Jessica Wilson – Page 121 – Dance Direct Blog. News, Reviews & Advice About Dance

Choosing An Audition Piece

Dance Auditions Auditions are a huge part of any dancers life: some dancers revel in auditions with the chance to perform in a more informal environment, others speak of auditions with dread and worry. Whatever your view of auditions, there are a few key points to help you along the way, especially when preparing your dance piece for the big day.

When selecting the pieces you will perform at an audition, you must ensure that you are well prepared. Check dance audition guidelines as there may be specific points to consider. The guidelines will be provided by the production, company or school you are auditioning for, and may make the difference between a cut and a part. Another essential part of auditions is the ability to follow instructions!

If you are not sure about any part of the upcoming audition, seek the advice of the dance teacher who is currently educating you. Your dance teacher will be able to give you guidance based on your genre and your audition, with help in areas such as content, preparation and presentation. They may also help you prepare extra choreography for your audition, just in case you are required to present more pieces.

The piece you select to present should then be well rehearsed so you can perform it well, whilst remaining relaxed and expressive that enables you to dance to your best ability. Choose something that reflects your personality and ability, with music and movement that engage and interests.

Take copies of everything you need to the audition, such as any sheet music, recorded music, attire, dance shoes or simple costume/prop pieces you may need for your pieces as well as for an additional piece if requested.

Good luck!

MOVE IT 2014

MOVE IT 2014 For another year running the UK’s largest dance event, MOVE IT, played to full capacity at London’s Olympia. A wonderful haven for dance enthusiasts everywhere, MOVE IT is the central event for dance shopping, performances, classes, seminars, networking, and all under one roof!

Spread over three days, MOVE IT played host to a number of dance organisation and institution stands, as well as more commercial dancewear shopping brands such as Dance Direct and Capezio. It seemed there were innumerate classes on offer over the weekend, a variety for all ages and abilities such as an Introduction to Swan Lake workshop or Advanced Street Dance, taught by some of the most leading practitioners in their fields. There is definitely something for everyone at MOVE IT.

Classes such as Advanced Commercial Jazz were well attended by MOVE IT participants, eager to get a slice of the current dance action and to learn from professionals who have made their living from dance. For Advanced Commercial Jazz in particular, the fast paced routine was a taster of future auditions for the dancers, lead by a member of performing arts institute Urdang faculty. Gaining experience and the tips and tricks from someone who has been there and done it is invaluable experience for any young dance hopeful.

Despite this, it was the main stage that held the real gems of MOVE IT. Throughout the weekend different sets of colleges present their students in a huge MOVE IT showcase, advertising their students’ abilities to prospective students who may be toying with the idea of auditioning for that particular college. There were a variety of performances, however each college and institution displayed vibrancy and talent, a clear indication of the future of the performing arts.

Ruthie Henshall Set To Join Billy Elliot Cast!

Great news for musical theatre fans everywhere – superstar Ruthie Henshall will be joining the cast of Billy Elliot – The Musical in May to play Billy’s dance teacher Mrs Wilkinson, taking over from current Mrs Wilkinson, Anna-Jane Casey. Ruthie has recently been focusing on her solo performances on tour, and will now return to the West End stage for the first time since 2011. The first performance for Ruthie as Mrs Wilkinson will be on 12 May 2014, nine years to the day since the show officially opened at the Victoria Palace Theatre.

Ruthie has become a musical theatre success throughout her years on stage, with other credits including performances in productions such as Chicago, The Woman in White, Marguerite, Les Misérables, Oliver!, Crazy For You, Cats, Miss Saigon and She Loves Me, for which she won an Olivier Award. She was last on stage in Thea Sharrock’s revival of Blithe Spirit at the Apollo Theatre in 2011.

Based on the hit 2000 film and set against the mining strikes of the 1980s, Billy Elliot – The Musical recounts the tale of a boy whose father wants him to learn to box but who instead discovers a love for ballet that leads him from secret lessons to a place at The Royal Ballet School.

Ruthie, having trained at the prestigious Laine Theatre Arts, has gone onto inaugural performing arts success in a range of roles and performances spanning many years across the industry. She has recently been performing in her own tour, presenting an anecdotal evening of snippets of her life alongside some of the blockbuster hits she is most famous for. This is in addition to her own material which is a testament to her incredible talent and ultimately, her success as a musical theatre artist.

Sergei Filin To Judge The Youth America Grand Prix

Sergei Filin, the Bolshoi Ballet artistic director who was wounded in an acid attack that shocked the dance world last year, will appear in New York in April as one of the judges of the Youth America Grand Prix ballet competition. As an influential figure for classical ballet in Russia particularly, the coup for the Youth America Grand Prix may be a controversial one for the prestigious competition.

Filin is expected to make a couple of public appearances at performances marking the 15th anniversary of the prominent competition, which awards scholarships to young dancers, and was recently featured in the documentary film “First Position”. In addition to this Filin is expected to take a curtain call at the competition’s 15th anniversary gala on 10 April at the David H. Koch Theater, which will feature Olga Smirnova of the Bolshoi Ballet, as well as Misty Copeland and other dancers from American Ballet Theater, among the performers. Before the performance, the Russian director is then scheduled to answer questions from the stage the following night, before a performance by several prominent dancers, including Sara Mearns of New York City Ballet, Herman Cornejo of the American Ballet Theater, and Alicia Graf Mack of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

The attack on Filin last year outraged the ballet world and threw the Bolshoi Ballet into a state turmoil, watched by the rest of the world as the drama continued to unfold. A former dancer in the company, Pavel Dmitrichenko, was sentenced to six years in a penal colony for ordering the attack, which partially blinded Filin. Despite this, the sight in one of Filin’s eyes is strong enough for him to act as a judge at the Youth America Grand Prix, where the youthful talent of the dance word will perform.

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Sunanda Biswas: A Credit To Hip Hop

Sunanda Biswas One of UK’s foremost B-girls and founder of ‘FLOWZAIC’, the UK’s first all-female breaking crew, Sunanda has performed, judged and hosted at some of the biggest Hip Hop and B-Boy events from UK B-Boy Championship, Nike Dance Clash to BOTY and B-Supreme women in the Hip Hop festival at the South Bank Centre.

She was the co-choreographer for the NHS segment of the London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony and is now Associate Director of ‘Grounded’ which gave its début performance at Sadler’s Wells Breakin’ Convention’s 2013 tenth anniversary.

When did you begin dancing, where and why?

I began dancing when I was three years old, doing ballet and tap, but then also trained as a gymnast from six years old. I then went to Lewisham College at 16, and then London Studio Centre.

What were your early years of dancing and training like?

I remember copying dance moves from old hip hop videos, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson and Madonna, and there was a guy at my gym that used to do a UK version of Locking, so I used to copy his routines! I also loved breaking back in the day, but never learnt it properly until the late 1990s. My training was good; I had to do basic ballet, contemporary, and Matt Mattox jazz that really enhanced my dance career.

What does dance mean for you?

I guess it’s my life as this is what I have done as a living since I left college, but it is my passion also and I love the history involved in dance, and the social side of it.

How long have you been working as performer and choreographer? How did it begin?

I have been working professionally for about 20 years and some of my first jobs were doing commercials, videos, teaching and performing in a casino in Italy!

What is a ‘typical’ day like?

I always try to get up and do yoga and pilates exercises at home before I go and either teach, choreograph or do a job. Some days I don’t have work so I train or take other people’s classes as it’s always good to keep up with the knowledge.

What’s the best part of dance for you?

I love training but the performances are great, also battling and free styling as you can be yourself and have your own character.

What would you say was your greatest dance achievement to date?

It has to be choreographing and performing in the London 2012 opening ceremony in the NHS section: myself and my long-term dance partner, Temujin Gill, got to work with Danny Boyle and create our own choreography and style, and also got to perform on the night!

What advice would you give to someone aspiring to be part of the dance industry?

I think you have to be motivated and work hard, it’s not always easy but if you put enough time into it, you can achieve what you desire, Also, be versatile and learn different styles, but it is good to specialise in one or two so you can really shine and be different.

What’s next for you?

I am currently doing a research and development project with my dance company Grounded where we are exploring ideas to create a new show. We are working with the styles of lindy hop, breaking and tap, and training up more dancers throughout the process.

Sir Tim Rice… No More?

It has been rumoured within Theatreland that acclaimed lyricist, Sir Tim Rice, is set to retire from the musical theatre industry. This has come after claims that the public seem to prefer shows featuring well-known pop songs to original material in stage musicals.

Rice grew to international fame following his longtime collaborative working with Andrew Lloyd Webber on hugely successful musicals such as Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Evita, as well as more recent works including From Here to Eternity. Following the news that From Here to Eternity is set to close in March after just 22 weeks in London’s West End, Rice now fears theatre-goers are more interested in seeing shows such as Mamma Mia!, which features the music of ABBA, and Queen musical We Will Rock You.

Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat was the first work of Rice and Lloyd-Webber, quickly taking on a life of its own leading to stagings, additions of new material, and even a record deal with Decca. Success with Joseph was followed by Jesus Christ Superstar, the show that brought the pair international fame and a place in musical theatre history. Next came Evita: as with Jesus Christ Superstar, a concept album was released and the show’s ironic piece “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina” became a number one hit in the UK. As with Rice’s previous shows, Evita went on to play in countries around the world. Rice then met with Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus from ABBA to discuss ideas for a musical, and the trio collaborated on what would become Chess.

Rice’s work has won him numerous awards including 12 Ivor Novello awards, 3 Tonys, and 3 Oscars. He was knighted by HRH Queen Elizabeth II in 1994.

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Preserving The Martha Graham Dance Company

Martha Graham Dance Company The Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance announced that its efforts in using technology to help preserve choreography and pass it on from one generation to the next were to be aided by a $1 million grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation that will allow the company to build on, digitise and organise its archive of materials on Graham dances.

The grant will allow the center to create “toolkits” to help immortalise individual Graham dances, including videos of generations of Graham dancers in rehearsal and performance; stage drawings; musical recordings and scores; Graham’s choreographic notes; drawings and photographs of sets; costume sketches, and reviews. The kits will also incorporate the center’s recently restored and digitised films and videos, and some materials that were restored after they were damaged by Hurricane Sandy last year, a devastating blow to the company.

Over the next two years the center will create 35 new toolkits which can be used by the Martha Graham Dance Company when it revives a work, as well as by other companies and schools that license them, helping to recreate the magic of the Graham technique and performance without allowing any of it to get lost. The next set of toolkits would be about 34 dances, and the Martha Graham technique. Restoring the critical material – those pieces the company has information on – are hugely important for the company.

The toolkits will also be made available to scholars, critics and artists interested in Martha Graham. Graham is widely renowned as one of four major modern dance pioneers of her time (with Doris Humphrey, Charles Weidman and José Limón). Throughout her choreographic lifetime, Graham created 181 dances.

All-night Macbeth

Rift Macbeth Immersive theatre-makers Rift are set to stage a site-specific performance of Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth that will take place overnight. Rift plans to stage the all-night Macbeth in east London tower block in an innovative move to put audiences to sleep – and then wake them up.

The audience will be asked to go to bed after the first few scenes of Shakespeare’s murderous production on the top floor of an iconic east London tower block and throughout the night, they will be visited by the play’s characters as they present the events around the murder, and its consequences. The play will conclude in the morning as the audience wakes for the final act.

This new production will begin by meeting the three witches in an underground car park and it will run for two months from the summer solstice in June, beginning at 8pm and finishing 12 hours later. Rift are not the first company to turn Macbeth into such an immersive experience. Punchdrunk transformed the play in 2003, when Sleep No More received its first UK performances at the Beaufoy Building, an old Victorian school in south London. The production was revived in 2011 in New York, where it has been running ever since.

The company is led by director Felix Mortimer, who has previously staged similar productions of The Tempest, which became a six-part pop-up installation in a London shop, and Franz Kafka’s The Trial, which was spread over two locations in east London.

Originally known as Retz, the company Rift was founded in 2010. This all-night performance of Macbeth seems set to take audiences by storm as they immerse themselves into the lives and deaths of the Macbeth family in one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies.

Holasz Choreography and The Charcoal Movement

Treacle Holasz After a successful premiere at The Place’s Resolution! festival, Holasz Choreography is set to launch the next installment of its piece for Resolution!, Yfronts – a contemporary lap dance as a collaboration with The Charcoal Movement on Friday 7 March at The Etcetera Theatre in London.

As a choreographic movement taking its first steps, founder Treacle Holasz has already made her mark on the contemporary dance map, presenting her work to much acclaim earlier in February. For March at The Etcetera Theatre the format is due to be much the same as at The Place: a playful duet involving feminism, politics and a fair bit of larking about!

Audiences can enjoy a live set design created by The Charcoal Movement and there may even be the chance to get your hands mucky and join in as well! The set will then become the home to Holasz Choreography’s Yfronts, accompanied by live music and washed down with a beverage or two!

For those interested there is also an open dance workshop available. Places are limited but it is is fantastic opportunity to get up close to the action and learn a little more about how Holasz went about creating her Yfronts. There is a special combination booking price of just £12 for both the performance and workshop, or £6 for just the workshop.

The workshop will be led by Charlie Ford, Georges Hann and Treacle Holasz, the team behind Holasz Choreography, offering the opportunity to learn repertoire from Yfronts and explore some of the creative tasks that created it. Some dance experience is required and places are very limited so booking well in advance is recommended.

Don your Yfronts, you are in for a real treat!

The Chelmsford Ballet Company Presents The Nutcracker

Celebrating its 65th anniversary, The Chelmsford Ballet Company is proud to present its version of The Nutcracker from 19-22 March at the Civic Theatre in Chelmsford. Some of Tchaikovsky’s most famous melodies set the scene; the story of a little girl’s magical Christmas present. Battle the Mouse King and travel with Clara to the Magical Kingdom of Sweets. Delight in the dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, be captivated by the Waltz of the Flowers, the flurry of Snowflakes and the candy striped Merlitons, a spectacle for any time of year.

The Company was founded in 1947 by Joan Weston as the Broomfield YMCA Ballet Company in order to give the more senior students at her existing dance school the opportunity to learn and perform to the public. It was after its 1949 performance of Coppelia that the then-mayor of Chelmsford suggested the name ‘The Chelmsford Ballet Company’. Today the Company is led by Artistic Director Annette Potter, a former dancing member. Annette danced many leading roles with the company before moving on to teaching and choreography. She continues to present the high standards of dance and performance for which the Company is recognised.

Since that first performance in 1949, the Company has staged a full-scale production every year as an event in its own right. In 1984 The Chelmsford Ballet Company presented its version of the Royal Ballet film The Tales of Beatrix Potter. This was the first time the ballet had been performed on stage; it was not until 1992 that the Royal Ballet staged its own production at Covent Garden.

The Company has announced that Richard Bermange will return to dance this year as the dashing Cavalier. His Sugar Plum Fairy will be Emma Lister and to complete the exciting Guest line-up, Michael Budd will dance the Mouse King.

Richard trained at Central School of Ballet, London. As a student he danced with Northern Ballet and Ballet Central, and since graduation he has worked with English National Ballet, K-Ballet, Tokyo, Tivoli Ballet, Peter Schaufuss Ballet and The National Ballet of Ireland. Most recently he has worked with Ballet Ireland as an Associate Choreographer.

Emma Lister trained at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School. Upon graduation she danced with The Royal Winnipeg Ballet and since moving to London, Emma has worked with English National Ballet and with the English Youth Ballet, having danced the lead roles in Coppélia, The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Les Sylphides, Giselle and Swan Lake.

Michael trained at The Royal Ballet School for 7 years. After graduating from the Upper School he toured with London Studio Centre in Images of Dance. He has since danced with many companies including European Ballet, Matthew Bourne’s Adventures in Motion Pictures, English National Ballet, Vienna Festival Ballet, Balletomania, Anya Ison Wallace Dance company, The Johann Strauss Gala and Debbie McGee and Paul Daniels’ ballet company, Ballet Imaginaire.

Tickets are on sale from the Civic Theatre Box Office 01245 606505 or online from Chelmsford City Theatres