About Us
Your Space. Your Stage. Your Story.
DANCE UPS CIC was founded in 2024 to create a creative, youth-led space where young people in Hackney can explore dance, express themselves, and work together. Our workshops encourage teamwork, confidence, and creativity, allowing participants to shape their own routines while learning performance skills. Over the past year, we’ve grown into a recognised community hub for performing arts, offering opportunities for young people to develop, collaborate, and showcase their talents.
Our Story
Founder’s Story, DANCE UPS CIC
The vision for DANCE UPS CIC grew out of the founder’s childhood experiences in Hackney. From an early age, community spaces became a place to gather and dance. While still in secondary school, the founder would host dance rehearsals at home, often with more than ten friends squeezed into a small bedroom, sitting on bunk beds in queues, eager to learn new routines.
These informal gatherings became an outlet for creativity and connection at a time when dedicated spaces were limited. Dancing in playgrounds and sharing routines with friends sparked a lasting commitment to creating safe, inclusive spaces where young people could come together to express themselves.
The founder’s passion extended beyond choreography, even creating and burning CDs with the latest songs to keep friends inspired and connected to the music. These early experiences laid the foundation for DANCE UPS CIC, a space designed to nurture creativity, build confidence, and empower communities through the art of dance.
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Founded by Chiharrow Austin
* Dance enthusiast
* Certified in First Aid, Mental Health First Aid, and Motivational Interviewing
*A-Level Drama
*QNUK Level 2 Award in Safeguarding Adults in Health and Social Care (RQF)
* Business Decision Management (BSc) Hons
Chi created Dance Ups to offer support, therapy, fun, and engagement through dance and performance.
Passionate about bringing dance back into the community, she’s here to inspire others to express themselves through movement.
Join the journey!
