DanceSyndrome dancers from Preston and Chorley invited to London to perform in U.Dance Festival

David Corr, 21 from Chorley, and Jessica Reid, 16 from Preston, both of whom are part of DanceSyndrome, will showcase a contemporary dance duet called Los(T).

The choreography was the only one of sixteen performances to be chosen to represent the North West in the U.Dance Festival, which is to be held in London in July.

Sophie Tickle, DanceSyndrome lead artist said: “David and Jessica are committed young dancers with real talent. They have worked really hard throughout the process to give a professional and captivating performance.

“Everyone at DanceSyndrome is incredibly proud of what they have achieved and that they have been chosen to represent us on such a prestigious national platform.

“They both have a bright future in dance and we know that they will make the most of this incredible opportunity.”

Founders at DanceSyndrome say its ethos is about never allowing disability to be a barrier for people who are working towards achieving their dreams.

The charity was founded by Jen Blackwell, who has Down’s syndrome, because she found it difficult to find opportunities in community dance due to her disability.

The multi-award winning dance charity delivers dance workshops and dance leadership training as well as performances.

David, who has Down’s syndrome, has been involved with DanceSyndrome since 2016 and Jessica, who has Mosaic Down’s syndrome, joined in 2018.

David’s mum Jenni Corr says she is “very proud of David and amazed by what he achieves. “

She added: “He sees no boundaries and always believes he can do everything to reach his dream of being a dancer.”

Jessica’s mum Heidi Kirkby said: “We are so proud of Jess. We are so thrilled that they have been rewarded for their beautiful dance with a place in the final.

“Absolutely amazing!”