No Dress Code is our informal scratch night. We welcome you to our studio theatre to watch new dance works-in-progress* by dance artists and companies. This is a pay-what-you-can event with a suggested donation of £5.00 which goes directly to the artists who perform.

The Yorkshire Dance bar will be open before the performances and following the performances will be a chance to share your feedback.

Age guidance 13+ (Contains mild violence)

No Dress Code 2025 Programme

Counterfeit Goods by Beth Emmerson

Counterfeit Goods loosely explores a failed attempt to mimic the authenticity of human emotion through a superficial lens.

After watching films such as Blade Runner, Under the Skin, and scrolling through one’s Instagram feed, several existential dreams ensued, questioning what is real and what is not. What does being a person on this planet mean today, and how will that change in the future?

Guided by images of packaged dolls, the life cycle, and mannequins in shop windows, Counterfeit Goods is a hauntingly sci-fi-esque depiction of being a body that is supposed to feel but doesn’t quite get it right.

handle with care (working title) by Alex Gosmore and Imo Wright

Two tread their way across glistening tarmac, searching for home in a navy blue haze. Beneath their raincoats, an undercurrent of tension. Two small fish in a big loud pond. Memories, tenderness, the world at their fingertips. Watch as we claim this city as our own.

Falling Down by Lewys Holt

In this piece Lewys is dancing up. They will not go down. They will stay up on their feet and up in the air. This striving to resist gravity’s relentless pull is an inspiration to all who watch. They cannot, by any means, fall down. In ‘Falling Down’ Lewys tries to make a brief moment of failure mean something important. To themself. To the audience. Searching for ways that it could be someone else’s fault or perhaps it could be a profound extended metaphor. To them it cannot just be what it is.

Find us and access

Yorkshire Dance is opposite BBC Yorkshire and Leeds Conservatoire. There is step free access throughout the building and wheelchair spaces are available. Our building contains free drinking water and a rest space. Full access information for Yorkshire Dance is available here.

Yorkshire Dance aims to be an accessible and inclusive place for all. We create a ‘braver space’, where you feel able to express yourself in a supportive and empowering way. You will be welcomed and treated with respect by Yorkshire Dance staff and we expect and encourage everyone at our events to do the same. Learn more about our Braver Spaces Policy here.

About Pay What You Can

At Yorkshire Dance, we’re committed to making our work affordable for everyone so all our events are Pay What You Can. By donating £5.00 or more you are contributing to the artist’s fee for performing and ensuring everyone in our community can access a ticket they can afford. If you cannot afford £5.00 you are welcome to enter your own amount or simply enter £0 as you checkout.

Once you have booked your ticket your name is added to our register. Just head to the welcome desk at Yorkshire Dance at least 10 minutes before your event to sign in.

Read our full Terms & Conditions here.

Images (Top to bottom): Conor Campbell, Lizzie Quek and Tim Dunk