ABOUT

Dane Hurst is an award-winning Dancer, Choreographer and Artistic Director based in the UK since 2003. He has worked with acclaimed companies and artists from around the world, performing, creating and producing work for stage, art galleries, film and television. He has travelled nationally and internationally to critical acclaim and is currently working as an independent Performing Artist, Choreographer and Artistic Director.
 
"Hurst remains one of the most electric performers of his generation." - The Guardian

"in a place where art thrives and matters, Hurst has not only made a terrifically effective dance piece, but also a statement of great humanity"  - Sara Crompton

“an unforgettably moving staging”
★★★★★ — The Times

“powerful and relevant… emotionally charged… the momentum is irresistible, the subdued ending beautifully judged…”
★★★★★ — The Reviews Hub

Born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, he joined the Rambert School in London, supported by a Nelson Mandela/Linbury Trust and Oppenheimer Memorial Trust scholarship in 2003, and later joined Rambert Dance Company as the first recipient of the Sally Gilmour memorial trust bursary in 2004. He was nominated for ‘Best Emerging Dancer’ of the year in 2006 and in 2007 received the ‘Spotlight Dancer of the Year Award’ by the Critic's Circle National Dance Awards, UK. He has travelled nationally and internationally having made guest appearances with Rambert Dance Company, Phoenix Dance Theatre, National Dance Company of Wales, Mad Dogs Dance Theatre, Humanoove, Yorke Dance Project, Shobana Jeyasingh Dance, Mark Bruce Company and Company Wayne McGregor. He was voted 3rd in Dance Europe Magazine's Top 100 Dancers of the Year 2012, nominated for Outstanding Modern Performance in 2013 and in 2014 received the Best Male Dancer of the Year award by the Critic's Circle National Dance Awards, UK. 

 In 2014 Dane graduated with MA Choreography from University of Kent and Central School of Ballet and later starred in and choreographed the Aesthetica Film Festival 'Best Dance Film' award winner, 'Primitive' by Director Tom Rowland with world premieres screened in London and New York at the 43rd Dance on Camera Festival, Lincoln Centre, Jan 2015. Dane directed and choreographed the opera's 'Sacred Mountain' by Shirley Thompson and 'Citizens of Nowhere' by Anna Appleby, commissioned by Téte a Téte Opera Festival in London and starred in the NPO Dutch Television Network premier of 'Voices of Finance' directed by acclaimed film-maker Clara Van Gool. He choreographed and performed a solo for ‘Shakespeare Live’ filmed for BBC 2 in collaboration with Hip-Hop artist Akala and Nitin Sawhney in 2016. Dane created his first full-length choreographic work ‘EXODUS’ with Dane Hurst Company for Dulwich Picture Gallery in 2016 after sell out shows of his first commission, Prud’Hon: The Moving Body for the gallery in 2015. In 2016 Dane founded the Moving Assembly Project charity to use dance as a means to uplift and inspire young people and creating a cross-cultural bridge between South Africa and the UK. 

As a choreographer Dane has received commissions from Phoenix Dance Theatre, Opera North, Jazzart Dance Theatre, The Place, Barbican, RichMix, Wilton's Music Hall, Dulwich Picture Gallery, Whitechapel Gallery and since 2007 regularly choreographed for Rambert's evening of New Choreography. His work has been performed at the Artscape Theatre in Cape Town, the National Arts Festival in South Africa, The Genocide Memorial Theatre in Kigali - Rwanda, and in the UK at the Leeds Grand Theatre, Newcastle Theatre Royal, Nottingham Theatre Royal, The Lowry, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Linbury Theatre – Royal Opera House, Wiltons Music Hall, Peacock Theatre/Lilian Baylis - Sadler's Wells, Wilderness Festival, RichMix and Dulwich Picture Gallery. 

 In 2018 Dane starred in the feature film, 'The Beast in The Jungle' by Clara Van Gool, collaborated with AKALA on his Ruins of Empire BBC Performance Live film and created ANIMALIS for Dulwich Picture Gallery in response to ‘The Art of Violence’ exhibition 2018/19. He worked with Yorke Dance Project on their 20th Anniversary Programme performing new work by Sir Robert Cohan, joined Company Wayne McGregor as guest artist on the 'Tree of Codes' production with Paris Opera Ballet and performed in 'Staging Schiele' a new work by Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company in 2019. He joined the Mark Bruce Company for the 'Return to Heaven' production and tour and was later appointed as board member to the company.  

In 2020 Dane was appointed as Associate Artist in Residence at the Jazzart Dance Theatre in Cape Town  South Africa and nominated for Outstanding Male Performance by the Critics Circle National Dance Awards. In 2020 he was appointed Artistic Director to Phoenix Dance Theatre where he created the critically acclaimed West Side Story Symphonic Dances with Opera North and curated the 40 Years of Phoenix and 40th Anniversary Gala celebration programmes. Dane contributed to the curation and creation of the 40 Years of Phoenix book of photography & exhibition as well as an immersive virtual gallery. He joined Jazzart Dance Theatre as Artistic Director in April 2022 with the company winning the ‘Toyota Woordfees Festival’ Outstanding Dance Production Award in October 2022. The Jazzart company joined Phoenix, Opera North and Cape Town Opera in an international cross-cultural production of Requiem: Journeys of the Soul with Dane as Director|Choreographer in May 2023. Dane starred as Hamlet in the Yorke Dance Project film ‘Sea of Troubles’ choreographed by Sir Kenneth MacMillan and was guest Artistic Director for the Chance To Dance: Connect programme for the Learning and Participation department at the Royal Opera House in 2023.

INTERVIEWS

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