Introducing Cole Lam
Cole: Composer coordinating our Dance Relay!
The brilliant 19 year old composer who drew together the themes from all 5 composers within our Commonwealth Dance Relay
Meet Cole Lam, the composer connecting the Commonwealth Dance Relay
Now studying at Berklee College of Music, Massachusetts, Cole Lam is a pianist, composer and jazz musician whose performances have reached millions online. He first came to wider attention at the age of 12 when a public piano performance of Bohemian Rhapsody at St Pancras Station went viral, eventually attracting an audience of more than 100 million views and helping him build a following of over a million music lovers worldwide.
Alongside his online success, Cole is deeply committed to music education and inspiring the next generation of young musicians. While studying at The Purcell School, he took part in outreach projects working with primary school children, helping to build confidence, enthusiasm and a love of ensemble music. His ability to connect with young people, both in person and online, has made him a powerful advocate for the role music can play in bringing people together.
Music at the centre of a global relay
At the heart of the Commonwealth Dance Relay is a soundtrack that does something rather special. It travels across continents, draws together different musical identities, and creates one shared journey through dance. Bringing those voices together is young composer and pianist Cole Lam, who shaped the Relay’s five musical themes into a single six-minute track.
Each section of the music represents one of the five regions of the Commonwealth: Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and the Americas, Europe, and the Pacific. Each has its own character, colour and energy, but Cole’s role was to weave them into one flowing soundtrack that could carry the Relay from one group to the next. The result is a piece that feels both varied and unified, inviting dancers from very different places and traditions to become part of the same creative conversation.
The Commonwealth Dance Relay is a global celebration of culture and creativity, bringing together young dancers from across the UK and around the Commonwealth in one inclusive shared project. Groups can choose to respond to the full track, or select just one regional section and create their own interpretation in any style they like. Some may take inspiration from the original choreography by Shevelle Dynott and students from the Royal Ballet School. Others may create something completely new. That openness is central to the spirit of the Relay.
Giving dancers both structure and freedom
Cole’s soundtrack makes that possible. It gives the project both its structure and its freedom: a clear musical thread that connects every contribution, while leaving space for each dancer, school and community to bring their own ideas, traditions and personality. It is music designed not just to be listened to, but to be responded to.
Through his innovative approach, Cole has captured the essence of each region’s musical heritage, blending them into a seamless narrative that resonates with audiences worldwide. His composition serves as a testament to the power of collaboration and creativity, highlighting the shared values and traditions that bind the Commonwealth’s communities together. This extraordinary work stands as a beacon of unity, celebrating the vibrant cultural mosaic that defines the Commonwealth.
Meet the Dance Relay composers
Flabie Enar Loape
Africa
Grace Wellik
Pacific
Gerard Coutain
Caribbean
Nafias Ahmed
Asia
Jacob Abela
Europe
Cole Lam
Coordinating composer
