Category: News

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.

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.

Whilst exercise is renowned for its stress-busting and happiness-inducing benefits, the same benefits of dance are sometimes overlooked. There are the obvious physical benefits of dance, in that it keeps the body fit and healthy, encouraging strong, lean muscle mass and a good range of flexibility, another valued strand of overall fitness. Often the mental benefits of dance – and exercise – are focused on less, however they have just as much value for the body, mind and wellbeing.

Dance is a surefire way of escaping the realities of the everyday, a welcome distraction from the stresses of life. Dance may come with its own stresses, such as cleaning choreography or remembering a new variation, however these are minor in comparison to the amount of joy dance brings. Experiencing stress can have a damaging effect on the body so dance and exercise can remedy this. As a result of dancing, the chemicals that are released into the brain help control how it deals with stress.

Similar to some forms of exercise, dance falls under the umbrella of moderate to high intensity aerobic workouts, with added style and artistry! This can help reduce feelings of anxiety as a result of the boost to the brain we experience through dance, improving the brain’s functioning and performance, as well as stimulating the development of new brain cells. Dance does not just aid young, aspiring students: here it is clear that older dancers will too reap the benefits of dance slowing the deterioration of key parts of the brain. Dance makes the brain’s neurones stronger and more efficient, aiding learning and memory.

Overall dance makes its participants happy. As the ultimate mental benefit, using the body in such a way, focusing on the self and forgetting everything else means the chemicals created in the brain through dance lead us straight to happiness. Exercising or dancing for just 30 minutes a few times a week can instantly boost your mood and make you happier.

For many dancers, September will spell an exciting time. Following a summer of furthering your dance learning, be it on a summer school, taking drop-in classes or working on particular parts of your technique, for many September will mean beginning a course in purely dance. This could be as part of your final studies at school, or even a brand new timetable at college or a degree course at university.

A new course will mean lots of hard work and dedication. The course could be focused on dance technique, academic study, dance teaching, choreography, performance, or even a combination of them all. Anything new can be daunting and even overwhelming, but tutors are there to support your learning, and encourage you to enhance this as much as you can. Furthering your dance learning beyond the study can give a new appreciation of dance, its history, and where it might be going in the future, as well as how your dance generation might contribute to the development of that.

While you are studying make sure you continue to experience new dance work, to inform your studies. Every asset of the course can be applied to your learning in some way, be it by inspiring you to push your performance further, noting a new way of dancing a step or observing choreography that is missing just one element which you can identify. Seeing new dance by Jew dance artists will keep inspiring you and your ways of working. Large companies performing well-known repertory will do this too, adding context to your historical studies and providing new ways of thinking about dance.

Exploring dance and the many avenues of study surrounding it is ultimately fulfilling. If your aim is to eventually teach dance, your views and knowledge of dance which is constantly evolving will inform your practice and in turn inspire your students. Ensure you keep up with current dance practices, techniques and terminology, learning about both the old and new to aid your work.

Two British performance companies – contemporary circus company NoFit State Circus and dance company Motionhouse – have joined forces to create new work, pushing boundaries of circus and dance to create a new art form. New show BLOCK was unveiled in May at the Norfolk and Norwich Festival Garden Party, and the show will now go on to be performed more than 70 times at festivals across the UK and Europe this summer.

Developing a research project run by NoFit State Circus in 2013 exploring the potential for a set of ‘blocks’ to provide the basis for a performance, BLOCK is directed by Kevin Finnan, Artistic Director of Motionhouse, with Circus Direction by NoFit State’s Paul Evans. The project has been created for public spaces echoing the two companies’ commitment to making work that is accessible, providing a platform for audience development whilst pushing at the boundaries of their art forms.

BLOCK therefore aims to create a new theatrical language that fuses circus and dance. It sees twenty oversized blocks resembling giant breeze blocks, doubling as both performance equipment and the set. Continually deconstructed and reformed, they create an infinite variety of shapes, structures and equipment for the performers to play on, move with and explore. This mirrors the changing landscapes of the environment and creates a platform on which bodies communicate change, barriers, obstacles, repetitions, failures and successes.

BLOCK is commissioned by Without Walls, Stockton International Riverside Festival, Norfolk & Norwich Festival and Out There International Festival of Circus & Street Arts. Without Walls, a consortium of 10 of the UK’s leading Outdoor Arts festivals and organisations, brings the best in new outdoor performance to diverse audiences all over the UK, providing opportunities for artists to develop bold new ideas, inclusive of all art forms and genres.

Applications are now open for the 2017 Pina Bausch Fellowship for Dance and Choreography, awarded annually. Open to artists from around the world, the fellowship enables the recipient to explore the techniques of a renowned choreographer by becoming a temporary member of the ensemble of their choice.

The Pina Bausch Fellowship enables dancers and choreographers to extend their own repertoire of movement and find new and individual means of expression within dance, elongating their experience and practice. Recipients will present the results of their time with their chosen ensemble at final presentation in Wuppertal, Germany. There are up to four fellowships on offer, with no age limit for applicants.

The judging panel responsible for awarding the 2017 Pina Bausch Fellowship is made up of three dance professionals, namely Ana Laguna (dancer and spouse of Mats Ek), Christophe Slagmuylder (Artistic Director Kunstenfestivaldesarts), and Yorgos Loukos (Artistic Director Dance / Opéra de Lyon, Artistic Director Athens & Epidaurus Festival). In this hugely beneficial experience, participants can expect to grow as individuals and artists, extending their practice and developing their work further.

An official degree in dance or choreography is not a requirement for an application to the Pina Bausch Fellowship for Dance and Choreography. The Fellowship is therefore open to all dancers with a professional working experience of at least two years, demonstrable through the application process. Choreographers need to have produced at least one public production in the last three years.

The application period for the Fellowship 2018 begins on 1 June and ends on 15 September 2017.

Applications for the 2017 Pina Bausch Fellowship for Dance and Choreography are open until 15 September 2016. For more information visit https://fellowship.pinabausch.org/en/home

In a fresh take on the classic, an all new Giselle for English National Ballet will be eagerly anticipated by both traditional balletomane audiences and contemporary audiences. Khan’s Kathak influences will mean his Giselle for the boundary-pushing ballet company will be a complete refresh of the story, moving away from the perfection of pointe shoes. His curiosity as a choreographer will see many innovations on stage for English National Ballet.

Giselle will be the company’s second collaboration with Akram Khan, lead by artistic director Tamara Rojo to shake up the traditional story that is deeply engrained in the history of classical ballet. Embedded in Romantic classicism, Giselle tells the tale of the tragedy of a girl driven mad by love and lies. Her death at the end of Act I is only the beginning: Act II is set by her grave. The revenge on her lover is at the hands of the Willis, seeing him dance to his death also.

It is clear this new take on the classic tale will be telling for the entire art form. With the move of the company to east London imminent in the next few years, Khan’s Giselle will be another keystone in the company’s history, and that of ballet too. The ballet originally premiered in 1841, and Khan’s take on it will be observed by many, his spiritual approach to dance echoed in the tale itself. As an innovator he has worked with film stars, ballerinas and artists, as well as on the 2012 Olympics opening ceremony.

The team of collaborators are set to produce a visual spectacle. Tim Yip, who worked on the design for the film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, takes on sets and costume, and composer Ben Frost will adapt the original Adolphe Adams score to be performed by the ENB Philharmonic. Ruth Little, who worked as the dramaturg on Khan’s piece Desh, will look after the narrative.

Whilst many young dancers dream of becoming a professional, as age and experience increase there is sometimes the realisation that this may not become a reality. Despite this, there are many opportunities at school or college to continue to be involved in dance, without studying it solely at vocational level or in higher education.

Many institutions have a dance club or group outside of studies, or may even have a gymnastics or cheerleading team if you wish to try something different. Some dance groups may require an audition before joining, whereas others are light-hearted and just for fun. In addition to dancing, you could be heavily involved in other areas such as choreographing, being the dance captain, teaching technique classes, notating choreography, making or adjusting costumes and arranging music.

Universities and colleges use fresher fairs at the beginning of each year to tell new students about opportunities they can be involved in on campus. Most dance groups are student-run, giving members the chance to shape it in the way they would like, and introduce the content they would like to take part in. The many genres within dance mean there are many different options – you might find tap groups, Bollywood groups, or even for pointe work. These groups are open to all despite technique level, and can be a great way to meet new people outside your course.

Keeping up your dance practice away from home can also be done by finding a local studio that you can join or help out at. This will keep up your technique as well as fulfilling the need to be in the studio. An alternative could be to join fitness classes, such as aerobics, Zumba and yoga. Many dancers find new interests in fitness instruction, nutrition, physical therapy and personal training, which previous dance experience will complement. The bottom line is you do not have to give up dancing!

London Wonderground on the capital city’s South Bank is a whole mix of summer fun. With the long-awaited summer beginning to show its face, this fairground of London entertainment is a must-see and a must-do. With a huge programme of comedy, cabaret, dance, theatre and circus, the Udderbelly Festival is hugely popular and adorned with revellers rain or shine.

Part of the eclectic line up are the performances of Barbu, running in the London Wonderground Speigeltent. The Canadian circus company – going by the name of Cirque Alfonse – had its European premiere at the Edinburgh Festival earlier this year and another run at Underbelly’s new Circus Hub venue this summer, the first major venue dedicated solely to circus at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

The Spiegeltent is renowned for its programming of breath-taking performances and off-the-wall entertainment; the heart thumping score by the frenetic electro-trad band leads the way for Barbu, highlighting the company’s work and carrying the show through. With lots of similar performances on offer each year in the capital, London Wonderground is not a place to pass by. The Barbu show looks back to the origins of the circus in Montreal at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, with elements of the fairground, simple curiosities and unexpected eccentricities. Barbu therefore takes the bare bones of circus and turns them upside down in this hair-raising spectacle.

Cirque Alfonse has been exploring traditional and iconic Quebec images and integrating them into contemporary acrobatics. In the Lanaudière region of Quebec, the Carabinier-Lépine family and close friends joined forces in 2005, creating La Brunante which became the foundation for the show Timber! which premiered in 2010. Dubbed as London’s finest circus party, Cirque Alfonse clan’s third show Barbu is an bizarre and once-in-a-lifetime extravaganza.