MOVE IT, the world’s biggest dance event, has announced its next batch of headliners and special guests for 2025’s 20th anniversary event which kicks off on 7th March at London’s Excel Centre. New to the line-up are Dance Moms’s Abby Lee Miller; Thao Nguyen, who is currently playing Anne Boleyn in Six The Musical; and Birmingham Royal Ballet Principal Dancer Tzu-Chao Chou. They will be joining other headliners, Britain’s Got Talent winners Diversity, and professional dancers and choreographers Randall Watson, Serena McCall and Monique Jonas, who were announced last month. Strictly Come Dancing finalist Layton Williams, Dance Moms’s Gianna Martello and Love Island’s Molly Marsh are the special guests.
The newest headliners bring a mix of classic and contemporary dance experience to the 2025 line-up. Abby Lee Miller from Dance Moms is a dance instructor, choreographer and studio owner of the Abby Lee Dance Company whose students have gone on to perform on Broadway. Tzu-Chao Chou has been Principal Dancer at the Birmingham Royal Ballet since 2017, and as well as her current role as Henry VIII’s second wife Anne Boleyn in Six The Musical, Thao Nguyen has appeared in other classic musicals Miss Saigon (Prince Edward Theatre) and Mulan (Singapore Repertory Theatre) and taught K-pop choreography and choreographed K-pop music videos.
Strictly Come Dancing finalist and West End star Layton Williams returns to perform and teach alongside other special guests Dance Moms’s Gianna Martello, who will also be a judge for the Starpower competition, and Love Island’s Molly Marsh who will be hosting. All three stars will be taking part in meet and greets.
Previously announced headliners Diversity will be performing and hosting classes and meet-and-greets joined by professional dancers Randall Watson, who was one of Little Mix’s ‘Mix Men’ male dancers; Serena McCall, who appears in the film version of iconic musical Wicked; and Monique Jonas, Juliet from Matthew Bourne’s recent tour of Romeo & Juliet.
Since 2005, MOVE IT has been celebrating the dance and performing arts industry, as well as providing a launchpad for those starting their careers and a weekend of exciting events and more for attendees. For the past two decades, over 400,000 dancers, teachers, spectators, and professionals of all ages and levels have taken part with 33,000 in 2024 alone. From spectators and hobbyists to students, graduates, teachers, professionals or families looking for a fun day out, there’s a mix of performances, classes, talks, auditions, competitions, exhibits and more. A highlight is always the iconic Main Stage which showcases over 150 performances featuring some of the biggest names in the business including Strictly Come Dancing’s professionals Neil and Katya Jones, Darcey Bussell, Company Wayne McGregor and Pussycat Doll Kimberly Wyatt.
Co-Creative Director Kate Scanlan said, “We are excited to announce this new wave of incredibly diverse headliners and special guests from the UK and USA. This year, we have invited a real mix of professionals who represent and champion a wide range of styles, who together create a melting pot of talent and creativity, making truly engaging experiences for our audiences. MOVE IT is a very special event where stars from the stage and screen share the space with the stars of the future. The energy is palpable, the talent through the roof, and it is certainly not to be missed.”
Other highlights include: three other stages (Freestyle Stage, Showcase Theatre Stage and Discovery Stage), competitions, Showcase Theatre, and auditions for Disney Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean Productions.
There will also be a meet-and-greet zone where visitors can meet their favourite stars, a shopping village with the best dance clothes, shoes, accessories and props, as well as photographers and much more, Acro sessions with AcroPAD, the Spotlight Sofa with live interviews from talent and artists and The Starlight Express Roller Rink in partnership with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s iconic musical, Starlight Express.
For more information and to book tickets, go to www.moveitdance.co.uk.
