Experience ESD on stage
NEWS
ANNOUNCING 2026 SUMMER SEASON
POSTED 13 MARCH 2026
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Eliot Smith Dance (ESD) continues its 15th anniversary year with a dynamic Summer 2026 Season featuring international residency, new digital insights, guest choreography, and professional training.​
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Discover now by clicking here.
MASTERCLASS: GRAHAM TECHNIQUE WITH LORENZO PAGANO
POSTED 06 MARCH 2026
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Eliot Smith Dance is delighted to welcome back Lorenzo Pagano of the Martha Graham Dance Company to the North East for the first time since 2016.
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As part of the re-staging of Interrupted Souls, Lorenzo will lead a Graham Technique masterclass at Dance City, Newcastle upon Tyne.
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Friday 3 July 2026
9:30–11:30am
Dance City, Newcastle upon Tyne
The class is open to professional dancers and dancers in training, and no previous Martha Graham technique experience is required. The session will also include a short Q&A with Lorenzo.
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Spaces are limited, and thanks to the support of Dance City, we are able to offer this opportunity at a reduced price.
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This is a rare opportunity to train with one of the leading performers of the Martha Graham Dance Company right here in the North East.
ESD AWARDED FOURTH ROUND OF ACCS FUNDING
POSTED 25 FEBRUARY 2026
Eliot Smith Dance (ESD) is delighted to announce that it has been awarded funding from the fourth round of The Abderrahim Crickmay Charitable Settlement (ACCS).
This support will contribute to Eliot Smith: Return, a one-night-only performance celebrating ESD’s 15th anniversary at Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle upon Tyne, on 3 December 2026. The evening will feature the premiere of Smith’s new solo work, HUNTER.
The funding enables the development of HUNTER through an international residency at the Taylor Centre for Dance Education in New York, home of the Paul Taylor Dance Company.
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Eliot Smith is the Founder and Creative Director of Eliot Smith Dance and has a long-standing association with the Paul Taylor organisation. This has included educational exchanges, licensing a Taylor work, and bringing two ESD dancers to New York to learn repertory from Carolyn Adams at the Taylor studios. Smith has recently received funding to choreograph a new work informed by his research into Paul Taylor’s creative life, which forms the basis of his upcoming residency in New York.
This latest award strengthens ESD’s ongoing international relationships and supports Smith’s continued artistic development on a global stage.
ESD extends its sincere thanks to The Abderrahim Crickmay Charitable Settlement and the Paul Taylor Dance Foundation for their continued trust and support.
To follow ESD’s 15th anniversary year, visit:
www.eliotsmithdance.com/15
Photo: Eliot Smith. Courtesy of ESD.
ESD ANNOUNCES 15th ANNIVERSARY EVENTS FOR 2026
POSTED 4 DECEMBER 2025
2026 marks a major milestone for Eliot Smith Dance (ESD) — the company celebrates 15 years since its founding in 2011. To mark the occasion, ESD is launching a full anniversary programme featuring performances, intensives, a photography exhibition, a documentary premiere, and a special anniversary event. From January through to December, audiences will have the opportunity to experience the company’s vibrant repertoire, engage with its creative community, and support its future growth.
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To find out more please click here.​
ESD SELECTED FOR ITER 4
POSTED 10 AUGUST 2025​
Eliot Smith Dance is proud to be selected as a second-year participant in the International Touring & Environmental Responsibility (ITER) programme, now in its fourth year. This initiative is run by Julie’s Bicycle in partnership with In Futurum, supporting artists and arts organisations in the UK, Denmark, and Norway to develop sustainable, equitable, and innovative models of international touring.
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This year marks a new chapter in our ongoing collaboration with Danish composer and sound artist Liv Vester Larsen, which began with Coalfield to Landscape. The next phase of this partnership, titled Merging, will premiere in Denmark in August 2025.
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We are honoured to be part of a growing community dedicated to combining artistic creativity with environmental responsibility in international cultural exchange. As the programme unfolds, we’ll be sharing stories and reflections from our journey, exploring new touring models that care for both people and the planet.
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To learn more and meet the other participants, visit:
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To find out more please click here.​
DANCE WITH PRIDE
POSTED 19 JULY 2025​
Eliot Smith Dance was proud to take part in our third Northern Pride march—right here in Newcastle, the city we call home.
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To find out more please click here.​
ESD PERFORMS IN DENMARK
POSTED 16 APRIL 2025​
In August 2025, Eliot Smith Dance (ESD) will collaborate with Danish-based artists Liv Vester Larsen (musician, composer, and sound artist) and visual artist Nanna Rosenfeldt-Olsen to create MERGING — a new cross-aesthetic performance exploring the intersection of dance, music, and visual art. The project is produced in partnership with Åsen Teater and Maskinhallen in Vendsyssel, Denmark.
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Find out more by clicking here.
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For Press Release, please click here.
ELIOT SMITH DANCE 2025 SUMMER SEASON ANNOUNCEMENT
POSTED 14 FEBRUARY 2025​
ESD is excited to announce its 2025 Summer Season, featuring a captivating candlelight performance, the return of ESD Presents, an international collaboration in Denmark, and community outreach.
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Human | Candlelight
Immerse yourself in an intimate, candlelit experience with Human | Candlelight, a solo performance by Eliot Smith, performed by Yamit Salazar and accompanied by an original score by Adam Johnson. This debut performance at Newcastle’s Alphabetti Theatre takes place on June 4th at 7:30 PM, followed by a post-show talk.
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Community Outreach
ESD will re-stage HAWAY THE LASSES with community participants from South-East Northumberland and deliver Pit-Dance workshops for local children in June.
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ESD Presents 2025
In July, ESD Presents returns to Dance City, Newcastle, celebrating dance innovation. Details and the announcement of the dance celebrant will be released in March 2025.
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MERGE
ESD will co-create an interdisciplinary performance in Denmark, exploring sustainable transformation with Danish artists Liv Vester Larsen and Nanna Rossenfeldt. This international project promotes sustainable touring practices.
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Human Online
A new recording of Human will be available online in June for those unable to attend in person.
Find out more and stay connected for updates and ticket information by clicking here.
ELIOT SMITH DANCE RECEIVE FUNDING FROM ABDERRAHIM CRICKMAY CHARITABLE TRUST FOR ESD PRESENTS
POSTED 07 FEBRUARY 2025
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Eliot Smith Dance is thrilled to receive funding from the Abderrahim Crickmay Charitable Settlement to support the upcoming ESD Presents event in summer 2025. The event will take place in July 2025 at Dance City’s state-of-the-art dance facility in the heart of Newcastle upon Tyne. The featured dance celebrant and additional event details will be announced in early March 2025.
To find out more, please click here.
ANNOUNCING PITMAN Re-Discovered on ESD Online
POSTED 16 JANUARY 2025
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Eliot Smith Dance (ESD) is proud to announce Eliot Smith acclaimed staged work, PITMAN into a cinematic experience.
To find out more, please click here.
Press Release, please click here.
ANNOUNCING SPRING 2025 SEASON 'PITMAN'
POSTED 07 JANUARY 2025
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Eliot Smith Dance (ESD) is back on the road this spring, with Eliot Smith's signature works, PITMAN. Experience the world of the Pitmen Painters, the famous amateur art group from Ashington, through powerful and entertaining contemporary dance.
To find out more, please click here.
Press Release, please click here.
