Saturday 4 October 2025
culloden estate, belfast

The Countdown is on...

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ABOUT US

Welcome to the Golden Dance Awards NI

An illustrious celebration of Northern Ireland’s vibrant dance community, the Golden Dance Awards NI proudly returns for its second year. Join us on Saturday, the 4th of October, at the stunning Culloden Estate and Spa for an unforgettable evening dedicated to recognising and honouring the exceptional contributions to dance in our region.

From our humble beginnings, our mission has been driven by a profound passion for dance and a desire to establish a prestigious platform that celebrates the talent, creativity, and dedication within the industry. As former dancers, we understood the need for an event that not only spotlights excellence but also unites the community in shared celebration.

The Golden Dance Awards NI shine as a symbol of excellence, applauding the outstanding achievements of dance schools, studio owners, teachers, choreographers, dancers, artists, volunteers, festivals, feiseanna, and competition organisers. This is your moment to step into the spotlight and receive the recognition you so richly deserve.

As we embark on another remarkable year, we are committed to fostering creativity, diversity, innovation, and growth within the dance community. Beyond celebration, we aim to inspire and support the next generation through leadership, education, and collaboration.

Join us as we elevate the Golden Dance Awards NI into the ultimate dance event of our era. Let us honour the passion, talent, and relentless efforts that make Northern Ireland’s dance community truly extraordinary. Together, we celebrate the brilliance that inspires us all.

Catherine Hughes

Co-Founder

Danielle Hughes Quinn

Co-Founder

PARTNERS

TITLE PARTNER

CHARITY PARTNER

MEET THE JUDGES

ALAN McGRATH

We’re honoured to announce the incredible Alan McGrath as part of our prestigious golden judging panel. His expertise and passion will bring the energy and insight to this event!

Alan has performed with artists as varied as Justin Bieber, David Guetta, Jessie J, Selena Gomez, Tao Cruiz and Florida at Odyssey Arena, London Beat, Ace of Base at 3 Arena and was part of the support act for the Westlife Farewell Tour.

We are thrilled to have Alan on our phenomenal judging panel!

Let’s come together to honour the talent, artistry, and vibrant spirit of danceacross Northern Ireland like never before.

Mark your calendars—it’s going to be a celebration of dance to remember - Saturday 4th October in The Culloden Estate and Spa.

GABRIELLE LAYLA RUSSELL

We are thrilled to unveil our next judge — the fabulous Gabrielle Layla Russell (Jazz with Gabby) With her incredible expertise and unmistakable flair, Gabrielle is sure to captivate both the panel and the audience. We can’t wait to see her magic in action as she judges all the incredible talent N.I has to offer!

Gabby graduated from Performers College in 2012 where she studied on a full scholarship in Musical Theatre and Dance.

 Since graduating she has been able to combine her passion for travel and performing, working professionally all over the world. Gabby has worked on MSC and Costa cruises on continuous contracts as a production dancer & dancecaptain and as a featured singer/dancer for many corporate events & productions all around Europe.  Gabby has been working as a freelance teacher, choreographer and adjudicator for many years. Specialising in jazz technique Gabby runs her own company called jazzwithgabby delivering masterclasses all over the country & regularly provides weekly technique training at colleges, associate programmes and conventions throughout the year.

Gabby has recently won the 2024 CYD? Teacher Award for Innovation in The Teaching of Dance, she is an extremely passionate industry professional who strives daily to inspire the next generation of dancers.

We are beyond thrilled to have Gabby on our panel of judges!

LEIGHTONJAY HALLIDAY

Ljay is a Scottish Dancer and choreographer,

He is a proud graduate of the Urdang Academy in London, where he trained on a full scholarship. Throughout his career, he’s been fortunate to receive scholarships from renowned institutions including Broadway Dance Center in New York, La Luna Dance Centre in Italy, and the Institute of the Arts Barcelona.

He has had the privilege of performing all over the world — from dancing for the Royal Family of Bahrain to closing Paris Fashion Week at the Louis Vuitton Foundation, performing in Los Angeles, and many other global stages. One of his career highlights includes opening the prestigious Le Classique de Danse Awards.

As a choreographer, he has worked with leading UK dance colleges such as Addict, ArtsEd, and Urdang. He has also assisted some incredible creatives on a range of exciting projects over the years. His performance credits include DanceCaptain in Kinky Boots, a role in Saturday Night Fever, and touring with the 301 Contemporary Company.

Most recently, he appeared as a solo dance act on Britain’s Got Talent 2024, where he reached the semi-finals and placed in the Top 3. He currently works as a freelance teacher and choreographer, continuing to create and share his passion for dance.

Welcome to the Golden Team Ljay!

LEO REYNOLDS

We’re honoured to announce the incredible Alan McGrath as part of our prestigious golden judging panel. His expertise and passion will bring the energy and insight to this event!

We are thrilled to have Alan on our phenomenal judging panel!

Let’s come together to honour the talent, artistry, and vibrant spirit of danceacross Northern Ireland like never before.

Mark your calendars—it’s going to be a celebration of dance to remember - Saturday 4th October in The Culloden Estate and Spa.

INNA MAZURENKO

Bringing her brilliance for the second time round we are delighted to welcome back the gorgeous Inna Mazurenko as one of our fabulous judges on The GoldenDance Awards NI panel.

Inna is a Ukrainian professional dancer and choreographer, and a finalist of TV shows “Dances with the Stars” and “So You Think You Can Dance” Ukraine.

As CEO of Udance Company, she organises dance championships such as World of Dance Ukrainian Regional Series and Feel The Beat.

Inna has 15 years of experience as an international judge and currently works with CoisCéim Dance Theatre and Dublin Dance Festival.

She also organises the Dance World Cup Ireland Qualifier.

We are beyond excited to Inna Join our panel again!

Award Categories

Special recognition

Championing Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Award
Dance for Wellbeing Award
Choreographer of the Year
Dance Teacher of the Year
Dance Assistant of the Year
Dance Parent Award
Dance Costume Designer Award
Dance in Education Award
Community Engagement Dance Award
Dance Photographer of the Year
Lifetime Achievement Award (teaching 25+ years)

event AWARDS

Event of the Year Dance Competition
Event of the Year Feis
Event of the Year Festival
Event of the Year Project

DANCE School AWARDS

County Antrim Dance School of the Year
County Armagh Dance School of the Year
County Derry/Londonderry Dance School of the Year
County Down Dance School of the Year
County Fermanagh Dance School of the Year
County Tyrone Dance School of the Year
Top Performing Dance School in Individual Dance Styles: Jazz, Irish, Line, Highland Dancing, Ballroom, Belly Dance, Salsa, Aerial Dance, Swing, Breakdance, Tap, Hiphop, Cheerleading, Acro, Contemporary, Ballet, Aerobic, Lyrical, Freestyle or Traditional Dance from your culture.

DANCER of the year

Aged 9 and Under
Aged 13 and Under
Aged 17 and Under
Aged 18 and Over

Education AWARDS

Primary School of the Year Dance Award
Secondary School of the Year Dance Award
University/College of the Year Dance Award

Dancer of the year

Solo Audition Entry

Golden Dance Awards Ireland:

Submission Guidelines

Please follow the instructions below to submit your audition video for either of the two categories.

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Enter

Ready to make your mark at the Golden Dance Awards NI? Follow these simple steps to join us:

Select Your Category - Are you a Dance Teacher, Choreographer, Festival Organiser, Costume Designer, Photographer, or another creative professional? Choose your category—or submit entries in multiple categories to increase your chances!
Highlight Your Achievements -Share your awards, recognitions, and career milestones that showcase your expertise and dedication to your craft.
Stand Out from the Crowd - Showcase your creativity, unique vision, and the impact you’ve made on the dance community.
Confirm Your Entry - Once reviewed, you’ll receive an email confirmation. (Pro tip: Check your spam folder to ensure you don’t miss any updates.)
Prepare Your Portfolio - In the second stage, you’ll need to present your best work. Start curating your portfolio now!

CONTACT

For any questions beyond the nomination form, please leave your details below, and we’ll get back to you soon!

If you have any questions or queries please let us know and we will get back to you at our earliest convenience.

Saturday 4 October 2025 culloden estate, belfast