Category: News

Julia graduated at the University of Surrey, Roehampton, in Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies & French in 2007, after travelling to France to study drama, dance (ballet/jazz) and languages. After graduating, she met her mentor Stuart Thomas, a contemporary dance teacher from the Alvin Ailey lineage, and she began to practice Graham, Horton and Jazz techniques whilst teaching street dance.

Having won her first free style hip-hop competition and a choreography competition in 2009, Cheng furthered her choreography experience as an Associate Artist of Step Out Arts in 2010. She was short-listed for the Blueprint Bursary Prize in 2010 and 2011, and was an Associate Artist of The Hat Factory Luton, promoting and performing dance in the South and East regions, pioneering the first battle events in the area.

As a founder of Kolesk Dance, Julia created performances in theatres across England to inspire young people with performance projects. In the pursuit of self-development, Julia visited New York, was awarded a scholarship to study physical theatre in Austria, and represented the UK in an International Final of ‘Funkin Styles’ in Germany. She also travelled to Israel to train in Gaga technique with Batsheva Dance Company.

Julia continues to compete, teach, perform and choreograph. In 2014 she founded an all-female collective, House Of Absolute, promoting dance projects within the commercial, theatre and underground scene. House of Absolute will appear as part of this year’s Breakin’ Convention.  Photo: Chris Tang

 

Have you always wanted to be on stage?

No, not always; I was extremely into sports at a young age, then throughout my teenage years I developed an interest in the arts. At first I was set on being a singer, then an actress and at the age of 18, after taking open street dance classes in Luton, I decided I was going to be a dancer.

 

Where did you train, and what was it like?

I graduated with a degree in Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies from Roehampton University in 2007; during this time I trained in ballet and jazz in Lyon, and an unconventional journey of dance training unfolded. An important part of my training has taken place in clubs, jams, battles and workshops in hip-hop, Waacking, popping and House.

At the age of 23, I started studying intensively under the guidance of Stuart Thomas who took me under his wing as his student, teaching me contemporary dance: Graham, Horton and jazz techniques. He was a really strict teacher but immensely generous. I felt I flourished under his mentorship and his teachings of philosophies of movement. He gave me belief and support which has ultimately formed my self-belief and perseverance as a dance artist. I followed this by training in physical theatre in Austria, and Horton, Graham, jazz, House and Waacking in New York, as well as Gaga technique in Israel. Travelling and meeting other artists has been a huge part of my training.

 

Describe a day in your life now.

Each day is different. For example, I will be shooting a dance film, picking up costumes from a costume designer, having a collaborative meeting with a film director, then teaching class in the evening and training at home. And throughout the day I will be dealing with administrative tasks, managing my independent work, as well as projects for House of Absolute.

 

How important is your ranging and diverse training in your work today?

It has been imperative to finding my own individualistic style in movement. I truly believe that all types of training lead to a stronger clarity of self-expression, and therefore versatility in training can only strengthen each person to adapt and respond efficiently to different scenarios of work in today’s performance industry.

 

What has been the defining moment of your career?

I think an important moment for me was an article written about my choreographic work in Chinese for a Chinese magazine last year during Project New Moon (produced by Chinese Arts Space). The reason being that I was able to share a part of my creative work with my parents: without them being able to witness the physical work, they were able to read about it and understand it through their own language, and that was really important to me.

 

What has been the most challenging?

If I am honest, I think the most challenging moments arise daily; to keep going, to work as an artist and to continually have self-belief in moments of adversity, be it personal, financial or physical obstacles.

 

What’s the most rewarding thing about the performing arts?

The most rewarding thing is that the performing arts has the ability to create human connection and empowerment through honest expression.

 

What’s the worst thing?

Constantly having to chase invoices when you are a freelance artist!

 

Do you have any pre-show rituals, either if you’re performing or watching your own creations?

I always have a moment with my creative team of performers, breathing exercises, saying a few words, thanking them, telling them I love them and to have a great show.

 

Who or what inspired you to form the all-female House of Absolute?

I had been wanting to create an all-female company to specialise in Waacking for a few years since a collective I.H.O.W UK (Imperial House of Waacking UK, part of a New York collective) had stopped training together in 2012. I finally did this in March 2014 as I was complaining about having no one to train with apart from my international friends, who were not so readily accessible being in other countries! I was inspired to create this mainly as I wanted there to be a next generation for the Waacking community in the UK, and also because I wanted a strong female representation to push boundaries of dance performance.

 

How will House of Absolute be part of this year’s Breakin’ Convention?

We were involved in Open Arts Surgery in March 2016 and will be presenting our new work ‘Warrior Queens’ for the main festival, on 30 April.

 

What is your advice to an aspiring artist?

Keep going…

Draw inspiration outside of dance.

Collaborate and share with other artists.

Travel, travel and travel!

Surround yourself with people who draw the best out of you.

Keep believing…

Anthony Cranwell trained at Laine Theatre Arts. He holds the Professional Certificate of Education, the Fellowship qualification with the Modern Theatre faculty and the Associate Diploma with the Classical Ballet faculty with the ISTD. He now teaches across the years at Laine and cites students’ success as one of the best things about teaching.

In 2015 Anthony was selected to take part in the Dance UK mentor scheme to develop skills as part of becoming a leader in the dance industry. With his fair share of performance under his belt, Anthony has been part of Movin’ Out (Twyla Tharp), Saturday Night Fever (Arlene Phillips), Footloose (National Tour – Karen Bruce), Grease (Arlene Phillips), Fred Astaire – His Daughter’s Tribute (Bill Deamer) and Eternal Flame (National Tour – Gerry Zucarello), amongst many others. He has choreographed shows such as Little Shop of Horrors and Smokey Joe’s Cafe, in addition to teaching across the world.

 

Have you always wanted to be involved in dance?

Not always, but I loved music and moving to music.

 

How did your involvement begin?

My sister danced from the age of two and I used to watch some of her classes, competitions and shows. I loved it, but as dance was not something a boy would do at that time, I would dance at home rather than dare go to classes, and would choreograph routines as well.

I took up disco dancing because if anyone from school found out, that seemed more acceptable than ballet or modern dance, but I really tried to make sure no-one at school ever knew. I took up modern at 17 when my sister’s dance teacher’s daughter suggested that I audition at colleges. It had never occurred to me, as the careers advice I had at school was that only people who had danced from five years old could have dance as a career. This information was delivered as factual advice but was actually very misinformed and quite misleading.

 

Did you train? Where, and what was it like?

I auditioned at Laine Theatre Arts as that was where my dance teacher’s daughter had trained and recommended. I had no knowledge of any other college and I was really quite naive about the whole thing. I decided that if I couldn’t get into Laine then I wasn’t right after all and therefore would study something else. I used the result of that audition as a guide to whether I should study dance at all.

I could have potentially missed out on having this career just for simply not being more open-minded and researching other colleges offering the same training. For me, Laine was the perfect place. I think it is very important to open your options now and make sure that the college you choose is the one that feels most right to who you are.

I loved the family atmosphere of Laine. There was a limited number of students, I was very happy there and it was educationally the first place in my life where I felt comfortable, accepted and could be almost entirely myself. As with everything I felt more comfortable in some aspects of college life than others,but I knew where I was strongest and learned to do my best in the subjects where I felt weaker.

 

What was a typical day like?

We danced for most of the day and I would often eat my lunch quickly and join in other classes during my lunch breaks. There were extra-curricular options to audition to take part in, such as opera classes and cross-college productions, which I chose to do as much as possible. I knew that I would not be successful every time, in a college full of talented students all competing with each other, but was happy that sometimes I would have an opportunity and other times maybe I wouldn’t.

Our subjects were a strong base for the industry. The timetabled days were not fussy with lots of diverse expectation, and so I felt I could focus clearly on what I needed to do. Every day was a different mix of subjects but I had ballet and jazz every day, contemporary once – sometimes twice – a week, singing classes twice a week, Musical Theatre, tap, pas de deux and performance class. It was a very condensed and focused training.

 

What is a typical day like now you are teaching at Laine?

The college is a very different place now in a lot of ways, but has kept many of its core principles. Over the years students have had more input with what they feel they need and the college has listened and responded. There are more subjects and more teachers in some subjects.

My days are still quite diverse, but because of my specialist subject area my classes are across similar genres. I teach jazz to all the year groups, from Foundation to Year 3. My current schedule focuses on teaching jazz technique up to Year 2 and free jazz to the 2nd and 3rd year students. I also teach the ISTD Advanced 1 and 2 syllabi, which are now an optional extra-curricular subject for the students. This gives them a place to use the techniques and styles they are learning across the rest of the college in a choreographic setting and gain extra qualifications that have educational equivalents for the future.

 

Tell us more about your work with students – what do you enjoy most about it?

I don’t have a particularly favourite area of my job. I love every aspect for different reasons. Foundation is a particularly special year group to me. I was on the faculty for this area of the college from its launch in 2011 and have seen the course grow over the last few years. It is now in its fifth year and it has been very successful with regards to onward study, including at Laine. I love watching the students’ progression, which has to occur in a very short space of time if they are to improve their audition performance.

I am currently teaching a new jazz technique syllabus to the 1st and 2nd years that I have choreographed. I love to find new ways of challenging myself in my job and this was a great challenge for me to prepare. It is important to me that the students have a strong understanding of base jazz techniques that they can then apply in their other classes. I therefore thoroughly enjoy teaching my free jazz classes, where the focus is entirely on style, performance, audition techniques and developing learning styles.

I love my job because of its diversity – both creatively and academically. I enjoy helping to create new solutions from an organisational perspective as well as from a class preparation and development perspective. Helping the students to be successful in a way that is personal to each of them, whether the training leads to performance, teaching, onto creative teams or success in other aspects of life, is very inspiring to me.

 

What is your favourite thing about dance?

I love the physical release of emotion that it gives in a way that going to the gym cannot do. Simply creating artistic shapes and lines with your body whilst connecting to the vibe or rhythms of a piece of music is an awesome feeling. I think all dancers who have a natural feel for musicality would agree there is no better feeling than when you dance something through and it connects so perfectly with the accents and rhythms in a track. For me that feeling is hard to describe – and then the fact that doing this entertains people is fantastic!

I have that same feeling when the students start to feel a routine or exercise sequence in that way. At the moment there seems to be a trend amongst young dancers to focus on flexbility, acrobatic and virtuoso skills rather than the true essence of jazz dance. These skills are important however they seem to have taken precedence over truth of feeling, rhythm, style and musicality. Hypermobility and gymnastics are useful to dance, however if the intention, message, story or even simply the vibe of the dance is lost then it’s no longer dancing. I see too many so-called jazz solos that lack the integrity of what jazz is based on and and therefore look stiff and aristocratic, rather than true physical expression of the heart and soul. Younger children will grow to believe that dance is a series of mechanical steps and athletic jumps joined together with disconnection from the music. They should learn skills whilst being free to invest in their internal love for natural dance movement, and then being shown how to connect the two.

 

And the worst?

The frustration of physical limitation! The realisation that your body will never do what someone else’s can do. Particularly hard when you are younger, but viewing it now I can see how those students who understand that struggle tend to have a bit more fight in them and use the other theatrical aspects of dance in order to feel fulfilled. In particular, listening to the music and finding the accents, and being more attentive to the shapes and maximising the feeling, rather than the visual extremity of a line that they see in a mirror. For this reason they generally learn to listen and ‘feel’ the movements much more quickly.

 

What or who inspires you most on a daily basis?

The faculty I work with and the students I teach. Working in a large faculty of jazz staff means there is always a diverse range of conversation and opinion. We like to challenge each other in the best way and this constantly inspires to me ask more of myself and get more out of what I do, always with the students’ benefit as the result of that. The students are inspiring because of the new and individual ways of moving that they display when they are able to be creative and innovative on their own.

 

What advice would you offer to someone hoping to go into a career in teaching?

Don’t think that the base level teaching qualification is enough. If you are teaching children be aware that there is as much, if not more, responsibility in preparing their bodies for the future than you may think, whether they want to be dancers or not. You would not dream of lifting or moving gym equipment without correct alignments and the same theory should be applied to lifting and moving your own body, otherwise imbalances occur and cause injury. It is one thing to have knowledge, but quite another to actually be able to see that knowledge being applied or not: having an acute eye for technical as well as stylistic accuracy is imperative.

Being open-minded to constantly improving and updating your knowledge is vital to not only your students’ success but also your own. If you are not successful in your knowledge then your students will not achieve through being appropriately challenged or fulfilled. A dance student should feel success and failure equally so that they confidently and objectively move forwards, and do not become demotivated with failure later, simply because it is a feeling they do not recognise

Remember how inspiring your dance teacher was, but do not try to copy or imitate it. You have to be yourself, know your own standards and expectations, know that things may have moved on since that teacher taught you. Use some of that inspiration but be open enough to develop those techniques and become yourself. This especially applies to those of us who learned dance in a very authoritarian way. There is a tendency to believe that the same techniques should still be applied, when really some of these techniques were, in fact, destructive.

Learn to listen to your students, and be confident enough to say that you do not know or cannot do something. As long as you are confident about your strengths you can be confident about your weaknesses: it is better to say you do not know and refer them to someone who does, rather than make the answer up just to save losing face in front of a student. Being a teacher does not mean you have to know everything, and do not feel that you have to be the teacher that offers everything.

Dance always keeps moving on, don’t get left behind just through fear!

Song and dance extravaganza THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT! will tour the UK this year, including performances from special guest stars. Each venue will feature a guest star alongside the cast of West End singers and dancers, with guests including Ruthie Henshall, Jane McDonald and The Overtones.

The award-winning Henshall is one of the biggest stars of musical theatre. Her career has seen her star in some of the most successful musicals, most recently in Billy Elliot. She has been nominated for an Olivier Award four times as a musical theatre artist, and has played the lead role in many of the most highly-acclaimed, long-running and award-winning musicals in the West End and on Broadway of the last 30 years.

Performer and entertainer McDonald found fame after starring in the television documentary series, The Cruise, as a singer. She has since received rave reviews for her lead role in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical Cats, and with her first number one album. McDonald’s concerts have sold out at venues across the UK, including the Royal Albert Hall, and McDonald was a panelist on the popular UK ITV1 Daytime Show, Loose Women, for 10 years.

The Overtones, the UK’s number one vocal harmony group, has achieved sell-out tours, sold over 1,000,000 albums and has just celebrated its fifth consecutive top 10 album. The group has performed at major events and concerts and are seen regularly on national TV, including a performance at the Queens’ Jubliee Concert.

Delighting audiences all over the country, THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT! will celebrate the biggest hits of the 1940s and 50s, including music by Rodgers and Hammerstein, as well as Irving Berlin and Cole Porter. It will tour to the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin; Theatre Royal, Windsor; Manchester Opera House; Oxford New Theatre; Dartford Orchard; Edinburgh Playhouse; Glasgow Theatre Royal; Liverpool Empire; York Opera House; Regent Theatre, Stoke; Bromley Churchill Theatre; Newcastle Theatre Royal; Woking New Theatre; Birmingham Alexandra Theatre; Aylesbury Waterside Theatre; Brighton Theatre Royal; New Wimbledon Theatre; Southend Cliffs Pavilion; and Norwich Theatre Royal.

Whilst breathing is a necessity for the human body to function, dancers do not always utilise their breath in order to enhance their performance while they dance. Many students hold their breath whilst dancing, and teachers can be heard saying ‘breathe!’ as the barre exercise finishes. Of course, it would be impossible to dance without having breathed, but dancers can use their breath further to maximise their dancing. Using the breath encourages a certain fluidity for the movement, and is more enjoyable for the dancer!

Most prevalent in younger dancers, many are unaware of the benefits of connecting the breath to movement. They are often focusing so hard on performing correctly that using the breath is secondary. Small changes, such as breathing in and up during a jeté, and breathing out in a plié, can transform the look of a movement and mean the body is performing properly. In general, inhaling emphasises movements that grow and exhaling places more emphasis on movements which shrink.

As dance students develop they can more easily be encouraged to use their breath alongside movement. The ballet barre is a good place to begin this, as the dancers can concentrate on matching their movement with their breath in a controlled environment, where they are familiar with the movements. Moving into the centre, they will begin to understand how they can use breath to their advantage, rather than keeping it under control. Improvising in a contemporary class can also benefit from using the breath as it is used amongst the movement, and to initiate new movement.

It can be useful to give students allocated slots in the movement to breathe, or to incorporate specific breathing patterns, such as inhaling when arms or legs are lifted or at the initiation of a jump, and exhaling at the beginning and end of a turn or during the landing of a jump. However, it is important for dancers to explore the connection between breath and movement themselves to assist their technique and performance.

Leanne Benjamin, the Royal Ballet’s longest-serving principal dancer will return to Australia to be appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to the performing arts. More than three decades after she left Queensland, in order to pursue her dreams on stage, Benjamin will be honoured with the prestige she deserves, cited as one of Australia’s most accomplished dancers. Over 10 years ago Benjamin was honoured with an OBE, so it is only fitting that now she is honoured by her homeland.

Benjamin retired from the stage over two years ago, but has remained in London; only recently she was a guest speaker at the London Ballet Circle. After her retirement as a dancer, Leanne graduated from the Chelsea College of Art and Design with a degree in Architectural Design. She now mentors and coaches students and professional dancers, and is a patron of the Tait Memorial Trust that gives an Australian student financial aid towards training in London. She is also developing a book but ultimately delights in finding new ways to contribute to the ballet world, passing on her knowledge.

Rewinding to her training, Benjamin left Australia to join the Royal Ballet School in London at the age of 16. Within a year she had won two of the most prestigious ballet competitions in the world, the Adeline Genée Gold Medal and Prix de Lausanne. After graduating into Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet in 1983, where she became a principal, and moving to London Festival Ballet in 1988, she joined Deutsche Oper Ballet in Berlin in 1990. During her time there Leanne worked with choreographer Kenneth MacMillan who convinced her to join The Royal Ballet in 1992.

Amongst many prestigious choreographers, Bemjamin has worked with Frederick Ashton and Ninette De Valois, one of the last dancers to have first hand experience of working with the founders of The Royal Ballet.

Inspired by Charles Dickens’ classic work of literature Oliver Twist, Avant Garde Dance and The Place are set to present Fagin’s Twist, from 28 September–15 October following a national tour. It will be the first major production and UK tour by Avant Garde Dance since 2012. In an ambitious reimagining of Oliver Twist, the innovative hip hop and contemporary dance company will present an evocative story of Fagin’s youth, corrupted by greed and poverty.

Fagin’s Twist features five of the familiar characters: Oliver; Fagin; Bill Sykes; Nancy and the Artful Dodger, but reimagines the paths of their lives and their individual circumstances. Dickens wrote the novel Oliver Twist less than 15 minutes from The Place in the London borough of Camden, as a commentary on child poverty and social injustice. Twists have been added to the tale to create a poignant, coming-of-age dance drama which draws parrallels between Victorian London and the modern society we inhabit.

The piece adds subtle layers of texture and precision through working with a dramaturg, accompanied by a specially written score. The piece will challenge audiences’ perspectives of a much loved classic. Co-produced by The Place, Fagin’s Twist is commissioned by Theatre Bristol, East London Dance, Pavilion Dance South West, Dance East and The Place. It is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

The company Avant Garde Dance was formed by Artistic Director Tony Adigun in 2001 as a creative release from the world of commercial dance he inhabited. It brings together a group of like-minded dancers to explore unusual, abstract and artistic ideas away from the mainstream. Education work is also core to the company’s ethos, with an educational workshop available for Fagin’s Twist, and a Young Dancers Participation Programme will run alongside the performances for this tour.

Warming up is essential to any physical activity in which to prepare and protect the body, and dance is no exception (and no matter the style!) Conversely, some students may think they are warming up correctly and efficiently, but they may be seen bouncing through stretches, merely doing a few ankle rolls and chatting to their neighbour on the barre while they ‘get ready’ for such intense physical activity.

It is important to arrive to dance class in good time, not as your teacher is preparing the music to begin. Doing your own preparations for class is vital – you know your body best. If a warm up is part of your class, this is an integral part and cannot be missed. Wearing layers for this part of class helps to heat the body externally, whilst the movements you work through warm the body’s muscles and joints from the inside out. If your teacher allows it, adding layers to your usual dancewear can help keep your muscles warm and therefore more receptive.

Whilst a warm up is vital for dance, remember to ease your body into the movement and not go full throttle straight away. It can be tempting to do too much too soon before your body is prepared, especially when it is warm outside and in the studio, and your muscles feel overly pliable. It is important to take even more care here. In general, listen to your body and work on what it needs to perform correctly and safely during class. Gentle stretches will increase your range of motion whereas extreme stretches put undue pressure on the joints and muscles which can cause injuries before you have even begun.

Find out what works best for your body during a warm up, whether it is by working on simple exercises at the barre or increasing blood flow to muscles more quickly by jogging on the spot. Warm ups can also be a time to gather your thoughts before class and prepare for what you will learn. Concentrate on yourself and your body, and how to get the best out of it.

BalletBoyz, the internationally celebrated dance company, has opened applications for the fourth year of its hugely popular Dancer’s Course. Successful dancers will have the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of the young BalletBoyz company, representing the BalletBoyz ethos of excellence.

The course, which is delivered over three 10 week-terms on Saturdays and Sundays, is open to men and women from all backgrounds across the UK. Working closely with the BalletBoyz dancers, successful applicants will be coached and mentored by some of the leading teachers and choreographers working in dance today. Auditions will take place on Sunday 10 April, the deadline to apply is Friday 25 March.

Matthew Sandiford, a course director for the Dancer’s Course talks to the Dance Direct blog…

 

How did you come to be involved in the Dancer’s Course with BalletBoyz?

The BalletBoyz Dancer’s Course kicked off almost three years ago and I’d taught a few workshops during the first couple years. I was then offered the job as one of three directors for the course which would put me in charge alongside some other company members to shape and develop the course and its content. This is really exciting and I love working with a group and watching them grow within a year.

 

How important is it that BalletBoyz offers this professional platform for aspiring dancers to train further?

I think the course is a brilliant platform for dancers wanting to enter the professional world, wanting a bit more experience and exposure. The course allows the dancers to experience a real life company atmosphere as they are treated as professionals, training with and learning from so many different artists and choreographers whilst getting feedback throughout the year. Plus they get the opportunity to follow the main company so closely and to work with the current repertoire and dancers.

 

Have you always wanted to be on stage?

I’m not sure if I’d say I always wanted to be on stage but I’ve definitely always had an interest in the arts and theatre. The annual family pantomime when I was younger was probably where I found my fascination for the stage.

 

Where did you train and what was it like?

I trained at Trinity Laban Conservatoire in Greenwich and I absolutely loved my three years there! It’s such an incredible building dedicated to dance with fantastic facilities. There are so many students and tutors from all over the world sharing so much dance knowledge and training versatile dancers. I kind of miss it sometimes!

 

How did you come to be part of BalletBoyz?

I auditioned for BalletBoyz right at the end of my training. I was really keen to work with the company so applied for the audition. Headed off to the two day audition and was lucky enough to be offered a job. Absolute dream come true!

 

What is it like being on tour?

Touring is amazing. I think it’s my favourite part of the job. Getting to see so much of the world whilst doing what we love is great. Plus us dancers in the company are like a little family so it’s great to all go away together.

 

Do you have any pre-show rituals?

My pre-show rituals consist of sit-ups, press ups and some eyes closed balancing to check in with my body. I always have a banana before a show and as a company we always come together, wish each other luck and just check in with how we’re all feeling.

 

What is ‘a day in the life’ like?

At the moment we’re in the studio in the middle of a creation. The day starts with company class at 10:30am, usually ballet or contemporary lead by our fabulous rehearsal director. Then it’s straight into rehearsing the current repertoire, then lunch. Then we continue with the creation and rehearsals until around 6pm. I finish off the day with a workout and a cool down.

 

What’s the best thing about dance?

There are too many great things about dance to pick just one best thing, but one of the best things about dance for me is to learn choreography, rehearse it to perfection and to then get it onto the stage with the lighting and an audience and to feel that adrenaline and buzz…that’s an awesome feeling!

 

What is your advice for an aspiring performer?

My advice for aspiring performers is to look after your body! You only get one body so take care, eat well and be safe. See and experience as many different types of dance, theatre and art as you can. Become a sponge and you’ll find your passion! Push yourself, stay humble and follow your heart.

Queensland Ballet recently launched a new initiative – through a programme and website – that will offer its younger audience a sneak peek into the wonderful world of ballet. In its aims to connect with communities, and particularly children, no matter where they live, the new scheme is just one path in the road to this. Specifically on offer includes a positions of the feet quiz, colouring in, stories, games and videos, as well as further information about ballet classes, summer schools and junior programme auditions.

Named QB Junior, the website is aimed at entertaining and educating children, ensuring they are able to enjoy the benefits of the ballet company, whether they are in close proximity or not. The website aims to present the company through interactive magic, namely videos, photos, fun activities and competitions, sitting alongside a new membership programme called QB Junior Friends. Membership includes a complimentary pack with a bag, t-shirt and membership bag tag. The year-round membership will be ‘hosted’ by Queensland Ballet dancers to look after each membership group. They will teach special ballet classes, hold workshops and attend performances and parties during the year.

For young people with a passion for dance, QB Junior Friends is a unique opportunity to connect with a professional ballet company, receive access to exclusive classes and workshops, invitations to special events and be eligible for special regional travel bursaries. The unique programme gives children insight and special access to the beautiful art form of ballet, through many additional activities with the company too.

The Adopt–a–Dancer initiative enables private dance studios in South East Queensland to ‘adopt’ a Queensland Ballet company dancer for a year and will see the dancer leading workshops and classes in the studio for the students. In addition to the workshops, the studios and students will maintain an ongoing relationship with their adopted dancer through email updates, posters and connections after Queensland Ballet performances. June will the see the launch of the company’s first ballet especially for children, Little Red Riding Hood, choreographed for Queensland Ballet by Lucas Jervies, which will be a unique re-telling of the classic fairytale.

TourDigs.com is set to be a dream come true for touring performers who are working around the UK. As the brainchild of Daniel Bolton – who has recently finished his stint in the West End show Bend It Like Beckham – TourDigs.com is the revolutionised way to book digs and accommodation across the country, with all the information in one place. TourDigs.com has a dedicated team working behind the scenes of the website to build up the resources. Members of the team have worked both on stage and off, touring to over 60+ venues across the UK, now placing them in a prime position to present TourDigs.com.

The website is constantly developing in order to create the most efficient and reliable system for all parties involved in booking theatre accommodation. Similar to other online booking applications and websites, the team are continuing to develop a new way for performers to book theatre digs, using familiar booking and reviewing procedures that are found on other online booking applications. With the website still evolving, the team are taking on board suggestions and comments to ensure the service reflects the needs of the touring community.

The team are inviting submissions from people across the country with accommodation that is rented to theatre professionals during their touring stint to that area. In the creation of an app in addition to the website, those people are invited to take part in the final stages of development of the app, offering them initial use of the app free of charge. Overall the aim of the new app is to further revolutionise the booking and reservation procedures for theatre accommodation, improving the speed of searching and booking accommodation. The manual paper methods – and related problems – currently in place are sure to be transformed by TourDigs.com!