Performing Company : 25 Years

With a quarter of a century of hard work, perseverance and the support of many individuals and organisations, Diversions has earned its place in Welsh cultural life as the National Dance Company of Wales. After a turbulent series of dance experiments in Wales through the 1970s, a fresh and visionary dance strategy from the Arts Council of Wales in 1983 led to the two choreographers and dancers, Roy Campbell-Moore and Ann Sholem, being invited to Cardiff and Diversions took its first steps. It is now ready to leap into the next quarter of a century as the National Dance Company of Wales, a high accolade and reward for the loyalty, commitment and effort over the last 25 years.

From the start, the Directors' vision was clear, and it remains so today. Simply, they wanted to create dance productions of international quality and tour them throughout Wales and beyond. They also wanted to share this work with audiences by engaging in participatory activities in every corner of Wales - a philosophy of the Company working within its own community, making it stand out as a unique and distinctive group of artists. They believed that Diversions should only show the best of the art form and this passion for quality rapidly gained the support of audiences and venue managers up and down the country.

Twenty-five years on, Diversions has a dance repertoire from the most exciting choreographers working in the world today and it also enjoys successful tours to Scotland, Ireland and England in addition to Wales. Its first international tour was in 1986 to Zagreb, while in 2007 they performed in Poland, Greece and at the prestigious Holland Dance Festival. Diversions now has an international reputation for its wonderful dancers and repertoire, receiving high praise and acclaim from the public and critics across the world.

The Company has had many homes in its time. At the old YMCA/Caricature Theatre building from 1983 until 1986, they shared a studio with the rats! Then, for a year or two, they moved to the friendly East Moors Community Centre, where, sadly vandalism was the greatest problem. After that, Ebenezer Studio gave stability for eleven years though eventually the dancers had to manoeuvre around buckets on the floor whenever it rained. Tyndall Street Industrial Estate bridged a three year gap before the Company moved to WMC in 2004 to its final home at the Dance House where it can now create, explore, produce and perform work in one of the best production centres for dance in Europe. Diversions are grateful to all the individuals and organisations that made WMC become not just an idea but a reality from which its creativity can fly.

WMC is also a home for partnerships and 2007 saw founding director, Roy, work with WNO, Diversions and WMC's architect Jonathan Adams to create the innovative Seven Deadly Sins, performed on the Donald Gordon stage. In 2008, after three years in its new WMC home, Diversions has performed on its own merits on that same stage - one of the best for dance in the world.

Our 25^th Anniversary celebrations in 2008 also launch Diversions into a fresh and exciting future. Its two founding Directors have changed their leading roles with Roy as Artistic Associate using his expertise to explore fresh creative thinking; and Ann as Artistic Director, focusing on creating new programmes of international excellence to develop the Company's National flagship status.

Over the years, Diversions has created some extraordinary works that excited its audience with dancers of great personality, extraordinary technique and passion. This combination of charismatic performers allied with exciting and innovative choreographers is the future and heart of all our work.