The Southbank Centre has launched a new digital dance competition in partnership with acclaimed dance artist Blanca Li ahead of the dance theatre production Elektro Kif coming to London.

Dancers across the UK are invited to compete in Southbank Centre’s new digital dance competition Dance Your City, which opens this week, to win the opportunity to perform in Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall.

Update: Dance Your City shortlist announced

The winning group will perform as the opening act for acclaimed Spanish dancer, choreographer and filmmaker Blanca Li, who has choreographed videos for artists including Kanye West, Daft Punk and Blur and brings her street dance show Elektro Kif to Southbank Centre on Friday 2 and Saturday 3 March 2012.

For full Elektro Kif UK tour dates click here

Blanca Li’s cult feature film Dance Challenge (2002) opens with an extraordinary head spin in front of France’s iconic Eiffel Tower. Extending this theme, Southbank Centre challenges solo dancers and dance groups to create a one minute dance video in front of an iconic landmark in their city, film it, upload it tothe Dance Your City Facebook page and compete for the chance to perform in an iconic London venue.

“I’m really excited to be working with Blanca Li and to open this competition to dancers across the UK. Southbank Centre has a long history of supporting and presenting street culture from the skateboarders who have been coming here since the 1970s and dancers who practice in our riverside terraces, foyers and corridors to shows by b.supreme, Flawless and ZooNation,” said Wendy Martin, head of performance and dance at Southbank Centre. “I am proud to further this collaboration and support this vibrant art form and look forward to seeing the videos.”

The first stage of the Dance Your City competition is a public online vote via Facebook to select the top six entries; these dancers will then perform in the live final at Southbank Centre on Friday 2 March 2012 in front of a public audience and a panel of judges including Blanca Li, Kenrick Sandy from hip-hop dance group Boy Blue Entertainment, Southbank Centre’s head of dance and performance Wendy Martin, a representative from ZooNation and a representative from Breakin’ Convention.

Dancers can enter their submission at www.southbankcentre.co.uk/dyc

The ultimate winner will then go on to perform a three minute piece on stage in Queen Elizabeth Hall at Southbank Centre as an opener for Blanca Li’s Elektro Kif show on Saturday 3 March. The winning dancer or group will also receive 20 hours of rehearsal time in the dance studio at Southbank Centre or at one of the tour venues across the UK.

Southbank Centre’s Dance Your City competition launched on 5 December 2011 with the public vote ending on 6 February 2012 and the six finalists announced on 10 February 2012.