Herd Dance Theatre

Spotlight on @herddancetheatre (co-founded and led by @elsie_shepherd_ & @janice.jm.ho)

Herd Dance are one of the 2025/27 Artist Imagination Fund supported artists, working on their new show for children and families called ‘Home’.

About Herd Dance:

Herd Dance Theatre is a female-led, LGBTQIA+ dance company based in Manchester, creating bold, story-driven work that blends contemporary and hip hop styles. We’re passionate about making dance theatre that speaks from lived experience and connects with diverse audiences, especially young people. Alongside performances, we run playful, inclusive workshops that invite young people to move, imagine and express themselves. With roots in both hip hop and contemporary dance, our work lives at the intersection of technique, storytelling and social connection – always aiming to be inspiring, dynamic and accessible.

About ‘Home’:

Home is a new dance theatre production for children aged 5-11, following a central character on a fantastical journey through imagined worlds in search of where they belong. Inspired by lived experiences, the piece uses metaphor to gently explore themes of migration, asylum, and community – inviting children to imagine that “home” can be created, discovered, and shared across boundaries. Blending contemporary and hip hop dance with theatrical storytelling and interactive play, Home celebrates resilience, inclusivity, and the joy of finding connection in unexpected places.