Thank you to everyone who attended Dance Barnet!
The sparkling Dance Barnet Finals - the second pan‑disability, Strictly-inspired dance competition in partnership with Step Change Studios - took place recently at the Pentland Theatre, artsdepot in North Finchley.
The event followed an auditions process involving almost 100 participants, ranging from children to older adults. From these, ten outstanding finalists aged 12 to 97 were selected to perform on the night.
These finalists lit up the stage with their talent, creativity, and passion, showcasing what Dance Barnet is all about: celebrating accessible dance and encouraging more disabled people and those with long‑term health conditions to get active and express themselves through movement.
The dancers performed in front of a fantastic judging panel featuring:
· Katya Jones – Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer
· Justine Levene – Wheelchair athlete and advocate
· Courtney Warden – Service Manager for Sport and Physical Activity, Barnet Council
Congratulations to our winners...
All finalists were deserving of their medals. The judges awarded trophies to their top three dancers, and the audiences voted for their People’s Choice Award.
1st Place – Bilal
Bilal, who has a range of health and developmental challenges, brought the theatre to tears with his moving contemporary dance performance to the song ‘Count on Me’ by Bruno Mars. Bilal showed dedication and joy throughout the Dance Barnet process. He has grown in confidence and remembered creative and complex choreography which delivered beautifully on stage. When his name was called, his proud brother stood up from the audience and shouted: ‘That’s my brother.’
2nd Place – Rayyan
Rayyan lit up the stage with his pure energy and enthusiasm, dancing a Hip Hop inspired number to ‘369’ by Cupid. Our youngest finalist at 12‑year‑old, Rayyan has Autism and likes structure but he is passionate about singing and dancing. He didn’t stop dancing during the Dance Barnet workshops and his constant smile shows just how much fun he is having on his feet.
3rd Place – Vieronika
Vieronika’s hair flicks, kicks, and Moldovan song choice were a big hit with the judges and audience. Vieronika had Down syndrome and moved to the UK from Ukraine in 2022, through the Homes for Ukraine scheme. She has shown incredible strength, adaptability, and a genuine love for performing. The audience were moved when Vieronika’s sister joined her on stage to help translate the judges feedback and was emotional as she shared their well-deserved praise.
People’s Choice Award – Anna
Anna brought a cool, confidence performance to her sassy song choice of ‘Do Wop’ by Lauren Hill. Anna has Down syndrome and loves expressing herself through colour and creativity. Her first language is Mandarin, but dance is her passion and sharing who she is with the world. The judges enjoyed her use of red scarves in her choreography, and she was thrilled to spot her family in the audience, beaming with a smile and waving to them from the stage!