Dance company looks for grants for new expansion

Mar 22 2008 by Liza Williams, Liverpool Daily Post

A LIVERPOOL dance group made famous on a TV talent show is appealing for funding, as more and more young people flock through its doors.

MD Productions, based in Wavertree, now has hundreds of young people on its books, both for informal classes and more structured teaching to gain qualifications.

The dance group appeared on Britain’s Got Talent last summer and has been busy performing ever since.

Its next TV appearance will be tonight, as the dancers perform a football themed piece on BBC2’s The Culture Show.

Due to the organisation’s expansion, its founder, Miguel Doforo, has acquired a new building to house all the studio space it needs, but the warehouse on Wavertree Road needs refurbishing.

He is now applying for grants to turn the empty shell into a modern performance and training space.

Miguel said: “It has been mad since last summer, our dancers have been performing all over the place and the numbers of students has grown.

“We need more space and this is why we have got the warehouse but I am busy applying for grants to do it up, we have such big plans.

“A variety of people come to us, from dancers who will have successful careers in the business to others who are having fun.

“We provide a full range of performing arts training, from dancing to costume design and have recently started teaching an NCSE in performing arts, which is an NVQ equivalent and it is great to be able to offer formal training like this.”

Miguel and the group also help school children who have not flourished academically, offering them an opportunity to carve out a career in the arts.

“Some young people do not fit in at school but that is not the end of the world.

“There are other opportunities out there and we want to help those who think they have a talent realise their dreams.”

Although based in Wavertree, the group also teaches in Speke, St Helens and Huyton and hopes to expand over the coming years.

Members have recently finished recording a dance for The Culture Show in Liverpool city centre.

It involves dancers splitting into red and blue sides, representing the city football teams.

The programmes airs at 7.30pm on BBC2 tonight.

lizawilliams