Strictly speaking, if anyone knows how to put a spring in the step of the Granite City it’s Citymoves Dance Agency...
We caught up with Hayley Durward, chief executive of Citymoves, to find out more about this outstanding organisation and its drive to have dance change lives across the north-east, what their exciting plans are for the coming months – including a fun Business Come Dancing event - and why they chose to become a voluntary levy payer with Aberdeen Inspired.
Tell us about Citymoves Dance Agency.
Citymoves has been running since 1987. It’s a development organisation, so it’s very different to a dance school We develop projects in the city centre and communities around the north-east of Scotland.
We have four pillars. We have our community pillar which works in different communities in Aberdeen, including a lot of regeneration areas, called Project Strive.
Then we have our performance groups, which include groups for people with additional support needs.
We have our education pillar that goes into schools, where we do higher dance to help people on to professional training.
We have our dance for health strand, with dance for Parkinson’s and dance for dementia.
And we also have professional pathways, so we take people who have maybe trained in dance to degree course level, and we bring them to help retain that talent in Aberdeen to filter them through our organisation to fulfil those roles.
So, it really is for all ages from little ones through to our oldest participant who is 94.
Hayley Durward, chief executive of Citymoves Dance Agency says there are exciting times ahead for the popular organisation. Image - Aberdeen Inspired
What do you like about being based in the City Centre?
It’s key for us to be in the city centre, where we have always been. It’s about bringing people together. The agenda has now moved into making it more vibrant and making sure people are coming to the city centre for a reason. I think arts and cultural organisations can play a huge part in that.
We work together through many membership organisations – like Culture Aberdeen – to make sure we are providing enough festivals and projects for people to come into the city centre and they then will shop, buy dinner, go for a coffee.
We do that through our studio programme day to day. We have about 200 people who come into our building weekly for classes, then we have the DanceLive festival in October as well, which is part of the city-wide programme of events.
What are the benefits for you and your business of becoming a voluntary Aberdeen Inspired levy payer?
For us, it’s access to open forums with other businesses, particularly in the city centre with a range of sizes of businesses. It’s that collective voice so we can all act together, particularly now with the Open For Business slogans that are coming out.
It’s also about putting a spotlight on us. That’s something Aberdeen Inspired has really been good at in highlighting different businesses and giving a weekly what’s on. It helps people keep businesses in the top of their mind.
Get ready to step out with Citymoves' DanceLive festival. Image - Supplied by Citymoves.
What are your plans for the next 12 months?
We’ve got Business Come Dancing coming up in November. It’s an opportunity for businesses to volunteer some of their staff to have dance classes with us before a Strictly-style even in the Sandman Signature Hotel.
We also have the Tall Ships Races Aberdeen coming up next July, so we are working on that with Aberdeen City Council and other cultural organisations.
There will be thousands of people coming to the city centre to see these beautiful ships for the first time in many years. It’s a chance to really showcase what we can do for community groups right the way through to professionals.
And we have DanceLive next year, which will be the 20th year of the festival, so that will be a big one.
We also want to make sure that in terms of our community groups that the people we bring into the city centre are getting what they need. We’ve got dance musical theatre fitness as a new class. We want to ensure we are ahead of the curve with what styles are coming into Aberdeen and what tutors are around, so we can make sure we are providing the best for the community around us.
What advice would you give to new businesses looking to set up in the city centre?
Get to know other businesses and organisations would be the main one – definitely those that are very different to their own.
Also, get to know the Aberdeen calendar of events. We are such a small city it’s easy to to do that, and there is a whole wealth of things that go on in the city centre. How can they tie into that?
A great example is something like Nuart or Spectra. They are big ticket items, with lots of people coming into town to see them. So can a business change their opening hours to ensure they are increasing footfall? How can they work with other businesses to do that?
It’s really keeping an eye out for other things that are going on and linking in. There are plenty of opportunities.
Hayley Durward says Citymoves is keen to be part of the regeneration of Aberdeen's city centre, working with others. Image - Aberdeen Inspired
What would be the biggest improvement to the city centre in your opinion?
It’s not about physical changes, it’s about messaging. The Open For Business campaign is key for us to make sure that everyone knows all city centre businesses are open. I think we can move that beyond just the Union Street businesses and those affected by different bus gates.
It’s about incentivising people to come back into the centre and changing from maybe negative connotations of why people can’t come in. So instead, why can they come in? What are the different ways to reach their destination?
Linking things up is something else to look at. Festivals are a great example. We try hard to link with other organisations so our festival in October links on to the Sound festival following us.
That way we are always passing the public on to somebody else. It’s a case of “while you are here you can have dinner there or a cup of coffee here”.
I think we can be really good at that in Aberdeen because we are such a small city.
When you’re not working where is your favourite place or thing to do in Aberdeen?
It’s always connected with dance. It’s shows, going to the Lemon Tree, the Music Hall and His Majesty’s. Keeping on top of what are the new dance shows, making sure I’m tapping into Gray’s School Of Art,
It’s taking in the festivals, too, those big ticket items I’ve talked about.
There’s always so much to see. Peacock Visual Arts have turned 50 this year so I took in their David Bellingham exhibition at the Victorian toilets on Union Street, which was a highlight for me.
Aberdeen can keep surprising you – even though I’ve been in the city for about 14 years.
To find out more about Citymoves Dance Agency, including their classes, the DanceLive festival and the Business Come Dancing event, visit their website at citymoves.org.uk
Get ready for fun with Business Come Cancing this November. Image - Supplied by Citymoves
Hayley Durward says Aberdeen is a city that can keep surprising you. Image - Aberdeen Inspired