3rd February 2016
One Dance UK announces the appointment of Andrew Hurst as its first Chief Executive.
Andrew will take up his new post in April 2016, to coincide with the legal merger of four existing highly successful dance organisations to become the registered charity, One Dance UK, the new ‘go-to’ body for the Industry.
One Dance UK will be formed by the merger of ADAD (Association of Dance of the African Diaspora), Dance UK, NDTA (National Dance Teachers Association) and YDE (Youth Dance England). The merger has been facilitated by a grant from Arts Council England.
Andrew Comments: I am thrilled to be building on the vital work that the four organisations have done to represent the interests of our sector, and to address the important issues we all face – these have been present in many strands of my work to date. I feel privileged to be working with such a supportive Board under the leadership of Sue Wyatt as Chair, and I am very fortunate indeed to inherit such a passionate and dedicated team of advocates from the staff of ADAD, Dance UK, NDTA and YDE.
Sue Wyatt, Chair of One Dance UK adds: With Andrew’s appointment, One Dance UK can look forward with confidence to building on firm foundations, the legacy of four remarkable organisations. With Andrew’s extensive knowledge and deep understanding of the sector, combined with tremendous leadership qualities and a natural passion for dance, I am confident that One Dance UK is poised to engage effectively with future challenges and to secure a bright future for dance for many generations to come.
Andrew joins One Dance UK from the senior management team at The Royal Ballet where, since April 2009 and under the direction of Dame Monica Mason and Kevin O’Hare, he was responsible for the day- to-day operations of the Company, and more recently also for international activity including touring and wrap-around education and training programmes.
Andrew trained at The Royal Ballet School and danced with Basel Ballet, Switzerland; Ballet Gulbenkian, Portugal; Netherlands Dance Theatre II, Holland; Berlin Ballet, Germany; and Rambert Dance Company. While at Rambert he was the Company Deputy for Equity, and began his management career there before taking up the position of General Manager at Phoenix Dance, where he led the Company through a period of change including a large capital project. He has a Masters Degree in Cultural Policy and Management, he has undertaken research into how personality factors influence success for professional dancers, and is qualified in the use of psychometrics and coaching for career counselling. Andrew is proud to be the Chair of Company Chameleon, a Trustee of the Council for Dance Education and Training, and Vice Chair of ArtsDepot. He is also Artistic Advisor to SpainNOW!, a senior Committee member at the Hospital Club, and a Board observer for The Royal Ballet Benevolent Fund.
