Building Something Bigger
- dancevibez
- Mar 28
- 2 min read
Building Something Bigger: How Dance Vibez CIC is Creating Space, Opportunity and Impact in Scotland’s Street Dance Scene
At Dance Vibez CIC, we believe that street dance has the power to transform lives, build community, and open doors into creative careers. Based in Cumbernauld, we’re working to build a studio that doesn’t just teach dance - but provides progression, purpose, and pride for young people across Scotland.
What We’re Doing Right Now
With support from local funders, we’ve begun delivering introductory dance sessions that reflect the cultural interests of our diverse community, helping us connect with new participants and better understand local needs.
We’re also running community engagement events like our upcoming free Zumba session (15 May) - a 45-minute feel-good class open to ages 12+ - to encourage movement, boost well-being, and build visibility within our area.
At the same time, we’re offering affordable pop-up classes and studio rentals, which allow us to keep our space active and accessible while we develop longer-term programmes.
What We’re Working Toward
Elite training opportunities in street styles like House, Popping, Afro and Breaking - styles that are underrepresented in Scottish studios, especially outside Edinburgh.
A pilot programme for neurodivergent dancers, working in partnership with other Scottish studios to explore inclusive, age-appropriate provision.
International collaborations with creatives like Studio HANA! in Japan and a battle dancer in Singapore, creating opportunities for cultural exchange and digital learning.
A youth-led street dance theatre production, developed with local creative mentors, to spotlight Scottish street dance on stage in a powerful and authentic way.
Why This Work Matters
While dance is widely available in Scotland, street dance training is not. Many young people have little or no access to consistent classes in core street styles, and those who wish to progress toward a creative career face real barriers:
Travel costs and distance from major cities like Edinburgh
Expensive training options such as private colleges
A lack of culturally relevant teaching and representation
No clear pathway to explore arts careers beyond just being a dancer
We’re here to change that - by creating something that blends community and excellence, and gives young people a reason to believe there’s a place for them in Scotland’s creative future.
What’s Next?
We’re currently awaiting decisions from national funders and preparing a major application to Creative Scotland’s Open Fund for Organisations. Our goal is to secure support to expand our programmes, strengthen partnerships, and ensure we can keep our studio open and accessible.
We know the potential is here - we see it every day in our students, our community, and our creative collaborators. Now we’re building the platform to let that potential shine.
Want to Support Our Journey?
If you’re interested in getting involved—as a partner, funder, participant, or supporter - we’d love to hear from you.
@dancevibez
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