Jessica Wilson – Page 131 – Dance Direct Blog. News, Reviews & Advice About Dance

Alan Burkitt: A Fred Astaire For Our Time

Alan Burkitt, a Fred Astaire for today, covers the lead Jerry Travers in the hit West End show Top Hat. From his beginnings as a young tap extraordinaire, to three years vocational training at Performers College, Alan has become a versatile performer who takes ultimate pride in his work in the capital’s West End. Here he talks about his early dancing years, his incredible life in Top Hat and the exciting venture which is up next for his career…

When did you begin dancing, and why?

I began dancing at the age of five in my hometown of Whitstable, in Kent. It was really something that I wanted to do and after much prancing around the kitchen my parents gave in and shipped me off to a local dance school. Still to this day I’m not quite sure what attracted me to dance as it does not run in our family and my parents are not particularly ‘stagey’… so I guess I got their share too!

What were your early years of dancing and training like?

At the age of 10 I started at the Deborah Capon School of Dance. Unfortunately Deborah passed away last month, taken from us in her prime. She was an exceptional teacher who instilled a depth of knowledge and understanding in me that has stayed with me all through my professional years. I also studied Jazz, Ballet and National and was a Junior Associate at the Royal Ballet School. After Top Hat, I think lots of people see me as Alan: the tapper. It was Deborah that taught me about light and shade, fluidity of rhythm and presentation. Now in my performing years, a dear friend… I will miss her greatly.

How long have you been performing? Did you start young?

I performed in many shows and dance festivals growing up. I loved competing and going up to London for the day was always such a valuable and rewarding experience. As I was the only boy at our dance school I had the pick of the girls!

Where did you train? What was it like?

After staying on at school to do my A-Levels I went to Performers College in Essex. I can honestly say I loved my three years there and could easily go back and do it all again! The all-round training I received was excellent and the general atmosphere was something special to be a part of. I had an amazing Classical teacher there called Lorraine Swain. She pushed me technically in a direction I never thought possible and is part of the reason why I have been able to be so diverse in my professional career.

What is a typical day like for you?

A typical day?! I rise at about 9am… 9.30… ok, 10am! I have a healthy breakfast of a bacon butty and a cup of coffee then get the train into work on a Matinee [afternoon performance] day. (We have three!) We then have one show at 2.30pm, a quick dinner and 15 minutes shut-eye then we do it all over again at 7.30pm. It’s then back home at about 12am ready to do it all again the next day! It is tiring but we do it because we love it, and I think that’s the way performers are programmed and therefore function. We go into work everyday to do a job we love and are proud of… brilliant eh?!

Do you still take classes? How do you keep on top of your technique?

I’ll be honest and say not really! I do a lot of teaching however. I am hugely passionate about educating and inspiring others and I treat those lessons as my workout too! I also try to go to the gym to keep up a level of strength… I always find I have more energy and dynamics on stage when I’ve been more active in the day.

What do you like best about performing in the West End?

I love working in the West End because I feel a sense of pride and achievement. It’s so many young people’s dream to ‘make it’ there and I can actually say… “I’ve done that!” It’s lovely to be at home too so you can enjoy home and work life, and try to obtain some sort of balance?!

Which part of Top Hat do you enjoy most?

I love my track in the show but when I go on for the Lead ‘Jerry Travers’… you just can’t beat the feeling!! It is a dream role for me because it is a style of dance that I have adored from such a young age. I remember when I was little I won a tap competition and the adjudicator commented that I was like a mini Fred Astaire… since then I have been a huge fan of his films and to recreate one on stage is both exciting and an honour.

What advice would you give to someone aspiring to be part of the musical theatre world?

Easy… you have to wake up in the morning and want to do this more than anything else. That means growing a thick skin as there will be rejection along the way, but more than anything you have to live and breath music or dance. It’s hard at times… but trust me, it pays off!!

What would you say is the best part about dance and performing for you?

The best part about performing for me is when you completely let go and immerse yourself in a character on stage. It is an escape from day-to-day life that is so rewarding and diverse. There’s a moment in every show, when after rehearsals you suddenly just relax and ‘become’ that character and no longer have to think about the steps because they just happen… that’s when an audience forget they’re sitting in a theatre and are transported somewhere magical!

Tell us something about yourself we may not expect…

I’ll soon be thirty two!!! Hard to believe one could still look so fresh and young?!

What’s next for you?

I’m currently choreographing ‘Fascinating Aida’ for a new UK tour called Charm Offensive!… plug plug! It’s going to be great and the girls are an absolute hoot to work with. Go and support this wonderful show as they travel to a town near you!

Other than that it’s back to auditioning and planning the next step in my career… I’ll let you know!

Pushy Parents?

Dance Moms It has been the subject of much speculation over many years, however with the turn of the twenty-first century it seems that dancers will stop at nothing to achieve. Behind these dancers are their parents and dance teachers, encouraging and even directing these young students into a dance world they may not wish to be a part of. In addition to this, they not by physically ready for this kind of work either.

The work of subject is high pressure and high performance dance contests in which applying the same amount of make up and fake tan to a small child as a dancer on Strictly Come Dancing has been rather controversial. Whilst the child may enjoy the dancing, the music, and the social life that comes with dance classes and competitions, it must be noted that they do not have the knowledge of any alternative, and therefore the motivation to pursue another activity.

Whilst younger children are more flexible then their older counterparts, it is apparent that many dance teachers and parents abuse this, pushing the dancers to force their bodies to contort and lengthen before they are perhaps quite ready, substituting health and wellbeing for a leg up by the side of the head and a box jump greater than that in the hit movie Fame. Starting this work (too) early may be detrimental to the dancer’s future and is not a pre-requisite for a successful dancing life.

It is an assumption to label these parents and teachers as “pushy”, as seen on television programmes featuring dance phenomenons such as Baby Ballroom and Baby Disco: it is clear that overall each parent has the child’s interests at heart, however sometimes this gets lost on the way to our television and computer screens.

Nutrition In Winter

Nutrition Pyramid For dancers, the body is not just ‘the body’ but the means to achieve. Maintaining your optimum health and ensuring you are always at your peak is a constant thought in a dancer’s life at the best of times, but with the colder months ahead of us, it is something that requires even more attention.

In terms of general wellbeing, the winter brings cold studios and difficult warm ups in order to prepare the body sufficiently. Dancers must be particularly aware of chilblains (from resting parts of the body on heat for prolonged periods of time) and stress to joints in the cold: your body must be suitably warm for the dance class, rehearsal or performance ahead.

What a dancer puts into their body during winter is also highly important. It is much easier to eat healthily during summer when salads and light dishes are most appealing. However, when the cold comes it is all too easy to ‘treat’ ourselves (treat being the operative word) to a hot chocolate or chips. A treat once in a while does no harm, but lots of unhealthy choices can cause problems. It is easier to think of your body like a car. A petrol car cannot run on diesel: you have to fuel your body with the right things, as it won’t work sufficiently if you fuel it with with things such as processed food, which won’t aid your overall performance.

It is also important to eat to maintain a healthy immune system, which will fight germs and mean you can dance properly, sooner. Multivitamins can help, but best is the consumption of cereals, protein, dairy and lots of fruit and vegetables, full of antioxidants. Soups can be a great way to have a hot, nutritious meal whilst dancing all day. Regular meals containing all 5 food groups will maintain a healthy balance meaning your body will be ready to face the winter!

Uniform Standards

Dance Uniform Whilst the stereotypical uniform for dance is much the same, different uniform is required for different dance schools, different exam boards and even different dance grades. For a non-dancer, the assumption of pink ballet tights and a leotard for ballet is not so far from the truth, the stereotypes also formed for tap and modern jazz. Contemporary and lyrical classes tend to be a little more free and liberal in terms of what the dancer dons, and can range from anything to short shorts and tights tops to tracksuit bottoms and baggy pyjama-style tops, known on the whole as ‘baggies’, often used in any dance class for warming up.

Despite the stereotypes, dance teachers all employ certain uniform and dance wear standards for their students. Some prefer their dancers to be comfortable with what they are wearing, whereas others maintain that a dancewear uniform enforces discipline and technique as the teachers are able to see the dancers’ bodies easily. For those who like to see their dance school uniform worn, or neat dance wear purchased, their dancers are more likely to adhere to the standards required during dance exams too. Some dance examination boards define each grade through different coloured leotards, waist elastics or style of ballet shoe.

Aside from ballet, jazz dance and modern jazz is also sometimes subject to requirements such as these. Some exam classes, or even individual teaches, will ask that no split sole jazz shoes be worn, for example, or alternatively that split sole jazz shoes are preferable. Some argue that split sole shoes – be it jazz, ballet, jazz trainers or even tap shoes – offer no support and a full sole provides more for the technique. However, dance shoes, like the rest of the catalogues and wardrobes full of dance wear, are usually dictated by teachers and dancers grow up with these views instilled.

25 Years Of East London Dance

In celebrating the past, present and future of East London Dance, its celebration of 25 years of dancing success saw a huge variety of performances come together under one roof at Stratford Circus. The abundance of vitality and passion was overwhelming, with one piece even gaining the Royal seal of approval: ‘Family Tree’ was originally conceived as part of the Coronation Festival earlier this year. Featuring performers from Middlesex University, Kingston University, University of East London and One Youth Dance, it was packed full of energy and celebrated the influence of the Commonwealth on contemporary Britain.

Wayne McGregor’s ‘FAR’ was also featured, inspired by the controversial Age of Enlightenment. As a previous neighbour of East London Dance as the Redbridge Council dance co-ordinator, McGregor’s work epitomises aesthetic qualities of contemporary dance. Particularly representative of McGregor’s specific performance style, ‘FAR’ marked a similar milestone for the prestigious company and the renowned choreographer’s repertoire of work. Folk Dance Remixed, a fusion of street dance and folk dance, presented ‘Step Hop House’ which merged live music, folk and breakdance, and even beat boxing in an eclectic mix. A true crowd-pleaser, ‘Step Hop House’ demonstrated the versatility and variety of all East London Dance has achieved. The piece was a unique combination of humour and skill, and even included some signature Michael Jackson moves.

It was the representation of youth dance however which truly celebrated East London Dance, the future. Companies such as Avant Garde Youth and Unity Academy were fierce, slick and professional in their sharp expression; the young dancers gave much hope for the future of dance, particularly in the East of London. The sheer dedication of all involved in celebrating the 25 years were full of optimism, championing the many skills and concepts as just a snapshot of what dance can offer in the future whilst maintaining the legacy of East London Dance.

Learning To Be Carabosse By Birmingham Royal Ballet

Birmingham Royal Ballet, the sister of the capital’s Royal Ballet, is renowned for its outreach and engagement activities. Just recently audiences were able to get a taste of what it is like to be truly ballet wicked, in a workshop with Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Assistant Director Marion Tait.

As part of Birmingham’s 4 Squares weekender (6-8 September) participants from the Midlands and surrounding areas were able to engage in an open rehearsal, in which Tait taught the role of Carabosse, the wicked fairy from The Sleeping Beauty. While Carabosse is usually played by a male dancer each member of the rehearsal audience were able to experience the mood and emotion behind the character.

Tait focused on the mime of Carabosse rather than the choreographed steps, making the rehearsal accessible to ballet lovers of all ages and abilities, rather than confusing the process by including the technical jargon of classical ballet. Tait shared many tips and secrets of the role for her varied audience, having been a ballerina in her prime and also a renowned dance actress. The audience were also able to watch a dancer of the Birmingham Royal Ballet within the rehearsal who was being taught by Tait: First Artist Callie Roberts, who will be taking on the role of Carabosse for the first time as part of Birmingham Royal Ballet’s autumn performances of the classic tale.

The weekend-long festival also included a performance by Freefall, Birmingham’s acclaimed company for highly gifted young people with learning difficulties. The performance was also interspersed with Birmingham Royal Ballet dances, led by dancers no longer with the company, and staff from Fox Hollies Performing Arts College. The audience were, again, a special part of the dance here, provided with a rare chance to see this unique company on stage.

Conversation With Marguerite Porter: A Royal Ballet Diamond

Marguerite Porter, director of the Yorkshire Ballet Summer School, is a British ballet diamond. From joining The Royal Ballet aged just 17, to partnering ballet legend Rudolf Nureyev, Porter’s ballet career has been full of iconic and incredibly memorable moments. Today sees Porter at the helm of the Yorkshire Ballet Summer School, leading it towards its fundraising Gala at Sadler’s Wells at the end of the month.

Where did you train?

I trained with Louise Browne in York and then at The Royal Ballet School for two years before joining the company.

What was your typical day like?

Class was at 10:30am followed by all day rehearsals which would end around 6pm, however if there was a performance in the evening and one was dancing the principal role, one would finish around lunchtime in order to prepare for the evening performance.

What is a typical day like now?

There is no typical day, as the Summer School approaches it becomes extremely busy. My PA arrives around 10am and typically we will work until around 3pm. At present in preparation for the Gala I am working all hours of the day and night with various deadlines to meet.

Who inspired you to dance?

I began to dance by accident; I was extremely tall for my age and developed a stoop in order to fit in with my peers! In order to try and correct my poor posture, my grandmother asked a friend of hers if her twin daughters (who attended the Rambert School in London) would give me ballet lessons in their bedroom during the holidays. As soon as I started to put music to the exercises I had been taught I knew I wanted to dance. Later when ballet came fully into my life I would say Lynn Seymour and Margot Fonteyn were my inspiration.

Did you train in any other techniques other than ballet?

At the Royal Ballet School we learned character dances and Spanish dancing.

What was life like as a Royal Ballet Dancer?

In my early years with the Royal Ballet as a corps de ballet member I was blissfully happy. Sir Frederick Ashton, Michael Somes and Jack Hart were the joint directors. It was a wonderful atmosphere in which to begin my career. I joined the Royal Ballet aged 17; I had never been out of the country before and in those days we did extensive tours abroad. Four months in America and Canada with a six week run at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York was a thrill for someone who had never been on a plane before or indeed until the age of 15 out of Yorkshire. These were the golden years with Margot Fonteyn and Rudolph Nureyev leading the company, it was such a thrill for us young dancers to be a part of it. As I progressed through the ranks to become a principal the pressure and responsibility increased and somewhat diminished the freedom and pure joy of those early years.

Do you think life there is different now?

Very difficult to answer this question, I can only imagine the pressure is even greater as they do many more performances than in my day.

What are the most memorable parts of your extensive career?

Working with the likes of Sir Frederick Ashton, Sir Kenneth McMillan, Jerome Robbins and many other wonderful choreographers, also performing with some of the greatest dancers of the 20th century including Anthony Dowell, Rudolf Nureyev and others too numerous to mention.

Do the same things motivate you each day for ballet and dance?

The motivation each day for dance is the love of it, the discipline which is innate in a dancer’s body and constant striving for perfection.

Do you still take classes?

No.

What’s the best part of dance and performance?

I used to find the rehearsal period and preparation the most exciting, creating and developing a role and making it one’s own. If it all comes together in the performance which is what one strives and hopes for, then it is exciting and fulfilling.

Of all the iconic dancers and choreographers you’ve worked with, what is the one moment that will always be with you?

Performing as Odette/Odile in Swan Lake with Rudolf Nureyev as Prince Siegfried at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

What advice would you give to someone aspiring to a ballet or dance career?

It is a very hard life and I would advise anyone wanting to be part of it, to consider whether or not they have the physical stamina and emotional strength to withstand it. If, after serious soul searching, (and they have all the physical attributes necessary to become a dancer) I would suggest they work hard, wear blinkers and soldier on.

What are you looking forward to most for YBSS?

To continue in the same way with all the positive things that David Gayle the founder of the YBSS instilled at the beginning.

What’s next?

To continue as we have in the past 40 years, hopefully inspiring, guiding and helping young talent.

The GOlive Festival

GOLive Festival Donald Hutera, notable arts journalist and dance critic, has been invited to curate the GOlive Dance & Performance Festival currently taking place at the Lion and Unicorn theatre until the end of September. Hutera’s work has appeared in The Times, Time Out and Dance Europe amongst other publications and websites world-wide, making him the ideal candidate to programme this new festival of dance.

The Giant Olive Theatre is a small black box venue of about 50 seats, so the qualities desired when selecting artists to take part were venue and curator specific. Hutera aims to ensure an immediate connection between the performers and the audience, with the performances close-up; risk, intimacy and play underpin the basis of the festival. As critic-turned-curator, Hutera has found the transition smooth as he enjoys championing dance work he believes in on a day-to-day basis.

The GOlive festival looks to be highly rewarding as a result of its conception. George Sallis, the artistic director of Giant Olive Theatre at the Lion and Unicorn pub, questioned Hutera about curating a dance festival earlier this year, meaning Hutera’s desire to do so was met by Sallis’ need. In fact, the pub has a past record of presenting dance as a result of the efforts of George and Antonia Franceschi, formerly a Balanchine ballerina and later a teacher, coach and choreographer. Franceschi is also an actress, playing the ballerina who becomes pregnant in Fame.

Spread across 21 consecutive days and featuring works of over four dozen individuals or companies, the GOlive Festival will include Darren Ellis, Ella Mesma, Renaud Wiser, Anusha Subramanyam, Daniel Hay-Gordon/Eleanor Perry, Shane Shambhu, Nuno Silva, Moreno Solinas, The Dangerologists, Stopgap’s Sg2, Angela Woodhouse, Dog Kennel Hill Project, Mickael Marso Rivière, Jennifer Jackson/Susie Crow and Fred Gehrig amongst many others. Between them they have worked with the likes of Richard Alston, Siobhan Davies, Shobana Jeyasingh, Russell Maliphant, The Royal Ballet, Wayne McGregor|Random Dance, Rambert Dance Company, Henri Oguike and Arthur Pita.

The Growth of Lyrical, Contemporary And Jazz

Contemporary Dance With the now mainstream TV entertainment programmes such as So You Think You Can Dance and Got To Dance, dance culture has shifted in the UK.

Before the emergence of programmes of this type and of this popularity, contemporary dance and lyrical jazz techniques were less ‘discovered’: ruling the day was ballet, tap and modern jazz, with the increasing growth of hip hop and street dance.

Large performing arts institutions offering dance classes on a huge scale, such as Pineapple, Danceworks and Studio 68, offered and continue to offer an abundance of daily classes to all ages and abilities. Whilst lyrical and contemporary classes were on offer to the attendees of the classes, it seems the growth of the dance television programmes has increased their popularity. Moreover, the style of lyrical, lyrical jazz, contemporary and contemporary jazz has shifted completely, with classes now offering both the technical side of these styles as well as the steering the performance qualities seen on the programmes.

Despite the technical side of dance, the television programmes convey a prominent sense of intention behind the movement in addition to a ‘jazzy’ narrative. Telling a story through dance is not a pre-requisite yet it seems for television this is desirable in order to appeal to the entertainment of the mass audiences. This is in addition to relating the movement through screen and making it desirable for its environment, namely a competition. As a result, the dazzling leaps, high kicks and multiple turns have made their way into mainstream, everyday classes; not necessarily a good or bad thing, simply an observation that these movements and choreographies are becoming increasingly popular.

Purely technical classes, however, have not disappeared, just added to by this increase in popularity of the dramatic and heartfelt movement portrayals on television. Dancers who look for both sides of the lyrical dance coin now have the added benefit of a certain sense of performance behind the class.

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

The RAD’s Virtual Launch

On 10 September the Royal Academy of Dance will be launching Progressions: the launch of the new Advanced Foundation, 1 & 2 syllabi. It will be a virtual launch of the new work of the vocational graded examinations meaning members and non members alike will be able to watch the first ever virtual launch of new RAD syllabi on 10 September. Also on offer to engage with are demonstrations of the new advanced work, interviews with the creative panel and even a live Twitter question and answer session.

The online launch will be available to view at intervals throughout the day depending on where viewers are located. In addition to the launch events are being organised across the world by RAD National and Regional Managers with countries such as USA, Canada, Brazil, Spain, Jamaica, Sri Lanka and Mexico in discussion about holding events for members to attend to watch the launch together. There will also be ‘coffee morning’ style events round the UK in many regions, and one held at RAD headquarters too.

The new syllabi (Advanced Foundation (male & female), Advanced 1 (female) and Advanced 2 (female)) challenge students to meet higher technical and artistic demands than previously, with a nod towards current ballet training and performance. Each of the new syllabi provides opportunities for self-expression and achievement through dance, while building on the foundation of previous grades offered by the RAD, in both the graded and vocational graded strands of work.

The virtual launch will highlight the RAD at the forefront of dance training, with the examination syllabus reflecting this. The new syllabi have been developed with an emphasis on choreography, music and performance through dancers’ technical development at an advanced level. As a result candidates will prepare for an internationally recognised portfolio of examinations which is seen as an industry benchmark for students working towards a professional dance career.