The Sticky Dance | (3-7) & (3-5)

Second Hand Dance (Great Britain) | FRATZ International

“The Sticky Dance” is an interactive, engaging and colourful performance installation for children and their families.

Three dancers shimmy through the audience weaving a tapestry of sticky tape in this tactile dance performance for young children. They invite you to tape, stick and groove, to see and feel sound or to be still, watch and listen. Audiences are encouraged to explore freely, turn the rules upside down and create their own experience.

“The Sticky Dance – for early years” was co-created by Rosie Heafford and Takeshi Matsumoto for family audiences and children aged 3-5 years old.  This production has also been adapted for Sensory Groovers aged 3-7 years.

Established in 2013, Second Hand Dance has an adaptive leadership model, and is run by disabled and non-disabled Co-Directors Rosie Heafford and Claire Summerfield. We work (inter)nationally with local and regional impact creating joyful, inspirational performances and digital dance films for children and adults. We collaborate with dancers, film makers, animators, musicians and our audiences in a co-creation process that is accessible, welcoming to all bodies, and places the audience experience at its centre. Our work has been presented in venues/festivals across three continents: The Lincoln Centre (NY), Edinburgh International Children’s Festival, Sadler’s Wells, Dublin Theatre Festival, Esplanade Theatre (Singapore), Cheers! Festival (Hong Kong) and Ricca Ricca Festival (Japan). In 2016 Rosie was winner of the Arts Foundation Children’s Theatre Shortlist award.

The Sticky Dance for Sensory Groovers: 10 October, 10-11 am, 12-1 pm & 3-4 pm – Junges Tanzhaus (Berlin Neukölln) | This performance format was developed exclusively for neurodivergent*, movement-loving children between the ages of 3 and 7, and takes place with a significantly reduced audience size. Please only book these tickets if your child belongs to this target group, and bring a maximum of two accompanying adults.

The performance space can be left and re-entered during the show. A quiet/retreat space is available.

The Sticky Dance for Early Years: 11 October, 10-12 pm, Junges Tanzhaus (Berlin Neukölln) | This performance was developed for families with children between the ages of 3 and 5. It runs for two hours, and you book an entry slot. Once you're in the performance, you can stay as long as you like. We recommend around 45–60 minutes. If you arrive earlier, you'll have a gentler start.

Concept & Artistic Direction: 

Rosie Heafford & Takeshi Matsumoto

Created & performed by: 

Andrei Nistor, Chloe Mead, Paolo Pisarra

Performers in Berlin: 

Lesley Howard, Chloe Mead, Paolo Pisarra

Set & Costume Design: Alison Brown

Sound Design: Dinah Mullen

Lighting Design & Production Management: James Ball

Company Manager: Keir Patrick

Licht und Sound in Berlin: Brent Tan

World premiere: February 7th, 2024

Duration: 60 minutes (Sensory Groovers) / 120 minutes (Early Years/Family version: Entrance slots are every 15 minutes, recommended time in the space is 45-60 minutes)

Language: No spoken language

Access: Recommended for neurodivergent, movement-loving audiences, especially the version for Sensory Groovers / less suitable for

“The Sticky Dance” is a production by Second Hand Dance. Co-commissioned by The Southbank Centre, The Place, South East Dance. children with mobility restrictions, as the focus is on joining in and dancing together in the space.

Next date:

• Date Saturday, 10/October/2026 10:00 ( 3 more dates )
• Venue Junges Tanzhaus
• Address Lucy-Lameck-Straße 32, 12049 Berlin