An all male dance group from east London had a visit from DJ and music producer Jazzie B as part of a project to help young boys develop confidence and their dance skills

It was part of a project called Tomorrow’s Men which involved east London’s all male dance group The Firm.

The project is funded by the East London Business Alliance’s Transformers Grant Programme through the Olympic Lottery Distributor and Big Dance 2012. It brings together a team of male dance artists who work with 100 young men from east London to build their confidence and develop their dance and performance skills.

Jeanefer Jean-Charles, Tomorrow’s Men Executive Director and Choreographer, said: “I have worked with young people for over 20 years and throughout this time have seen how dance can empower and transform people’s lives. By giving these young people the opportunity to work with a team of professional artists and perform in such a high profile event, this will hopefully inspire them to carry on dancing and help build their confidence and approach life in a more positive way into the future.”

As part of the project, Tomorrow’s Men is working with a team of role models who will visit the participants during rehearsals, talking to them about their experiences, answering questions about their careers and inspiring them to make their ambitions a reality.

The project will culminate with a large scale performance as part of this year’s Greenwich + Docklands International Festival where the group is expected to perform alongside professional dances in Canary Wharf as part of Dancing City on June 30.

The Firm is East London Dance’s group just for young males (13-18) and is led by B-Boy Champion Ed ‘Octacon’ Stephen. As part of The Firm, the boys try out a range of hip-hop dance styles including Breaking, Popping, Locking, Krumping and House.