Author: Jessica Wilson

OKLAHOMA! To Tour

OKLAHOMA!Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Pulitzer Prize-winning musical OKLAHOMA!, freshly directed by Rachel Kavanaugh and with new choreography by Drew McOnie, will tour the UK and Ireland next year, opening at the Derngate Theatre, Northampton, in February 2015.

This new production of one of the great classic American musicals will be led by Belinda Lang (School for Scandal, Ladies in Lavender) as Aunt Eller, Gary Wilmot (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Pajama Game, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) as Ali Hakim, Ashley Day (The Book of Mormon, The Wizard of Oz, High School Musical) as Curly, Charlotte Wakefield (The Sound of Music, MAMMA MIA!, Spring Awakening) as Laurey and Nic Greenshields (Guys and Dolls, Billy Elliot, The Phantom of the Opera) as Jud Fry, accompanied by a live orchestra.

OKLAHOMA!, with music by Richard Rodgers and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, was based on Lynn Riggs’ play Green Grow the Lilacs; it was the first musical written by the duo. It was originally produced on Broadway in 1943 and the Academy Award-winning film was released in 1955.

Set in Oklahoma, US in the early 1900s, the musical tells the story of two sets of star-crossed lovers. Cowboy Curly loves Laurey, Aunt Eller’s niece, but Curly’s rival is the mysterious Jud Fry. Their stories are told with the help of some of the best loved songs in musical theatre repertoire, including Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’, I’m Just a Girl Who Can’t Say No, People Will Say We’re in Love and Oklahoma.

Presented by Music & Lyrics Limited, this award-winning nationwide consortium is comprised of the UK’s major independent touring theatres. It aims to champion music theatre in all its forms and provide extended life to productions created by the UK’s major producing theatres. It is committed to presenting major musical productions to large and enthusiastic audiences.

Pop Princess Nicole Scherzinger To Star In Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats

Nicole ScherzingerFormer Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger will make her West End stage debut this year when she takes to the stage as Grizabella in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s record-breaking musical Cats. The musical, directed by Trevor Nunn and choreographer by Gillian Lynne, will return to the West End for a strictly limited run from 6 December at the iconic London Palladium.

Having trained in theatre and dance at the Wright State University in Ohio, Scherzinger found fame with American pop group the Pussycat Dolls which sold 50 million records worldwide. She has since enjoyed success as a solo artist, selling 16 million records and having number one singles in the UK. In 2011 she joined the UK version of the X Factor as a judge and also performed one of Lloyd Webber’s songs at the Royal Variety Performance, “Phantom of the Opera”, alongside John-Owen Jones, Ramin Karimloo, Earl Carpenter and Simon Bowman.

Also joining the cast will be Zizi Strallen (niece of Bonnie Langford, sister of Summer, Scarlett and Sasi) as Demeter alongside Cameron Ball (Macavity/Admetus), Kathryn Barnes (Tantomile), Cassie Clare (Cassandra), Ross Finnie (Skimbleshanks), Charlene Ford (Bombalurina), Adam Lake (Alonzo), Paul F Monaghan (Bustopher Jones/Asparagus/Growl Tiger), Joel Morris (Carbucketty), Natasha Mould (Jemima), Benjamin Mundy (Coricopat), Joseph Poulton (Quaxo/Mistoffelees), Nicholas Pound (Old Deuteronomy), Sophie Ragavelas (alternate Grizabella), Clare Rickard (Jellylorum/Griddlebone), Adam Salter (Bill Bailey), Laurie Scarth (Jennyanydots), Hannah Kenna Thomas (Victoria/White Cat), Callum Train (Munkustrap) and Dawn Williams (Rumpleteazer) who are joined by swings Ryan Gover, Barry Haywood, Alice Jane, Grace McKee, Dane Quixall and Libby Watts.

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Perform with Candoco Dance Company

Candoco Dance CompanyCandoco Dance Company is searching for 13 guest performers from any background to join the company for an exciting performance project in 2015: applications close on Sunday 9 November 2014 at 12pm.

The work, entitled The Show Must Go On, was created in 2001 by French choreographer Jérôme Bel. The show examines the relationship between art and life, constantly surprising and challenging the viewer’s expectations. Controlled by a DJ and audio feed, the performers follow lyrics of the songs ranging from musicals to well-loved pop songs. Bel is famous for his minimalist productions that use a bare stage to create an honest connection between the audience and the performers. Bel has been described by The Guardian as “a mischievously entertaining conceptualist who is less interested in movement than in messing with your head” – he is famous for challenging expectations and forcing his audience to question dance.

As a result, 2015 for The Show Must Go On will see a local cast of professional and non-professional performers from London, Nottingham, Birmingham and Glasgow embark on this exciting re-staging project. No dance or performance experience is required, just an enthusiasm to share in a creative process with others and promising a commitment to the project. Booking is now open for recruitment workshops in Birmingham, Glasgow, London and Nottingham. Performers should be 18+ but there is no upper age limit.

Candoco Dance Company is looking for a diverse group of individuals with a passion for performance, regardless of previous experience. They will work and perform alongside Candoco’s seven company dancers. The piece will tour to leading UK venues: Sadler’s Wells in London, Nottingham Playhouse, Warwick Arts Centre and Tramway Glasgow next year.

For more detailed information, download the information sheet and book for a recruitment workshop using the application form on the Candoco website. Contact the company with any queries on 020 7704 6845.

DARREN CHARLES – A Harlem Dream’s SAL

Darren CharlesDarren was born in London England in the 1980s. He gained a scholarship for vocational training at The Urdang Academy where he trained extensively in acting, singing and dance. He graduated in 2007 with honours and went straight into his first show Carmen Jones at The Royal Festival Hall London.

Since then Darren has played lead roles both on the West End and on tour in musicals and he has been a part of UK Hip Hop Dance company BirdGang, gaining much experience performing in commercials, music videos, cast recordings, Bollywood films, short films, student films and events.

Where did you train and what that experience like?

I began my performance training at South London Dance Studios at the age of 16, where I passed various grades in ISTD, and IDTA Tap, Ballet and Modern. I then went on to study full time at The Urdang Academy. As well as furthering my studies as a dancer I trained professionally as a singer and actor.

Did you start performing young?

I first started performing at the age of six at the Notting Hill Carnival Grand Splash where I competed each year for The Crown and won titles a few times such as Best Junior King for Elemu Paddington Arts. I also took tap and ballet classes in my local church hall after school. Even though I loved these classes I stopped taking them because I was teased and bullied at school by other kids for doing ballet.

What is a typical day like for you?

A typical day for me when I am not working would be mostly spent preparing for auditions, going to dance classes, participating in acting workshops or singing in Jazz clubs and gospel choirs. My recent typical working days have been touring the country with The Rat Pack as Sammy Davis Jr.

What’s the best part of dance/performing for you?

I wouldn’t really know where to start but the first thing that springs to mind is the thrill and excitement I feel after I’ve nailed a performance. Also it’s wonderful when you know that the audience has gone on the journey with you throughout the show.

What are you currently working on?

I’m currently working on a show called A Harlem Dream at The Young Vic where I play the lead character Salvador (aka Sal) who is the narrator of the story which is set in early 1930s Harlem. Sal is a young black artist struggling with his identity and creative self. I’m also currently performing with The Rat Pack as Sammy Davis Jr.

What is the rehearsal process like for A Harlem Dream – is it a collaborative process with all the dancers and creative team?

The rehearsal process for A Harlem Dream is amazing. It’s an ambitious collaboration of fresh talented actors, dancers, writers and musicians all working together to create a very original ground breaking show.

What is the hardest element of the rehearsal process?

The hardest element of the rehearsal process would have to be time, there simply isn’t enough in one day! We start at 10am and finish at 7pm but I am loving every moment.

Do you have any advice for aspiring performers?

My advice for aspiring performers would be to never give up. The path isn’t always easy and fun, but it’s worth it if it’s what you truly love.

What are you most looking forward to about the performances?

I can’t wait to see how the audience react to our show. I’m also very happy to be performing again with my close friend Ivan Blackstock.

ROBIA BROWN – A Harlem Dream’s CONSTANCE

Robia BrrownRobia has been performing, choreographing and teaching in London for over 10 years. She has worked with companies and choreographers such as Avant Garde Dance Company, A&R Dance, Definitives and Ivan Blackstock, as well as creating work as a solo artist.

She has taught masterclasses across the UK and Europe sharing her vast knowledge with students from across the globe. She believes dance is her life and life is her dance; this is apparent in all of her work and throughout her classes.

Where did you train and what that experience like?

I have always wanted to be involved in dance. Since I came on to Earth I was moving and grooving with my mini legs and arms! I started training properly when I was seven years old.

I started dancing with a street dance group, for five years. I then moved to another street group for three years and then trained at the Brit School from the age of fifteen until I was nineteen. It was a great experience to train in more than one style and I embraced all of it! I love learning new things and delving deeper in to my passion.

Did you start performing young?

I started performing when I was seven (minus the shows I would put on in the front room for my mum!)

What is a typical day like for you?

A typical day for me always consists of dance. If I’m not rehearsing for a performance or a video, I am either taking class, choreographing or training on my freestyle. I try not to make my days too typical as I love working on new things and developing my dance vocabulary. Unless I am rehearsing for a production, then getting into a routine for a period of time is an uplifting experience.

What’s the best part of dance/performing for you?

Honestly, there are so many things I love from doing what I do. Not just the dancing and performing but the understanding and knowledge. I love building conversation about a concept of movement or choreography and the meaning to why I am moving. I love the process of creating and rehearsing and doing it over again until it makes sense, but it also has to feel right. I love getting things wrong so I can improve. I love hearing good and bad feedback. The performing part is a bonus for me.

Dance is such a broad art in itself, it has many layers and I find the layers the best part/parts!

What are you currently working on?

Currently I am working on ‘A Harlem Dream’ at the Young Vic Theatre. I have the lead female role ‘Constance’. I am also slowly building my own company but putting my main energy in to this production at the moment.

What is the rehearsal process like for A Harlem Dream – is it a collaborative process with all the dancers and creative team?

The rehearsal process so far for A Harlem Dream has been very rewarding. I have known Ivan in the dance scene since I was seven, and to work with him now I am 22 is an awesome thing. We get to contribute ideas and collaborate on movement material as well as anything we feel needs adjusting or shifting: we can put our voice across and feel comfortable enough to speak our minds. It is a big team effort but wouldn’t be anything without Ivan and Ukweli [Roach] for their direction. I feel inspired every time I leave the studio, not just by the directors but by the whole team! The show sinks in more and more each rehearsal and I am very happy and grateful for my role and to be around such like-minded beings.

What is the hardest element of the rehearsal process?

The hardest element of the rehearsal process is putting on a show within the limited time that we have. I feel it is more a challenge for the team as a whole to really pull this off with such an in-depth storyline. We really have to understand our characters and portray that through our movement and that can also be a hard task. I have faith in all of us and believe it will only get better through time.

Do you have any advice for aspiring performers?

My main advice is to be happy doing whatever it is that you want to do. I don’t think it is healthy to just dance for the sake of dance. Find where you want to be and bask in it. Try not to get wound up in the things you don’t want to do. Everything is a choice – I made the choice to be happy and everyone is entitled to happiness.

What are you most looking forward to about the performances?

I’m most looking forward to dancing with everyone that has inspired me through the time and being a part of something that really pushes the boundaries! I can’t wait!

BBC Young Dancer 2015

BBC Young Dancer 2015BBC Young Dancer 2015 is a new award for young people that showcases the very best of young British dance talent. Young dancers will enter in one of four categories: ballet, contemporary, hip hop and South Asian dance. The competition will culminate in a grand finale at Sadler’s Wells, London, when the best dancers in each category will compete for the competition title.

It is a brand new project for young ballet, contemporary, hip hop and South Asian dancers, as part of the BBC’s continuing commitment to the arts and the support of new artists. The new award joins BBC Young Musician as a showcase for talented and dedicated young performers. Since it was first held in 1978, BBC Young Musician has helped to launch the careers of many of the UK’s most successful classical music stars.

BBC Young Dancer 2015 is placing dance centre stage by looking for dancers aged 16-20 across the four categories. To reach the final dancers must make it through three competitive rounds, where they will be judged on criteria designed to reward technical command, creative and expressive ability, as well as hard work and dedication. Each round is a performance opportunity, and after each one they will receive honest and supportive feedback from leading professionals on the judging panel.

As dancers progress through the rounds, they will get opportunities to dance for leading professionals in their chosen dance style. There will be new choreography created for the finalists, and workshops along the way where they will have the chance to work on their performances with choreographers and leading dance practitioners.

The finalists will dance on the main stage at Sadler’s Wells on 9 May 2015, in front of the house and a UK-wide television audience. The winner will receive £3,000 to help support and further their dance studies.

Being Mindful Of Health

HealthIn maintaining your health as a dancer it is important to consider all of the aspects of health which are equally as important as each other. For example nutrition through food and drink is used for the body’s every function, from muscle contraction to nerve impulses, with many nutrients taking on more than one job in the body. For instance, calcium is well known for being a hugely important part of bone health but is also critical for creating an electric impulse that travels down a nerve, and for allowing a muscle to relax after contracting.

Make sure the body is not overworked by doing too much too soon, and make physical changes gradually. Research has found that dancers tend to get injured when they have a dramatic change in their workload, either a rapid increase in the amount of dancing or a quick transition to a new style of dance for which the body is unprepared. Introduce your body to the change by taking time to increase the volume and/or intensity of physical load. This could mean gradually increasing the number of classes or styles you take or it could be increasing the number of repetitions of class combinations.

Cross-training also aids the body, simply because dance is so physical and dancers need to behave more like athletes when it comes to conditioning. A great way to make sure you are maximising physical potential, and reducing opportunity for injury, is by exercising in ways that are unlike exercise through dancing. This can improve cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance and muscular strength. The same muscles are used over and over through technique classes or specific repertoire, and there is little chance to improve the strength and endurance of the muscles that are not critical for current work.

Make sure you rest too! Rest is the time the body takes to heal and improve function. If you are feeling exhausted, decrease the amount of dancing or replace it with low-impact activity like Pilates or floor-based barre. Rest is necessary to prevent fatigue, which is a major factor for injuries and one of the most preventable. Rest is also important for your immune system so help your body boost immune functions by getting enough sleep.

Image courtesy of Adria Richards.

Training In Fosse-Style Jazz

Bob FosseLike many other choreographers, such as George Balanchine and Martha Graham, Bob Fosse is one who created lots of spectacular work and an entire stylistic repertoire. His movements are slinky and sensual yet always have much emotional depth.

Fosse died over 25 years ago yet his style is still desired and emulated widely, especially throughout the US. The revival of Chicago the musical, choreographed by Fosse devotee Ann Reinking, is still running on Broadway and Pippin (with Fosse-inspired choreography by Chet Walker) is also back. Fosse’s work continues to inspire.

Fosse didn’t codify a technique to train dancers, yet his style serves as an essential base for students of all disciplines; Fosse’s smooth style and attention to detail are invaluable. Fosse is known to have called his dancers “actors”, emphasising that their primary job is to communicate a story as everything he did had an emotional, mental, political and ethical side to it. The dancers he trained are complete entertainers through their deep understanding of performance. Each step has intent behind it and you have to bring out every aspect of the character to convey it.

Fosse style encourages dancers to engage emotionally and also helps develop ensemble skills. In addition to dancers working together as a group, attention to detail is paramount. The intricate nature of Fosse’s choreography means so much can be conveyed through the subtlety of a single finger wag or a sideways glance. The style requires an incredible work ethic because much of the work is based on intricate isolations, so dancers develop a heightened body awareness and focus.

While the process of learning the work is intense, it is apparent there are two huge payoffs in auditions and onstage. You must be able to watch and replicate in a detailed and multi-layered way, and a diligent rehearsal process ensures confidence in performance.

UK theatres under threat

Brighton HippodromeThe Brighton Hippodrome, Plymouth’s Palace Theatre and the Victoria Theatre in Salford are at the top of this year’s Theatre Buildings at Risk Register, which lists 33 venues around the UK. Although the number of theatres has decreased, the Theatres Trust has warned the drop is partly down to changes to the way it focuses on venues under immediate threat. The Theatre Buildings at Risk Register is published annually, and identifies venues at risk from demolition, change of use, development, sale, decay and neglect, lack of funding and poor building operation.

Eight venues are new to the list in 2014, with the Trust claiming many of these are on it because local authorities no longer want responsibility for funding or operating them. These include the Secombe Theatre in London and the Muni Arts Centre in Pontypridd. Two venues from Blackpool are new to the register: the Winter Gardens Pavilion and the North Pier Theatre.

A worry for many involved is the extent to which more local authority cuts will lead to further closures, however the Trust’s advisers are working hard to help communities and local authorities find possible solutions. For the first time this year, venues have also been rated according to how important a venue is to its community, alongside risks to the building and quality of the theatre, however this is seemingly difficult to engage.

Brighton’s Hippodrome, which was at the top of the list last year, was labelled the most significant case for the Trust, with efforts ongoing to prevent it from being redeveloped as an eight-screen cinema and restaurant complex. Meanwhile, the Palace in Plymouth was used as a theatre until 1980 before becoming a nightclub, but has been disused since 2006. The Trust said it was supporting the Plymouth Palace Project to develop a business and management plan for the venue.

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

The Many Facets Of Dance

Zumba ClassRegardless of your favourite dance discipline, it is important to maintain your practice in other dance forms to both complement and balance your training. Whilst one discipline may be concentrated on, it is beneficial both physically and mentally to take part in other dance forms other than your main interest.

Many teachers encourage their students to try everything to ensure their dance training is well-rounded and dance interests are well-informed. The more dance styles and dance knowledge you have under your belt, the better!

Once dance students begin to venture into dance careers, the different dance styles lend themselves to performances in different ways, and can even influence the roles you are cast for and whether you may have a role created on you in the future. Having a multitude of dance skills at your disposal means dancers are even more of an asset to the dance companies they join. Dance companies demand a lot from their dancers, so the more you can offer, the better.

Despite this, sometimes extreme pressure is placed on the body (and mind) when something completely new is required. Different styles to what you are used to can be difficult to get used to, but by cross-training your body, it will become easier to manage these changes.

Daily class is one of the best ways to cope with the extremes of different styles, as it warms the body up and prepares it for the day ahead. Keeping the body strong and confident is important, so eating well and looking after your body outside of the studio is also vital to succeeding.

Don’t forget that the opportunity to work on lots of different things in lots of different styles is the best way to develop as a dancer, and keep on learning!

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.