Dancing Borders Away

CreativeLooe is proud to present DANCING BORDERS AWAY, a dynamic new contemporary dance platform launched in Looe.

What happens when you remove the boundaries that separate people?

That is the question at the heart of Dancing Borders Away, an exciting new initiative that uses contemporary dance to connect people, cultures, and ideas right here on the Cornish coast.

Designed to break down the barriers that can often limit opportunities for young dancers in coastal communities—such as geographic isolation and limited access to elite training—the project aims to turn these regional challenges into creative opportunities through shared artistic experiences.

An elite creative alliance

The groundbreaking project is being led by professional contemporary dance practitioner and choreographer Gocha (Maria Mendible), alongside a stellar partnership featuring trailblazing ballet icon Julie Felix MBE, and Rachel Bond, director of the Bond Dance Company.

Rooted firmly in the local community, the initiative is running in close collaboration with Sheila Brock, Director of Sheila’s School of Dancing, and Sam Day, Head of Performance at Looe Community Academy.

This annual event offers a crucial bridge between local youth talent and the professional dance world. Yearly local auditions will take place for brand new productions and programmes, the newly selected company of young dancers will embark on a structured preparation process, combining training with prominent guest dancers with collaborative choreography creation and performance.

From training to creation.

After the auditions, the journey for these young performers unfolds in two distinct stages. First, the dancers will immerse themselves in six intensive masterclasses led by the guest national and international professional Dancers to hone their skills.

Following these masterclasses, the group will move into a dedicated, week-long intensive workshop. During this immersive week, the dancers will work side by side with a guest choreographer to co-create the actual piece, giving them a genuine voice in the artistic process before taking the work to the public.

2026 Inaugural production: onYon

The platform's highly anticipated inaugural production is titled onYon, which will mark the official launch of Dancing Borders Away, and which is just the beginning. Future annual productions will explore entirely different themes, bringing in new guest choreographers while continuing the same core mission: dissolving geographical, cultural, and creative boundaries, and proving that world-class artistic collaboration can flourish right here in South East Cornwall through collaboration and exchange.

Check out onYon, our first project!