Three Blackpool lads land places at prestigious National Youth Dance Company

Orson Crane and Blake Rainey, 18 years old, and Dylan Dennis who is 17, all trained in Blackpool at House of Wingz from the age of eight will join NYDC for a year under the artistic direction of Boy Blue Entertainment, where they will tour and peform in world class venues including Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London.

It’s all as a direct result of a workshop/audition by the multi award winning dance company that was held in the resort for the first time in June and July as part of the new fringe festival, Capital of Dance. Pleasure Beach Resort provided a studio free of charge for the workshop and NYDC held auditions across major cities in the UK to look for 25 new company members.

The background

Orson and Blake were both born in Blackpool and Dylan was born in Sweden but moved to Blackpool when he was eight years old. All three were trained by Aish Bell Docherty and Sam Bell who run House of Wingz, a dance movement and community where young people can learn about hip-hop, and its culture.

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Aish Bell Docherty said: “Sam and I are both so proud that three members of the House of Wingz crew have been invited to join NYDC. We have seen each of the boys’ individual journeys leading to this point which is so exciting not just for us, but for them as individuals, and it’s inspiring for the crew as a whole. They are enthusiastic and have a positive energy that reflects their training so far, and we know they will learn so much from this amazing opportunity.”

The Capital of Dance festival is curated and produced by Lytham based Fit The Bill Limited, and it is the world’s first fringe festival dedicated to dance and movement, celebrating and promoting Blackpool’s unrivalled heritage in dance.

The month-long festival celebrates all genres, from Ballroom and break dance to ballet and musical theatre. There were over 140 dance related performances and workshops in 2024, and Capital of Dance will now become an annual event thanks to seed funding from Blackpool Tourism Bid and UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Marina Blore, Artistic Director for Capital of Dance said: “We launched this festival to promote the resorts dance heritage, to attract more engagement in dance, whether that is watching or participating, and we said that whatever we include in the festival, the local community needs to benefit as well as local businesses. To give three Blackpool boys the chance to launch a professional career in dance is just overwhelming. It will be life-changing for them all.”

On being accepted into NYDC, Orson Crane said: “It’s an incredible feeling to be accepted in NYDC. I love teaching the next generation, I dream of a career in dance and making a living creating my own shows and touring the world.”

Blake Rainey said: “When I got the call it was an amazing feeling. It feels like this is going to push me into the world of performance and it’s always been a dream of mine to work in the creative industry.”

Dylan Dennis said: “It’s such a great feeling to be accepted in NYDC, it felt like a relief for all the hard work and training I’ve done up to this point of my journey. My dream is to be able to do this (dance) for a living and make my family and friends proud.”

Chief Executive Officer of Pleasure Beach Resort, Amanda Thompson said: “We have a wealth of talent on our doorstep here on the Fylde Coast, and we feel very proud that we were able to play our part in nurturing them and providing them with life-changing opportunities.  Congratulations to Orson, Blake and Dylan – we can’t wait to follow your journey of continued success.”

Next year’s Capital of Dance will run from July 1 to 31.