Month: July 2016

Wings and Sickles

The aesthetics of ballet are continuing to evolve, however something which has remained a constant is the appearance of the foot when it is fully pointed. The ankle joint has limited movement outwards and inwards, however the adjustments of the foot’s position can make a big difference to how it looks to the audience.

The foot as an extension of the ankle can elongate an arabesque or alternatively turn it inwards and demonstrate a weaker foot by sickling. When the foot is pointed in a neutral position an invisible line can be traced up through the floor, foot and into the ankle. Whilst this is technically correct, a winged shape can be seen as more desirable in that the toes are pointed outwards, extending the line. Sickling the foot might indicate poor training or weakness in the ankle, as well as demonstrating a more unsightly line.

The ankle has a slightly larger range of motion inwards, so students may be prone to sickling regardless. Genetics or anatomy can also contribute to a student’s tendency to sickle, and injuries can occur when the foot is both sickled and weight-bearing. This pulls the tendons of the ankle out of alignment, yet injury can occur when winging the foot too. Sickling can even be the intention for some choreographers, if that is what the movement or piece demands, yet for the majority of times, improving ankle strength and stability will minimise sickling.

If the foot winging is supporting weight, this too pulls the ankle joint out of alignment. Dancers may force their heels forward with tendus, instead of using their turnout. This places stress on the tendons on the inside of the foot and twists the knee joints. Despite this, winging could be encouraged in non-weight bearing positions in order to improve individual aesthetics and enhance the line – and limited turn out – the dancer is creating. Turn out must be fully engaged however, so as not to solely rely on the shape of the foot.

Dance-inspired Fit

There are many dance-inspired fitness methods on the market today, from fitness trainers who used to be dancers to those who use dance as a means to remaining happy and healthy, whilst not having a dance background. Aerobics and Zumba classes still have their place, but these are now two of many different options for class participants. Workouts of these kind offer a combination of dance, fitness and wellbeing, and there is truly something to suit everyone, be it at sports centres or the local dance studio.

Today dance-inspired fitness – such as ballet-inspired workouts, dance cardio and toning barre classes – use dancers’ graceful and athletic bodies as a start point, aiming to emulate the idea of dance and being a dancer, rather than aspiring to lose weight or tone up. Strength, lengthening and athleticism can be just two focuses in classes of this kind, aiding existing fitness regimes for both non-dancers and dancers alike. Equally, classes such as HIIT (high intensity interval training), yoga and Zumba can be offered at dance studios that may have previously only offered technique classes.

Barre-style workouts can be used for physical as well as mental fitness benefits. They usually use the body’s own weight to gain lean muscle and a balanced mindset, where the focus is purely on the own body. Many may combine barre, Pilates and dance, and may even incorporate hand weights to aid the body’s training. Mixing up the body’s fitness routine – whether it is from a dance or fitness perspective – continues to challenge the body, and help participants find both energy and strength in the change in fitness activity.

Dance and fitness of course go hand in hand, so trying something different can renew your passion for the reason behind the workout, offering a range of benefits for both body and mind.

Twyla Tharp Dance heading to Italy

Twyla Tharp Dance recently took the premiere of its choreographer’s latest creation to Italy, performed at the end of June when the company visited Florence, Ravenna and Rome. This Italian tour saw the preview of a new work as well as two works performed from Tharp’s repertory. She has been creating dance for 50 years, and during that time she has choreographed over 160 works. These include 129 dances, 12 television specials, six Hollywood films, four full-length ballets, four Broadway shows and two figure skating routines.

Within this creative circuit, Tharp has not only created work for her own company, but for most American dance companies, such as American Ballet Theatre and the Martha Graham Dance Company, as well as the Paris Opera Ballet, the Royal Ballet and Australian Ballet. In her time as a modern dance choreographer she has earned herself two Emmy Awards, and the 2002 Broadway dance musical Movin’ Out won her a Tony Award. In 2008 she was awarded the Jerome Robbins Prize and the Kennedy Centre Honour, and she has received 19 honorary doctorates.

Tharp formed her company at 23 years old, looking for dancers with high levels of technique and strong personalities, but who are also open-minded and willing to forget that they know anything else about dance. The Italian tour for the company saw eight dancers perform, presenting the preview of Beethoven Opus 130, as well as Country Dances and Brahms Paganini.

The new creation, Beethoven Opus 130, received its official premiere at the Saratoga Performing Arts Centre. The piece was originally kept completely secret, apart from some workshop shots taken during the Catskill Mountain Foundation residency in April. Country Dances premiered at the Edinburgh Festival in 1976, inspired by American music and traditions. Brahms Paganini, from 1980, is set to Brahms’s Variations on a Theme by Paganini.

Annual World Hip Hop Championship to hit Vegas

The 15th Annual World Hip Hop Championship is set to hit Las Vegas in August, where the world’s top hip hop and street dancers will be competing at the 2016 World Hip Hop DANCE Championship and World Battles. Otherwise referred to as “the Olympics of hip hop dance”, it will see a record number of 3,500 dancers representing 50 countries compete.

The championship will take place in early August, and competitors will be aspiring to win the gold medals and the world title, and score the perfect 10. The championship will begin with the USA Hip Hop DANCE Championship to determine those who will represent America. Over 100 Crews (made up of five to eight dancers) and MegaCrews (made up of 15-40 dancers each) from throughout the US will travel to Las Vegas to compete for the top three spots advancing to the World Championship.

The championship continues with the World Hip Hop DANCE Championship which will see over 250 Dance Crews and MegaCrews from 50 nations compete in qualifying rounds at the Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort, leading up to the World Finals at Thomas & Mack Centre. Here the World Battles will witness the world’s best street dancers go head to head for world titles for B-boys, Poppers, Lockers and All-Stylers.

The championship was created by Hip Hop International, the originator of the most respected and largest street dance competitions in the world, as well as the creator of “America’s Best Dance Crew”. Founded in 2001, Hip Hop International highlighted street dance, pushing it to the forefront of mainstream popular culture. The world championship is therefore viewed as the ultimate competition in street dance, launching the careers of dancers for artists and companies such as Justin Bieber, Jennifer Lopez, Rhianna and Cirque Du Soleil.

Sir Matthew Bourne’s QEII Award

At the end of June, former ballerina Darcey Bussell CBE, in her capacity as President of the Royal Academy of Dance, escorted Sir Matthew Bourne to Buckingham Palace for a special occasion. In this exciting event as the Patron of the Royal Academy of Dance, Her Majesty The Queen presented the recently-knighted Sir Matthew Bourne with the Academy’s Queen Elizabeth II Coronation (QEII) Award, internationally renowned as one of the most coveted honours in dance. Bourne has contributed above and beyond to the dance industry, introducing new audiences and dancers to his world of performing.

The QEII Award is the Royal Academy of Dance’s most prestigious award. Instituted in 1953 to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, it was first given to Dame Ninette De Valois in 1954, in front of an audience including the presidents of the four Royal Academies (Arts, Music, Dramatic Art and Dance). It has been awarded nearly every year to many theatrical personalities in recognition of outstanding services to the art of ballet and dance. 2014 saw the award given to The Royal Ballet, accepted by director Kevin O’Hare.

After the presentation, Darcey Bussell hosted a champagne luncheon in honour of Sir Matthew in the ballroom of the Mandarin Oriental, London, where The Queen took dance classes as a child. He was joined by many from the entertainment and dance world including Sir Matthew’s company dancers. From choreographer Arlene Phillips to Darcey Bussell’s Strictly Come Dancing colleagues, the audience also included Bussell’s friend Dawn French, following their much-loved pas de deux on television in The Vicar of Dibley.

The Royal Academy of Dance is one of the largest and most influential dance education and training organisations in the world. Established in the 1920s, to improve standards of dance training, the Academy helps and encourages its teachers to perfect their teaching skills and pass on this knowledge to their students.

What does Brexit mean for the arts?

With the news of the UK’s exit from the European Union still reverberating, there has been lots to take in since the announcement of the referendum result on 24 June. Voting remain or leave have many different viewpoints attached, however in terms of the arts it is clear that the UK would have benefitted from remaining in the European Union.

The UK cultural sector could face restricted access to European funding and depleted talent pools of workers as a result of Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union. Arts leaders have called for unity as a result of the vote, specifying that theatre and the arts will suffer as a result of a potential decrease in funding for work to continue to develop. Leading campaigners have argued that theatre and the arts have been endangered following the UK’s decision to exit the European Union, with less security now than previously.

Noting other departures from parliament following the resignation of Prime Minister David Cameron, the Shadow culture secretary Maria Eagle has also resigned. At the end of June she became the 18th politician to depart the shadow cabinet in the space of 48 hours, leaving uncertainty and fear in her wake. With news of exiting the European Union still fresh and raw, it seems the biggest problem is the uncertainty the vote has brought. The country – and the arts – appears to be in a purgatory, uncertain as to what the future holds and with little information formany reasonable conclusions.

One arts leader in particular, National Theatre director Rufus Norris, has urged the performing arts industry not to show fear, but use the arts to give a voice to society following the European Union referendum result. It is ironic that the arts are often used to escape the everyday world, and are much needed now, but with a potential loss of funding this may not always be the case.