The National Youth Dance Company: The Rashomon Effect/Vertical - Sadler's Wells

It's the stuff of dance companies' dreams: guaranteed funding for three years, 30 dancers and a new choreographer each year, cherry-picked from the impressive roster of associate artists at Sadler’s Wells. The National Youth Dance Company, created in 2012 at Sadler's Wells following a government review, has just this.  
This year's choreographer is Akram Khan, known to many outside the dance world as one of the contributors to the London 2012 Olympic Games opening ceremony. The young dancers will perform an excerpt from his stunning ensemble work, Vertical Road, which was hailed as ‘ a fantastic feast for the senses ’ when it premiered in 2010, alongside a new work, The Rashomon Effect, created by Khan and his choreographic assistant Andrej Petrovic.       
While its starting point certainly sets the National Youth Dance Company apart from most dance companies today, it is still a commendable concept. Being given the opportunity to work with established and well-known choreographers at a very early stage in their career can make a true difference to these young dancers – it challenges their technical ability and versatility, whilst also giving them a chance to catch the eye of someone who might come in handy a few years down the road. 
As with so many things tagged as a ‘youth’ or ‘second’ company, this is a hit-and-miss affair. While the dancers probably won’t have the stage presence of the seasoned performers Khan usually works with, there is the exciting and rewarding possibility of seeing someone on their way to becoming the next big thing. And even if that doesn’t happen, Khan’s choreography is always worth an evening spent in a red velvet seat.