Dance Passion Bradford

In a dynamic fusion of movement, colour and energy, dancers of all kinds take over the streets, theatres and surrounding countryside to showcase the city and celebrate the joy of dance, during Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture.

The performances feature solos, duets and ensembles in a variety of dance styles, including ballet, disco, bhangra, kathak, contemporary dance, street dance and artistic swimming.

There is a special collaboration between Hanif Kureishi and Royal Ballet choreographer Kristen McNally. In 2022, Hanif collapsed and fell, sustaining injuries that left him with very limited use of his arms and legs. This dance is inspired by that life-changing accident and Hanif's work since towards recovery. The dancers are Tom Whitehead of the Royal Ballet and Max Maslen of Birmingham Royal Ballet - both born and bred in Bradford. Their performance was filmed at Salts Mill in Saltaire.

Renowned for her depth of emotion and dramatic intensity, the Royal Ballet’s Natalia Osipova is one of the most acclaimed ballerinas of her generation. Natalia performs the Dying Swan on the stage of Bradford’s Alhambra theatre, where Anna Pavlova, one of the greatest dancers of all time, appeared 100 years ago.

One of the most striking ensembles sees 500 dancers gather on the moors near the Brontë parsonage to celebrate Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, Kate Bush’s song and the joy of dance. Now an annual event, this mass wuther is the first to be held near Haworth, on the wild windswept moors of Brontë country.

Dance companies taking part in Dance Passion Bradford include the Royal Ballet, Northern Ballet, Northern School of Contemporary Dance, Punjabi Roots, Dance United Yorkshire, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Akram Khan Dance Company, Pagrav, Rhythmosaic, Ella Tighe Dance and the City of Bradford Artistic Swimmers.