Myself UK Dance 10th anniversary, Stratford Circus Arts Centre

Myself UK Dance shines bright as an all-female collective of very strong dancers, committed to promoting equality in the still predominantly male world of hip-hop. And who better to make the case for women in hip-hop?


Myself UK Dance was founded by the dancer and choreographer Kloé Dean, because, in her own words, ‘I was joining in crews, competitions, battles, and there were so many guys. I thought “where are the girls?”’

Ten years on, Myself UK Dance boasts a pool of 30 female dancers, and promotes empowerment, ambition, individuality and self-worth through hip-hop and the slogan ‘I Love Myself.’

There's much to celebrate then and, over four days in November, the collective will be doing just that – and inviting audiences to join in.

There will be two main dance shows at Stratford Circus Arts Centre: first, ICON, where Myself UK Dance will count on the participation of guest artists, including the all-female popping crew A.I.M Collective.


Myself UK Dance, ICON. Photo: Irven Lewis
ICON’s keynote will be a celebration of inspirational women throughout history.

The second programme is entitled DECADE, and looks back over Myself UK Dance’s first 10 years, including some of the collective’s favourite works. Among the guests in this programme are Boy Blue, possibly the best known hip-hop company in the country, with whom Myself UK Dance has collaborated in the past.

As well as performances, there will be two workshops at the University of East London. The celebrations kick off with a panel that will explore hip-hop’s relationship with feminism and equality, under the heading, Let’s Talk About It: UK Females in Hip Hop.

The birthday party ends on an immersive high, with a series of participatory workshops leading to an evening of jam fun called Battles & Jam – a couple of hip-hop contests that you can watch or join in: All Female Hip Hop Dance Battle and All Styles, All Genders, Anything Goes Battle Royale.

All details here.