BBC’s Blue Peter to name but a few.
The company were incredibly honoured to be invited to perform for the International Olympics Committee at the Royal Opera House (heads of state, opening ceremony, London Olympics 2012).
ZooNation Youth Company performed ZooNation’s Groove on Down the Road at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, where they are resident company, in the summers of 2013 and 2014. They have performed as guests at the Dance Proms, at the Royal Albert Hall and at Fresh at The Place. In the last year alone, members of the company have performed at Southbank Centre, Move It at Excel, GENFest at the Gulbenkian and the National Theatre’s River Stage.
In 2023 ZooNation Youth Company were in invited back to the Royal Opera House’s Next Generation Festival with a brand new show Twice In Time.
The company’s latest production The Exchange with Sadler’s Wells Company of Elders will take place Sat 13 April 2024.
Meet the Artistic Director
The 2023-24 cohort of ZooNation Youth Company is directed by Chaldon Williams.
Chaldon was a participant of ZooNation and iii’s The Artists in 2021, and since then worked on the Olivier Award winning TRAPLORD.
We are hugely excited about Chaldon’s vision for the new ZooNation Company.
More about Chaldon:
Creative Director & Choreographer. Chaldon Williams is a Black British / Caribbean choreographer, curator and artist based in South East London. He studied performing arts at City & Islington College until 2010, where he developed his understanding of a variety of styles and techniques. Since then, Chaldon has been creating leading work with his unique style of movement and aims to bring Hip Hop culture into new spaces of art, often collaborating with artists and technicians from different fields ranging from designers and composers to videographers and animators. His most recent work is TRAPLORD, Olivier Award Winning ‘Best New Dance Production’. Chaldon is the Associate Choreographer and collaborated with Ivan Blackstock to create this production exploring raw and confrontational themes of mental health and masculinity, TRAPLORD is an invitation to question the stereotyping of Black men in contemporary western society, an attempt to escape from the mental state of being condemned before having lived. Chaldon is currently developing his newest work ‘Awakening’ which explores Black royalty, spirituality and UK culture. From the persecutive of a British-born Black man raised in London, this work will take you on an immersive journey to find Black power. As a dance artist, Chaldon has his own creative collective, Tribe Wayz. He mentors and guides artists on their own journeys within Hip Hop, with weekly training sessions and structured support. He has worked professionally and toured internationally for years with organisations and brands such as BirdGang, Breakin’ Convention (UK, International Tour & Harlem Apollo), Boy Blue, East London Dance, Nike, Adidas, Boiler Room, Beyonce (Black is King), Chemical Brothers, Rita Ora (Phoenix Tour) and Red Bull UK.
ZooNation Youth Company performances
ZooNation Youth Company was founded in 2006 and comprises some of the best young hip-hoppers in the UK with dancers from across the country. As a resident company at London’s Southbank Centre, their work has varied greatly over the years including invitations to perform for the International Olympics Committee at the Royal Opera House (heads of state, opening ceremony, London Olympics 2012), performing at the Dance Proms, at the Royal Albert Hall and at the New Year’s Day Parade to name a few.
As well as this ZooNation Youth Company has been commissioned to create two original pieces of work, Groove on Down the Road and Tales of the Turntable, both of which received 4* reviews and played to sell out audiences at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London and have been remounted around the country including performances at The Mayflower Theatre, Southampton, Wales Millennium Centre and Birmingham Hippodrome.
We can offer excerpts of any of ZYC’s repertoire, or the creation of a bespoke piece, to be performed at a variety of events leaving your audiences inspired and excited.
Prices available upon request -contact info@zoonation.co.uk
ZooNation Youth Company perform on the Main Stage at MOVE IT 2016
Testimonials
"ZooNation Youth Company were part of Save the Children's major annual fundraising gala dinner, Festival of Trees, in the presence of HRH the Princess Royal. They launched the night with an incredible mix of innovative choreography delivered with buckets of energy. A faultless performance rewarded with a well deserved standing ovation! It was an absolute pleasure to work with them. Dedicated, creative, passionate, and professional with overwhelming enthusiasm to deliver a first class show. Absolutely fantastic!!! They have certainly left a positive lasting impression on the guests and the organisation as a whole."
"I am writing to thank ZooYouth for closing this year’s Philip Lawrence Awards with such skill, style, and energy. We’ve had so many comments from our guests about how fantastic they were, and how they embody the positive messages about young people being capable of great things."
"ZYC's piece closed the show and it was certainly worth waiting for! The dancers were very professional and so well rehearsed."
"Many thanks for allowing ZooNation Youth Company to perform at the Dance Proms show on Sunday evening. They were fantastic and brought the house down!"
For more information on ZooNation Youth Company performances and bookings, please contact company manager Annie Taylor-Gooby – annie@zoonation.co.uk