Hold Your Own Showcase 2026
Tickets: £3.50
There is a free taster workshop in the Foyer prior to the showcase. No need to book, just drop in!
Hold Your Own 2026 celebrates the creativity of three diverse Coventry dance companies - dancing together and performing for you.
Out of Whack, Warwick Arts Centre’s resident elders’ dance company, premiere their new piece, Both Held and Holding, created by Ashley Jordan of Ascension Dance.
Out of Whack and Ascension Youth re-stage their moving performance of Rubble, created with both companies by Ashley Jordan for the 2026 Holocaust Memorial Day celebration.
Ascension Youth perform their exciting new high energy piece, Rebellion, that delves into themes of protest, frustration, and resistance against systems of power.
Nrithyam perform Womanhood and North Meets South, a new Asian fusion piece blending classical, folk and contemporary influences, choreographed by Swapna Velayudham.
Supported by Arts Council England.
Out of Whack
Out of Whack is Warwick Arts Centre’s resident Elders’ Contemporary Dance Company for people aged 60+ who share a love of creative dance and public performing. They are a company of mixed experience dancers with a focus on creating new works to reflect the company’s collective identity.
- Both Held and Holding: Out of Whack have previously worked briefly with Ashley Jordan and are thrilled to now invite him to work in more depth with their company of elder dancers. They are excited to see what emerges when they explore together themes of connection and community, to share with a new audience how they experience the connection they enjoy through dancing together, reaching down into their inner selves and making something meaningful together.
- Rubble: An intergenerational piece created for Holocaust Memorial Day, exploring displacement and uncertainty. The performance features Ascension Youth and members of Out of Whack and tells a story based around the aftermath of the Blitz on Coventry in November 1940 and the strength of community needed to get through.
Ascension Dance
Ascension Dance is a Coventry-based arts organisation specialising in creating performance pieces that blend contemporary dance and parkour. They explore the spectrum between the two forms - sometimes working fully within the world of parkour, other times in contemporary dance, and often bringing the two together to create something entirely new.
- Rebellion: A dance work exploring youth voice, delving into themes of protest, frustration, and resistance against systems of power. The piece asks an urgent question: what is society doing to create space for the next generation to thrive, and do people truly believe their voices matter in shaping the future? In a time where uncertainty, violence, and disruption often seem like the most effective ways to be heard, the work challenges audiences to reflect. Is society unintentionally teaching young people that this is the only way their voices will be acknowledged? And what happens when they take that message and act on it? Choreographed by Ashley Jordan in partnership with youth dancers.
Nrithyam
Nrithyam UK is a Midlands-based dance company exploring the depth and diversity of Indian dance through classical, folk and contemporary expression. Their work is rooted in cultural storytelling and community connection, creating spaces where movement becomes a shared language. Through performance, workshops and outreach, they bring people together to experience the richness, rhythm and creative energy of Indian dance in a way that feels welcoming, expressive and alive.
- Womanhood: A classical Indian dance piece celebrating womanhood, expressed through rhythmic grace, gesture and storytelling.
- North Meets South: A new Asian fusion piece blending classical, folk and contemporary influences, choreographed by Swapna Velayudham.
Don't Miss
A free 15-minute Taster Workshop with Nrithyam
This is a lively, follow-along foyer workshop designed for all ages and abilities. It takes place ahead of the show.
The session will focus on:
- Simple, high-energy Indian Fusion steps.
- Easy, expressive movements suitable for complete beginners.
- Encouraging participation, fun and interaction with new people.
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