Month: August 2015

Dance Network, the first channel devoted entirely to dance-related programming, will launch in the autumn in the United States. Following its announcement in early August this year, dance fans can expect a solely dedicated channel for dance and the arts. The network will be a direct-to-consumers, subscription-based operation available on web browsers, iOS and Android devices and on Roku, with plans to expand later to set-top boxes, video game consoles and other platforms.

Dance Network will feature programming devoted to “all forms of movement and dance as entertainment, exercise, sport and inspiration,” drawn from both original shows, licensed TV shows and film. Pulling together these numerous resources means Dance Network looks set to inform, entertain and delight. Three of the network’s launch shows have been announced, namely Travelling Dancer, a showcase of dance styles worldwide; To The Stage, documenting real-life competitive choirs, inspired by Fox’s television programme Glee; and Steady Mobbin’, a show about flash mobs.

Ahead of Dance Network’s official launch in October, the network is hosting a preview event for consumers in the US on National Dance Day, both in Nashville and online, where there will be a mix of original and licensed programming available. The full list of programmes will be announced before the official launch, in addition to the acquired licensed programming which will also be announced later.

It is hoped that the initiative will be expanded for dance audiences all over the world; whilst the Internet and YouTube are a fantastic source of performance, entertainment and information in terms of dance, a dedicated channel for dance and the arts only would be a welcome addition to any fan’s resources.

Following months of rumours and speculation around the capital, the entertainment giant Disney has confirmed its hit Broadway musical adaption of Aladdin and its elaborate costumes will soar into London during the summer of 2016, much to the delight of theatre fans all over. Based on the much-loved 1992 Disney film, which is now over 20 years old, Aladdin boasts a highly acclaimed creative team, with direction and choreography by The Book Of Mormon’s Casey Nicholaw, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, and music by regular Disney writer Alan Menken.

The show made its New York premiere in 2014, gaining critical and public acclaim. The show features incredible staging, as well as a magic carpet ride! Also in the mix are the original film’s musical numbers including A Whole New World and Friend Like Me, in addition to new songs created especially for the stage adaptation. The five-time Tony Award nominated show will become the latest of Broadway transfers to hit the West End to great popularity, including The Book Of Mormon, Beautiful – The Carole King Musical and the forthcoming Kinky Boots.

Also announced in the wake of the news of the show’s transfer has been the open auditions for the production, due to take place in London and enabling anyone and everyone to audition for a part. Whilst casting for new productions is usually done through agents with highly trained actors and performers on their books, Aladdin will open the pool up to anyone who would like to audition. On the production’s Broadway website, Disney announced the production is in search of athletic, technically trained male and female dancers with excellent ability to join the company of its West End production, meaning those without agents too can join the audition throng.

Full details are still to be announced.

The world of musical theatre, where belief is suspended and the magic of illusion is welcomed, is ultimately the culmination of years of training and hard work by the performers. In order to succeed in the best way possible, performers are still required to be a “triple-threat” in mastering singing, acting and dance, and to go further still.

New productions, and even casting for those which are well-established, require an ever-increasing range of skills, such as puppetry, stilt-walking, acrobatics, playing a musical instrument and roller-skating, alongside such high levels of dancing, singing and acting. Performers must have a multitude of skills under their belts, and must be confident enough to be able to attempt to master everything presented to them, either in an audition or in rehearsals.

A music theatre performer needs a broad range of skills to stand out from the crowd, and be quadruple or even quintuple-threat performers. Even considering dance alone, to have the best chance at continuous work performers need to be strong across all three traditional disciplines of ballet, jazz and tap, and have extra skills as well, such as pas de deux. Most musical theatre performers start in the industry as ensemble or understudies, which means they need to be as good as every ensemble member in the show, able to jump into any role at any time.

The weighting of the performer’s skill set depends on the show: musicals such as A Chorus Line or West Side Story need faultless dancers, as well as being a singer and actor. In contrast, for Les Miserables you need to be a strong singer. The landscape of musical theatre is continually changing to reflect culture and commercialism; it is advisable therefore for performers to keep broadening their skills, and learning other dance genres such as hip hop and ballroom. Aside from dance, the more you can do, the more shows you are right for and the more you will work, so ensure you stand out from the crowd and keep opening the door to more opportunities.

You have got your first job as a professional dancer, in a long-running theatrical production. Whilst this is not always the preferred option with performers – due to the monotony of the day-to-day repetition of movement and life itself – working in a theatre on a production which has its feet under the table can be very rewarding.

However, if you are worried you may not last in your first job in a long-running production, there are ways to survive! It is important to get into your own routine quickly, one which enables you to get enough sleep and eat regular meals, and also conserve energy for the show. Most of the time you won’t be required at work until late afternoon, so ensure you do not become complacent and jeopardise your discipline and stamina required for working on a long run. In addition, it is also helpful to have a life away from the theatre, so you are not living and breathing the profession constantly. Life in a long run can get very claustrophobic, both physically and mentally, seeing the same faces over again and facing and company politics.

Make time for yourself whilst you are working on a long run. It is easy to feel like you have no influence on the production if you have a smaller role or are understudying. Take some time aside to work on something you are passionate about, be it part of the industry or not, such as writing or even forging alternative careers. Even if doing something for yourself means taking classes, they will help keep you feeling fresh, through something such as yoga, Pilates or even an alternative dance technique. It will help with your health, wellbeing and sanity!

Above all, listen to others. Don’t go into autopilot mode and and just go through the motions, or even try to manufacture spontaneity. The director is there to help and advise you, and many theatre notes are often for the long-running performers.

The Alexander McQueen biopic will transfer to the Theatre Royal Haymarket this August, following its successful run at the St James Theatre. Stephen Wight will reprise his role as the fashion designer in James Phillip’s play, alongside Carly Bawden (Assassins, Menier Chocolate Factory) as Dahlia for the West End run from 13 August–7 November. Wight originally starred alongside Glee’s Dianna Agron when the show premiered in May.

Taking audiences on a journey into the visionary imagination of one of Britain’s most legendary designers, McQueen follows the story of a girl who climbs down from the tree in which she’s been watching him and breaks into McQueen’s Mayfair home to steal a dress. Catching her in the act, McQueen has the chance to call the police but instead they embark on a journey through London, visiting figures – both dead and alive – encountered throughout his troubled life.

Directed by John Caird, and with choreography by Christopher Marney, McQueen will open at the Haymarket following the current run of the Broadway transfer The Elephant Man starring Bradley Cooper, which closes on 8 August. Tracy-Ann Oberman and Laura Rees, who both appeared in the show’s original run, will reprise their roles as Isabella Blow and Arabella alongside Wight, with Michael Bertenshaw (Anne Boleyn, Shakespeare’s Globe) joining the cast as Savile Row tailor Mr Hitchcock.

The popular theatrical notion is that if a production plays successfully at the Chichester Festival Theatre, it is very likely the show will receive a West End transfer. Here McQueen breaks the mould, transferring from a London venue to the very heart of Theatreland. Playwright Phillips has spoken of his opportunity to refine some things from the original production, with the show set to delight audiences yet again through this McQueen insight.

This summer will see Bloomberg dedicate its annual festival at the Camden Roundhouse to introducing new audiences to innovative culture, opening with Utopia, a major new installation. Alongside the installation, the Roundhouse presents two thrilling and enchanting evenings of dance, circus, cabaret and spoken word as part of Utopia Live Lates, a series of evening events that will be based around a different provocation and theme from the installation.

Curated around the concept of a genderless world, Circus Director Paul Evans will premiere a brand new circus aerial piece ‘Don’t Mention The F Word’, and Zoonation Youth Company will be joined by Roundhouse street Circus Collective and Tommy Franzen to perform a mash-up of ballroom and street dance in an electric brand new commission choreographed by the legendary Arlene Phillips.

6 August in particular presents a Late which will celebrate the genderless world through circus and cabaret. The anti-drag queen David Hoyle will bring a special performance that promises to be provocative and highly funny, and performance artist Andie Macario will also take to the stage. Fresh from headlining the Block9 field at Glastonbury this year, infamous international DJ Honey Dijon will take partygoers into the night with her distinct Chicago sound with the deep New York underground, mixing classic house and disco, techno and tech house.

A second Late on 12 August will see money, inheritance and celebrity put in the spotlight through dance, spoken word and live art. Tommy Franzen, ZooNation Youth Company, Roundhouse Street Circus Collective and established ballroom dancers will perform a mash-up of ballroom and street dance in a brand new commission especially created and choreographed for Utopia by Phillips. The commission will bring together dancers of all generations as Phillips will also deliver her impassioned provocation, for a world without material inheritance.

A new reality TV show about West End performers – which currently has the working title Life’s A Stage – is being developed for a pilot filming session during August. The show has been commissioned by a major broadcaster: if the pilot is well-received, it is expected to be commissioned for a full series.

Production company Znak and Jones is now casting for the pilot episode, which will not be broadcast, and is seeking performers of any experience, aged 18 to 35. Znak and Jones was set up by former ITV head of factual Natalka Znak and Simon Jones, former chief operating officer of Syco Television USA.

The inspiration for the show was the West End casts performing at the Royal Variety Performance, the annual fundraising gala. Casts change so rapidly for West End shows, as well as the life expectancies of the shows themselves. Life’s A Stage will therefore centre around a cast of West End performers living together in one house, with the juxtaposition of the glamour of the stage and the reality of living. As well as documenting both the work lives and social lives of actors, musicians and dancers, the show will also include planned performances of songs from West End shows.

The show is not set to be a documentary about actors, but it also will not be as scripted as shows such as Made In Chelsea and The Only Way Is Essex, which are heavily constructed. Scenes will not be set up for the real-life actors to interact with each other, but will be a real reflection of life and their real actions and reactions will remain. A simple storyline will be added using the talents of those involved, making for an entertaining insight into the world of showbiz.