Month: January 2016

With the new year not quite behind us, there are resolutions continuing to come out of our ears. It is without a doubt that dancers continue to aspire to better themselves (not just at new year), and a common area they wish to improve is their flexibility. Stretching in order to achieve this can be a contentious subject, with different ideas about how to create a safe and successful stretching routine.

Many dancers constantly stretch to push themselves past the limits of their flexibility, in hopes of extending their physical capabilities, however the way this is done must be safe. Over-stretching can be a very real problem, especially for dancers whose muscles are still developing; it can even limit flexibility through causing unnecessary damage to muscles. It is important not to fall into bad stretching habits, especially if a stretch routine has been built up over time. Here there is a danger of simply going through the motions and not connecting the body with the mind to inform the routine with how we are feeling.

Make sure you prepare for deep stretches sufficiently, in a way that means you will get the most flexibility results and the smallest risk of injury. Respect your body and its ability – you only have one! – by paying attention to how you enter a stretch. Start from a stable place to keep you safe and secure throughout the stretch and take note of the pathway of how you enter a stretch. Tune into your breath while stretching, and lengthen your spine as you breathe in. As your breathe out, go deeper into the stretch and try to maintain the deeper position after that breath cycle.

It is vital that stretching is not rushed: take care of your timing to avoid the risk of injury. Work with your body rather than against it, and don’t force it into a place it isn’t ready to go. Not only can this overstretch and strain muscles but it can also hinder your flexibility progress. Stretching causes tiny tears in the muscles, and the muscle lengthens when the fibres heal and re-connect longer than they were before. Ensure your body has time to recover, rather than continue to stretch and cause scar tissue which causes soreness and fatigue.

BalletBoyz has recently announced it will tour its brand new production Life, which will receive its world premiere at London’s Sadler’s Wells in April 2016, from 20 April to 4 June this year. Additional tour dates have also been announced, meaning the company’s work will reach further than it has done previously amongst its contemporary-loving audiences.

The show features new commissions by choreographers Javier de Frutos and Pontus Lidberg, shifting the focus of the company as a result of the extensive and varied experience of the pair. After opening the production at Sadler’s Wells in April – where BalletBoyz is an Associate Artist – the production will embark on a UK tour, followed by a tour of the USA in 2017. In further excitement, taking the production overseas to the USA means that the Boyz will reach even further, extending their talent across the Atlantic.

Marked as one of the world’s most forward-thinking dance companies, it is hoped the new piece will generate engaging material and ideas to delight its audiences. The piece is co-produced by Sadler’s Wells in association with artsdepot and it will be performed by the award-winning all-male company of ten dancers. The show features an original score and the evening will take an elegant, powerful and provocative look at life and death, presented in BalletBoyz’ notable style.

After premiering in London at Sadler’s Wells, the production will tour to Worthing, London (artsdepot), Oxford, Exeter, Guildford, Yeovil, Edinburgh, Dundee, Southport, Lichfield, Cheltenham and Cambridge, and tickets for most venues are now on sale. Tickets for the Octagon Theatre in Yeovil and the Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham will be on sale soon.

A hotel specifically geared towards the arts is set to open in spring 2016 as the first of its kind. Named Green Rooms, the hotel has been designed to inspire creativity in those that stay there, situated in the country’s capital against the arts-heavy backdrop of the city of London. The hotel will be the first of its kind, acting as a creative hub, hosting artists and encouraging exhibitions, events and performances.

Green Rooms will be a four-storey hotel dedicated solely to the theatre and the arts. It will have 20 double rooms, two studio apartments and two dormitory rooms which each sleep up to 12 people. The hotel will be located in North London in Wood Green which has fast tube connections into the city centre, and rooms start from £18. Double rooms are priced a little higher at £50 per night, however still far below the prices of budget hotels across the city.

With prices in London ever-increasing, and fees for artists remaining the same, it is all too apparent that London is an expensive place to stay in. Many of those people securing themselves a place in the creative industries do not have a lot of disposable income after they have paid for living, food and travel. The rooms of the hotel aim to be far more positive places to stay, becoming a creative hub for those that stay there.

Green Rooms has developed relationships with Somerset House, LIFT, Create London and the Royal Court Theatre to plan their programme of happenings, including a free monthly programme of cultural events, artist in residence opportunities, and even a rotational restaurant residency for upcoming chefs. The hotel will become a creative and inspiring environment, making way for new collaborations and projects devised in its rooms.

Upon graduating from London Studio Centre with a BA (Hons) in Theatre Dance, Marie has strutted and twirled her way around the world.

From 2009-2012 she choreographed and danced for singer ‘Bryan Ferry’ on UK, American and European tours, including a very emotional last Roxy Music ‘For Your Pleasure’ tour of Australia. Corporate work includes dancing, modelling and presenting for brands such as Hitachi, Gucci, IWC, H&M, Dorothy Perkins, TU Clothing and Stephen Webster.

Her recent film and TV credits include Walt Disney’s ‘Maleficent’, several series of BBC’s ‘Horrible Histories’, ‘You, Me & Them’, ‘Pompidou’ (BBC), ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ (BBC) and ‘A Little Chaos’, directed by Alan Rickman.

Marie is currently working with a variety of acts including The Kitts Project and the renowned ‘It Girls’, sparkling and waving her feathers across the UK and beyond. She also sometimes assists celebrated choreographer Lucie Pankhurst as well as choreographing for bands, festivals, theatre schools, fashion and hair shows in her own right.

Marie has an extensive ten year teaching background teaching dance and fitness in the UK and abroad, was co-founder of the TenPilates (Notting Hill) TenBarre Syllabus, assisting with the launch of BabyBop Dance in China and has recently passed her DDI in Modern Theatre Dance.

 

Have you always wanted to be involved in dance?

My mum took me to ballet classes at the tender age of three and it all really stemmed from there. I’ve had two brief blips since then, one at 11 years old when I thought about giving up, but my ballet teacher Elisabeth Swan suggested I try modern in addition to ballet. A year later I had also taken up tap and jazz.

My second ‘dance cross-road’ occurred during my A Levels. I had followed the UCAS route and applied to university, even interviewing at Cambridge to study Geography, but something just didn’t feel right – my heart wasn’t in it. I thank the support of my school teachers who guided me towards what would make me the happiest, and after auditioning at several professional colleges I enrolled at London Studio Centre.

I’ve always been a performer, even as a very young child, putting on shows in the living room, kitchen, garden for whoever would watch. As I grew older – and still to this day – it is the feeling of moving, controlling, sweeping and winding my body through the music. It’s a way to express and process other things that are happening in my life as well as share something I am truly passionate about with others.

 

Where did you train, and what was it like?

My early training at The Weston School of Dance really ignited my desire to become a dancer and then later at London Studio Centre, they gave me the breadth of techniques and skills to make a career out of a hobby. I feel grateful everyday that I get to do what I love as a living. I initially found full-time training really tough – I definitely turned up on the first day thinking it was going to be like ‘Fame’ – boy, was I wrong! The pace was gruelling and the competition was fierce but I would never say that in a negative way: we were supported but not mollycoddled.

 

What was a typical day like?

I commuted into London from Essex so it involved an early train and then into ballet first thing. This is something almost a decade later I still really miss. The familiarity, the rigour of that early morning ballet class, the security and comfort of the progression from pliés through to allegro. The rest of the day was a whirl of singing, voice classes, street, jazz, dance history to name just a few. Taking a moment in between classes to look in at the older students, wondering how long it would take me to be able to dance like that. Then back on the tube, train, home, dinner, bath, bed. It was a relentless routine through term time and I wonder how I had the energy, but I wouldn’t change a minute because it’s got me to where I am today.

 

What is a typical day like now?

No two days are ever the same, which I adore. I have regular teaching posts now so there is some predictability to my week but then a job comes in! For example recently I was assisting choreographer Lucie Pankhurst at a hair show in Dublin which had a crazy Tron/Fantasy theme, and I then touched down at Stansted to run off to teaching (I’ve just launched a barre class in Essex called Barre Fusion (www.barrefusion.uk), before heading back to the airport to fly to Monaco to perform with a band I dance and co-choreograph for.

 

What has been the most memorable moment of your career?

There honestly has been so many it’s hard to choose! Touring with Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music for several years was so much fun and playing to arenas and huge festivals definitely fulfilled a lifelong dream. Nowadays I’m lucky enough to work regularly with two groups that are filled with some of my best friends (The It Girls and The Kitts Band/Project) there’s something really special and comforting about being on stage with your mates. I have been fortunate enough to also dance on screen in TV and film – my favourite was Disney’s Maleficent. Stepping onto a set that big, it was like entering another world.

Also, seeing students I teach perform gives me an immense sense of pride. I consider myself lucky that I love teaching so much and have always done it on and off from an early age – giving workshops at my old secondary school, running after school dance clubs, even flying to Switzerland to teach drama at the International School in Geneva. I am a people person and I’m fortunate now to teach all ages from three years to adult, beginners to advanced as well as delivering a variety of workshops to students with SEN. The arts are a fantastic tool in schools to develop confidence, creativity and explore new subject matter.

 

Tell us about your newest teaching venture…

Barre Fusion is a fast growing worldwide phenomena that brings a new element to your workout as a fusion of ballet, pilates and yoga set to upbeat popular music. Using the techniques and disciplines from the ballet world, the core strengthening of pilates and the flow and stretching of yoga it delivers a high energy high impact workout that combines strength and toning with flexibility and cardio all in one. It aims to deliver the lean toned dancer silhouette, improve tone, posture and flexibility.

After being approached by a fellow dancer in 2014 we developed a syllabus for a London chain of studios and in collaboration with my old dance school ‘The Weston School of Dance & Performing Arts’ we decided to launch and adapted version in Chelmsford, Essex. We’re literally in our early weeks but the response has been great and I love teaching it, it gives great results and helps me maintain the physique and fitness level I need to continue performing.

 

What is your favourite thing about dance and the performing arts industry?

The people you meet! You develop relationships very quickly when you are stuck with each other away on a job 24/7 and you’re are often sharing really unique experiences with people that stay with you forever. For example, earlier this year I did a gig in the Seychelles, going snorkelling and kayaking before the gig with the other dancers is something I’ll never forget – we all spent the whole trip pinching ourselves.

 

And the worst?

It saddens me the way performers have become economically undervalued. Obviously, I understand that with the recession the industry suffered massively but the number of jobs advertised for free or low pay is ever increasing. It’s just not good enough, we’re highly skilled professionals that have invested years of training and money into becoming professional artists. Yes, we are lucky to do a job we love but I don’t do the job for the love of it. I’m good at it because I love it but we still have a livelihood to make. You wouldn’t ask an accountant or a builder to work for the love of it or for the experience/exposure. Of course there are always cases where like-minded individuals are trying to create something that is non-profit and mutually beneficial in terms of experience and exposure, but more and more often I am seeing advertisements online to the contrary. I’ve been really lucky in my career to always be paid and treated fairly but as an industry, along with our wonderful unions, societies and agents, we need to work together to give everyone a fair chance at creating a sustainable career.

 

What or who inspires you most on a daily basis?

I’m inspired by lots of different things, I love looking at videos of dance online – I’m really into The LXD at the moment, which started life as a web series – it combines so many different styles and their precision is ridiculous. Just this morning I watched a performance by Patrick Swayze and his wife Lisa Nieme from the 90s, it was a jazz piece to a Whitney Houston track devoid of tricks, showing beautiful jazz pas de deux, fabulous technique, facility and line.

Choreographer Lucie Pankhurst has featured throughout my career right from my first job out of college (a big show in Milan), and her approach to the rehearsal process and the way she looks after her dancers has always inspired me, and I’ve tried to put this into practise myself. I’ve been fortunate to work with her on a really broad range of productions from avant-garde hair shows, BBC’s Horrible Histories and Disney’s Maleficent to a beautiful contemporary combination of text and dance written by Simon Stephens and performed at the Camden Roundhouse – each piece is uniquely different as required by the brief but ultimately, recognisably ‘Lucie’. Watching her work with dancers and non-dancers is a marvel – she always puts everyone at ease and makes us all feel confident and fabulous.

I’m inspired by the people I teach and dancers I work with, both children and adults – you can always learn from people no matter where they come from or how old they are, everyone has a perspective, a style, an energy and an interpretation they bring to the choreography.

 

What advice would you offer to an aspiring performer?

Be gracious and fun to be around, work hard and love what you do. OBSERVE – it’s amazing whether in the studio, theatre or on set how much you can learn from what’s going on around you, not just from other dancers but lighting, sound, production. Be interested in all aspects of the industry that you’re in – you’d be surprised where these observations and connections could lead.

 

What’s next for you?

Who knows! I had various gigs in the run up to Christmas both with The It Girls and The Kitts Project and the schools I teach at have been preparing for Christmas performances which came around all too soon. That’s the exciting part of the industry you never know what’s around the corner.

In January, on Monday, tomorrow – setting ourselves resolutions is something which never gets old. Bettering ourselves in the dance studio and feeling like we are progressing further along our dance journeys is hugely fulfilling, so the new year is a time when lots of dancers enjoy setting a few goals to aim for during the year ahead and beyond.

Whether it is becoming a better turner on the left (or right!) hand side, learning a new dance skill or simply reaching out to new dancing friends, 2016 looks set to welcome a multitude of resolutions as dancers return to the studios after a break. Creating goals is a process that requires motivation, in aspiring to achieve more and simultaneously enjoying the dance studio. Goals are also a chance to take an in-depth look at exactly what you want to achieve, and the attention and action the goals will require.

Goal setting and resolution-making is something personal and individual to each dancer. While there is no limit to your dancing dreams and goals you wish to master, success may be swifter by focusing on a select number of goals at one time, continuing to reflect your dreams, values and passions but also making sure they are attainable.

For some dancers, the ultimate dream is joining a professional dance company and performing on stage. If one day you would love to do this too, make sure you prepare: do your research and ensure you are building up the relevant and useful skills that will help make your dream a reality. Research schools, teachers, companies’ repertoire and become familiar with what is happening in the dance world. Take different classes to build up your skills and continue to hone your craft.

Be confident in class and embrace new challenges. If your objective in dance is simply to have fun and become the best dancer you can be, don’t forget why you love dance. This is especially important when you are faced with a tricky combination, or you suddenly end up on the studio floor without knowing how you got there – all you know is that it was the pirouette’s fault! Having a positive attitude is one of the best attributes a dancer can have and it can go a long way in ensuring you continue to achieve your dance goals. See challenges as an opportunity to grow into the best dancer you can be!

The New Year is also a great time to try new dance classes and skills: you might fall in love with a new technique, or discover your aptitude for a certain step or trick. If you attend a regular class at a dance school, it is easy to supplement your learning by attending open dance classes in other techniques and taken by different dance teachers. If you usually focus solely on ballet, why not temporarily lose the fifth position and try a contemporary class? If you are a keen tapper, why not try yoga or Pilates to add another dimension to your training? You could find new rhythms in a tap class and deeper stretches in a conditioning class, just don’t be afraid to try!

If your dance goals are more general, such as increasing your flexibility or strength, you can still measure your success in order to better your dancing self. A balance between strength and flexibility is important to all dancers because it helps in performing dance moves correctly and reduces the likelihood of injury, so working on improving this aspect of your technique is thoroughly beneficial. Set time each day to work on these aspects, in increasing your muscular flexibility and also the strength which lends itself to the control and grace of your movements.

Above all, take time to review your goals and consider how far you have come. Telling your dance teacher about your aims for the new dancing year mean they can help you to be accountable for your goals and give you a support system in providing pointers and corrections. With your teachers and peers helping to guide you towards your goals, and a positive outlook for the new year, it will soon be time to start thinking about the following year’s goals!