Compression for recovery

Compression products for dance are becoming more popular, having been used for other forms of exercise previously. Amongst the many benefits these products offer, those wearing the compression products on their legs can experience better recovery from exercise, an enhanced warm-up due to increased skin temperature, increased jump height and power (for dancers), and a reduction in delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).

For dancers specifically, wearing compression items whilst they are training can improve their performances and recovery. There are various compression products on the market, some of which are aimed specifically at dancers. Those which are marketed to a more general athletic audience are also popular amongst dancers, particularly ballet dancers.

It is clear that medical compression stockings have been used for several decades to great success, such as to improve blood flow. The idea appropriate for dance training is that there is some evidence that compression garments may enhance the removal of lactate from muscles, which is linked to DOMS. The improved warm up that the products provide mean that jumping power is increased and risk of injury is consequently reduced.

Many dancers use compression garments for recovery between shows and sometimes even overnight when their legs are tired to restore them to full working order. If a dancer experiences a lot of fatigue in the lower legs, the products help to ease tension and promote fast recovery, making them a useful training tool. These positive effects during exercise and the recovery period will not occur however if the products do not provide enough pressure to promote blood flow. Some dancers describe the effect of wearing compression garments during and post training like soaking the lower legs in ice to aid recovery, just without the ice water!

WIN A BACK TO SCHOOL UNIFORM!

To celebrate Back to School season we are offering one lucky customer the opportunity to WIN a complete Back to School uniform, with items chosen from our current Back to School catalogue!

The competition is open to all UK residents until Midnight 31st August 2015 via the Dance Direct Facebook Page (www.facebook.com/dancedirect).

Simply comment on any of the relevant competition posts on Facebook and let us know Why You Are Looking Forward to Going Back to Dance Class!

We will choose one answer at random and the winner will be announced via our Facebook page on September 1st 2015.

 

Terms & Conditions:

Win a ‘Back to School Uniform’ Facebook Competition – Terms & Conditions

The Win a ‘Back to School Uniform’ Competition is brought to you by Dance Direct – www.dancedirect.com/uk.

Entries can only be made via the Dance Direct Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/dancedirect and the competition is only open to UK residents.

To enter, simply visit the above mentioned Facebook page and comment an answer to the given question on any of the applicable competition posts. You will then be entered into a draw to Win a ‘Back to School Uniform’.

The competition is valid until Midnight on 31st August 2015 when a winning answer will be chosen at random.

The winner will be announced on the Dance Direct Facebook Page on 1st September 2015.

Terms & Conditions:

1. The ‘Back to School’ Facebook competition is open to all UK residents aged 14 and over. Entrants under 16 should receive parental permission before entering.

2. All entries must be made via the Dance Direct Facebook page [facebook.com/dancedirect] only. Entries via any other method or source will not be counted/included in the final draw.

3. The prize consists of a total 5 items from the current Back to School Catalogue: PLUME JUNE/P01, P70, P60/69, SANSHA 5AC, CAPEZIO B114. These items are subject to change at any time throughout the competition. The winner must advise of required sizes of items on acceptance of the prize, if the requested size is unavailable a replacement item will be chosen by the company (Dance Direct).

4. The winner will be announced via a Facebook post on the Dance Direct Page on the 1st September 2015 and the winner will be asked to contact Dance Direct to arrange delivery to a UK address. The winner must respond within 14 working days or the prize will be forfeited and another, new winner will be chosen at random.

5. Only one entry per person will be counted and entries via any third party, supplier or agency are invalid.

6. No payment is required to enter this competition.

7. The prize is non-transferable and no cash alternative will be offered/given.

8. Dance Direct holds no liability for any losses sustained as a result of an entrant not winning the competition.

9. Dance Direct holds no liability for any answers that are not received.

10. The full name of the winner may be published in future Dance Direct catalogues, social media, websites, press releases and other marketing materials.

11. Dance Direct reserves the right to cancel and/or amend this competition without notice.

12. Employees of Dance Direct are not eligible to enter.

13. By entering the competition it is assumed that the entrant has read and agreed to these terms and conditions and is therefore bound by them.

Dollie Henry: dynamic passion for dance

Dollie Henry has led a respected career of 30 years as a performer, choreographer, director and educator and is recognised as one of the most formidable exponents of Artistic Jazz Dance and creative theatre dance and movement direction in the UK.

Her innovative and distinctive style captures the energy and flair so needed for the dance industry of today. Her creative works have been commissioned and performed at theatres and venues both nationwide and worldwide. She continues to teach internationally as a guest choreographer, delivering jazz dance and musical theatre residencies, masterclasses and workshops.

Dollie epitomises all it is to be a consummate, all-encompassing creative jazz artist. A fusion of expertise and genuine expression of creative spirit allows Dollie to sustain her position as the catalyst for artistic Jazz dance and theatre creativity the UK has yet to recognise.

Photography by Simon Richardson

Have you always wanted to be involved in dance?

For as long as I can remember… I started dancing at the age of four and from that time back in the early 1960s until now dance has been my life, career, passion, creative and personal expression. Even more incredible is now at a wiser and more mature age in life it’s also clear dance has been my healer.

Where did you train and what was it like?

My formal dance training started at Mollie Mayhew School of Dance in Northampton. As said aged four, I threw myself into dance. It was incredibly natural for me to dance. I trained first in ballet (RAD). I recognise without that incredible start and discipline of a solid training in ballet maybe my choices and decisions for a career in dance theatre may have come out very differently.

Once a week training became four days a week training in ballet, modern, tap, national dance, competitions, and excelling in the examinations that went with it. I loved everything. I also added to this drama, theatre studies and show performances. All adding to my desire and dream to be a performer.

In 1979 aged 16, I arrived at Laine Theatre Arts as a full time student for three years. Within this time of creative exploration and learning I found myself, my vocation and a springboard for my creative passion… I knew from an early age I wanted to be more than a performer, I made a decision very early on in my career that I wanted to choreograph and be a creative artist.

Although at times it was a lonely journey as I was the only black student for three years at Laine, being immersed in dance on a daily basis was nothing but incredible. By the time I left Laine in 1981, I had achieved my AISTD teaching qualifications, choreographed numerous dance pieces, was honoured with “Outstanding Student” and was head girl for three terms in my third year. I can safely say I started my leadership skills and creative dance footprint by the time I left Laine in 1981.

What was a typical day like?

My day when at college started with a 6.30am cross-country run. I lived near Epsom Downs and had a professional running partner… it was so good for my muscles and allowed me to build my stamina and physical power. It also informed my mental structure and discipline. I would then head into college for 8.30am ready to start my daily timetable of dance, drama and vocal classes. Most times I was in early and out late at college. I would either be choreographing a dance with or for my fellow students for in-house performances and college shows, or just in a free studio creating for my own pleasure and finding my own creative jazz dance expression.

What is a typical day like now?

Now with a career that has spanned over 30 years, the day is somewhat fuller, more hectic, however just as rewarding. I am at the steering wheel of my own Jazz Theatre company which I founded in 1996: BODY OF PEOPLE, aka BOP. That in itself is a full time job. Add to that my work as a freelance choreographer, director, my continued roles of practitioner and mentor, fulfilled with traveling the world on a regular basis, being a mum throughout and a wife. I would say today life is very full. As a creative
artist you are in charge of your own creative journey and schedule so it’s a full time 24/7 job most of the time.

You have to truly love your chosen artistic endeavours and trust your journey to keep going and succeed. Even when the going gets tough, you have to get tougher… as the saying goes “You get nothing back if you put nothing in”, and truly it’s back-breaking at times, but I wouldn’t change it for anything. I am happy with my choice to be a passionate, creative artist.

Tell me more about your dance ethos and BOP?

As a dance and musical theatre performer I have had the pleasure and opportunity to perform with and for some very special and unique creatives, who have inspired, encouraged and supported my own career. However coming through I always wished to belong to an artistic company that took the genre of jazz as its creative and artistic expression, and in particular the black creative expression. Unfortunately, I have to say this has never happened for me in the UK and so for this reason I founded a jazz company that would provide a platform for the artistic development and ongoing journey of the jazz art form, and a home where I could realise my own creative expression.

Often we connect jazz dance with musical theatre, I know as I spent years in the West End performing in shows that proclaimed the choreography of jazz dance, but actually the expression and soul of the art form simply got lost in the commercial aspects of putting on a show. In other parts of the world jazz dance was and still is recognised as “High Art”, a dance art form on the same level as ballet and contemporary dance. However the UK still struggles with that kind of definition for jazz, not quite being able to dislodge the clutches of colonialism. In fact the reality is that the very nature of jazz is its inclusivity, and it informs so many aspects of the arts and entertainment industry making it the most important art form of the 20th century. The philosophy of BOP is to give dancers, musicians, performers and creative artists a jazz home to develop as a community and as individual artists. Through BOP we look to continue the legacy of the artistic and creative narrative and exploration of jazz dance, jazz music and jazz theatre making.

What is your favourite thing about dance?

It’s all or nothing! When you love what you do it’s not questioned or put into a box. It is what it is and for me it’s about the truth and passion that connects us through movement. Living life through dance and movement, the ability to connect and be symbiotic with music, the expression and performing through the medium of dance is part of my daily regime and creative journey. All the above and more sum up my favourite things about dance and being a dance artist.

I am my happiest when I am in my studio, free to express and share myself without any boundaries or inhibition. To pass on to others the spirited and soulful message of dance has always given me a sense of peace and connection with something that is greater than just myself but yet brings us together as a community. It’s is also a great way to heal oneself.

And the worst thing about dance?

When the art of dance is taken for granted and not respected. I look for diversity in what is available, but also in what is supported. To be honest there is not a lot of support for jazz dance as a highly artistic interpretive creative dance expression, unless it seen as a musical, TV, video dance. Jazz in particular has become so commercialised that it is slowly losing its creative and inspirational roots. What is sad is there seem to be fewer dancers aiming to be creative artists or build a track record of experience and knowledge and yet we have more dancers calling themselves teachers, choreographers and directors before they have the experience or craft skills. More and more “children” are teaching children in colleges and dance schools, so we are developing a new generation of dancers who have not been taught a craft, but just the basics of faking it.

When work is limited and at times poorly paid, inexperience often wins over experience. It’s clear if the pay is low you will of course get someone with less experience who just wants to work, but has little in experience to teach, mentor or create at a distinct and qualified level. It all has a knock on effect on our industry. As an experienced performer, choreographer and educationalist I see this problem first hand, the evidence of this is very real.

However, everything has a cycle and the wheel continues to turn. There are also many wonderful dancers who I have had the joy to work with and employ who are striving to make the ART of dance a real existence in their lives. Treating dance as a job is not the same as treating dance as a career. It’s a vocation so with that comes more than just waiting for a pay cheque. Developing yourself is the key. The more you know the more you grow!.

What inspires you most on a daily basis, and in terms of dance too?

Many things inspire me on a daily basis, some that have nothing to do with anyone else but my own understanding that… if I don’t get up and keep going my dreams and aspirations for the provision of the jazz art form and my own creative journey will not be realised. I have always been inspired by those creatives, writers, musicians that have gone before and shown their artistic and creative impression within the artistic and historic landscape. Alvin Ailey, Katherine Dunham, Shirley MacLaine, Cyd Charise, Miles Davis, Maya Angelou are just a few of my creative inspirations. Their journey in life and their creative genius is a great leveller, and although of another era, they have had an important impact on my drive to become an accomplished creative artist.
I am also inspired by LIFE. It’s never dull that’s for sure, so that keeps the feet moving and the soul questioning, eventually the answers come, that is inspiration.

What advice would you offer to an aspiring dance artist, choreographer or teacher?

My advice is… just be HONEST… be true to yourself and that will be reflected in your artistic endeavours. To take on a creative life there is not really anywhere to hide. I believe continued training and a drive to keep yourself at the top of your game is vital, there is no end game.

I often say to students, make a choice which way you want to go. You can be a jobbing dancer or a forward thinking performing dance artist; the two are quite different and so the work ethic and discipline to obtaining your goals has to be different. Not all dancers make that movement into being choreographers and teachers. It takes incredible skill, knowledge and vision that I believe is in the creative DNA. I knew from a very early age that I had a creative streak and wanted to be a choreographer and teach, my journey was to know my craft. Not just the dance, but the mechanics of production, leadership and making myself available to be open to receive, the more I did the more I learnt from those directors and choreographers who gave me opportunities to learn and define my own path.

So yes, my advice is… get a thick skin, take criticisms and learn from them and WORK WORK WORK, not just on your art, but on your personal self too. You have to know yourself to be able to give yourself at your best for the business of entertainment. The clue is in the title SHOW BUSINESS… Knowing your BUSINESS is as important as been able to SHOW it.

What’s next for you?

I shall continue to run my company BOP with my co-creative director and partner in life Paul Jenkins. We are now in our creative process of developing and devising the BOP Company’s 20th Anniversary production for 2016. I am also now looking for new dance artists to join the company fold. The beginning of July took me to Austria as guest jazz choreographer and on my return, I started our fourth international BOP Jazz Summer Residency, which brought together dancers from all over the world to experience a week of intensive training with BOP.

Throughout August my creative projects will be in New York. We will present our production BACK 2 BLACK in NYC starring West End musical star Ray Shell at Cornelia Street Café Theatre in Greenwich Village. I will also be presenting my BOP jazz master classes at Broadway Dance Center throughout August and returning to the Faison Firehouse Theatre as a guest to present jazz masterclasses and work with my mentor and dear friend, producer/director/choreographer, George Faison, on his concert production THE WIZ.

That’s the good stuff, the more tiring part of my ongoing schedule is seeking funding and support for the company and keeping the jazz art form present and ongoing, whilst working on myself, staying fit and connected. At some point I may think about taking a proper holiday and recharging my batteries. Christmas Caribbean sun in my ancestral home of Grenada could be an option, but if I’m working, it might be a quick weekend trip to the Sussex coast to breathe some fresh air and clear the mind… Let’s see how
the rest of the year pans out!

Dollie Henry–‐ Artistic Director |Choreographer |Creative Jazz Artist |Educator
+44 (0)7508 589812 |[email protected] |www.bop.org.uk

Julie Andrews set to direct a new My Fair Lady production

The legend that is Julie Andrews is set to direct a new version of My Fair Lady, returning to the production she starred in 60 years ago. The actress who has immortalised many iconic stories such as The Sound of Music, The Princess Diaries, Mary Poppins and of course My Fair Lady, is a star in a completely different league.

Julie Andrews was the original Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady. She will be directing a new production of the show – that arguably launched her career – which is set to open next August at the Sydney Opera House in Australia. The production will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the show, which originally opened on Broadway at the Mark Hellinger Theatre in 1956. Julie, who can add ‘being made a Dame’ to her list of achievements, starred alongside Rex Harrison in the classic production.

Julie has said she is looking forward to heading to Sydney herself this November in order to cast the production, and begin the process of bringing this great musical to life once again. She will be part of a team including Tony-award winning choreographer Christopher Gattelli (South Pacific) and associates of the musical’s original designers, Cecil Beaton and Oliver Smith. Both Australian and international audiences are in for a treat with the new production at the Sydney Opera House, especially with the original Eliza Doolittle directing the 60 years later.

The new production is testament to the talent of Julie Andrews, both as an actress and incredible singer, but also now as a director of such an iconic show. In the years following her appearance in the original Broadway production of My Fair Lady, she went on to star in the previously mentioned Sound of Music, Mary Poppins as well as Thoroughly Modern Millie, and soon became a national treasure, an accolade she continues to live up to!

Rocky Horror show gala

In a The Rocky Horror Show gala performance, Stephen Fry, The Great British Bake Off’s Mel Giedroyc and Spice Girl Emma Bunton will join Richard O’Brien on stage on 17 September when the production will be live screened to cinemas across the UK and Europe. The news will be welcomed across a whole host of audiences, fans of the stars and fans of the show too.

In similar starring role news, Olivier Award winner David Bedella has been announced as making his West End return in the role of Frank ‘N’ Furter in the show, alongside O’Brien, Ben Forster and Haley Flaherty for the show’s week-long residency at the Playhouse Theatre from 11–19 September. Without much chance to see this production, it will be safe to say tickets will be in high demand!

Bedella, who won an Olivier Award in 2004 for his role in Jerry Springer – The Opera, returns to the London stage following recent performances in Southwark Playhouse’s In The Heights, and Putting It Together at the St James Theatre. Winner of ITV’s Superstar, Forster takes on the role of Brad prior to his performance as Buddy in Elf at the Dominion Theatre this Christmas, while Matilda The Musical’s Flaherty will play Janet. All three performers have previous experience of appearing in The Rocky Horror Show, either on tour or in the UK capital.

The Rocky Horror Show will begin its limited run at the Playhouse Theatre following Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan’s acclaimed take on 1984, which closes on 5 September. While the West End trio will appear for all 11 performances of the cult hit, Fry, Giedroyc and Bunton are set to make guest appearances for one night only in the gala performance held in aid of Amnesty International, in a unique cinematic experience.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat celebrates 50 years

Musical theatre mogul and composer Andrew Lloyd Webber has revealed his plans for a new London production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, which will celebrate 50 years of the iconic musical. For many this news will be greeted with delight, having seen the original production, welcoming the iconic musical.

Lloyd Webber has been having ongoing talks with a major London theatre which could very much result in a new production of the show, which was his first performed collaboration with lyricist Tim Rice. The 50 year old friendship has seen a multitude of successful works produced with Joseph being the first. It is the most performed musical of Lloyd Webber’s in the United States and is hugely popular.

Lloyd Webber’s latest work, a musical adaptation of School of Rock, is set to open soon on Broadway; other upcoming plans include a new West End production of Sunset Boulevard, starring Glenn Close. It is likely that the new production will be produced as part of English National Opera’s partnership with producers Grade-Linnit, expanding the composer’s reach considerably. With so many ideas and schemes, it is clear Lloyd Webber has no intention of letting up any time soon, continuing to create for his audiences.

There is further call for celebration for Lloyd Webber too: next year his The Phantom of the Opera will celebrate its 30th birthday in the West End. Meanwhile, on Broadway, where it opened 16 months after London, it is also still running and holds the record for the longest-running musical in Broadway history. He has twice accomplished the feat of having three of his musicals running simultaneously in both the West End and on Broadway, in 1983 and again in 1988.

Protein for dancers

The new desirable for fitness is strength rather than size, an attribute that is easily attached to dancers in their dedication, technique and ability. Like athletes, dancers also need to aid their bodies in recovery, be it from a hard day of rehearsals or trying something new that can make them feel sore.

Protein significantly aids this recovery. Dancers have slightly higher protein needs than the average non-athletic person, particularly if they are still growing adolescents. However, it is important that the consumption of protein does not take over, because there is such a thing as too much protein: the abundance of it is simply stored by the body in the incorrect way once it has used what it needs.

The body uses protein to build new tissue or for other biological processes, such as muscle building, making hormones, making enzymes and controlling fluid balance. Adequate protein is important, but too much can be harmful. Everyone is a little different, however a suggestion is 12-15% of all the calories you eat throughout a whole day should be comprised of protein, yet this is not a definitive rule which suits everyone. Protein containing foods like beans, seeds, soy, quinoa and animal meats contain different combinations of the amino acids found in protein, and dancers can also receive protein from plant-based sources. Most people with a balanced diet can meet their protein needs through food alone, without supplements, which can be costly and unnecessary.

Diets which have too much protein can mean the body contains excess nitrogen, a part of the protein structure that must be removed and then eliminated from the body. This can be hard on the kidneys and dehydration can occur as more water is passed through the body. High protein diets can also lead to more calcium being lost from the bones, which is naturally a big problem for dancers who are at higher than average risk of injuries such as stress fractures.

The Olivier Awards – 40th anniversary

The Olivier Awards, the most prestigious of annual theatrical awards, will stage a special concert in 2016, featuring a host of acclaimed West End stars to celebrate its 40th anniversary. Named The Oliviers In Concert, the event will take place at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall on 25 January, as well as being broadcast live on BBC Radio 3. To be part of the evening of fantastic entertainment would be a privilege indeed, however the broadcast will aim to create an atmosphere of anticipation too.

The concert marks the beginning of the prestigious annual award ceremony’s 40th year, adding stellar value to the event itself. The Oliviers In Concert promises to be a not-to-be-missed chance for theatre fans to see a number of iconic stars live in a specially constructed event, with the line-up of theatre stars soon to be announced. The acclaimed company will perform a selection of songs from celebrated musicals accompanied by the renowned BBC Concert Orchestra.

The Oliviers In Concert joins the previously announced Curtain Up! exhibition as part of the milestone celebrations, with the exhibition looking at the unique relationship between the West End and Broadway, opening at the V&A in February prior to its New York run at the Lincoln Center. In celebrating the event’s 40 years, fans will be inundated with special opportunities to further indulge themselves in the theatre and witness the evening of theatre history.

The list of winners who have collected one of the coveted bronze prizes of the most respected theatre award in the UK over the past 40 years is an enviable collection of names. Many of the world’s best loved performers and showbiz legends are previous recipients, such as Judi Dench, Angela Lansbury, Kevin Spacey, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Joan Littlewood and Gillian Lynne.

Dance Network

Dance Network, the first channel devoted entirely to dance-related programming, will launch in the autumn in the United States. Following its announcement in early August this year, dance fans can expect a solely dedicated channel for dance and the arts. The network will be a direct-to-consumers, subscription-based operation available on web browsers, iOS and Android devices and on Roku, with plans to expand later to set-top boxes, video game consoles and other platforms.

Dance Network will feature programming devoted to “all forms of movement and dance as entertainment, exercise, sport and inspiration,” drawn from both original shows, licensed TV shows and film. Pulling together these numerous resources means Dance Network looks set to inform, entertain and delight. Three of the network’s launch shows have been announced, namely Travelling Dancer, a showcase of dance styles worldwide; To The Stage, documenting real-life competitive choirs, inspired by Fox’s television programme Glee; and Steady Mobbin’, a show about flash mobs.

Ahead of Dance Network’s official launch in October, the network is hosting a preview event for consumers in the US on National Dance Day, both in Nashville and online, where there will be a mix of original and licensed programming available. The full list of programmes will be announced before the official launch, in addition to the acquired licensed programming which will also be announced later.

It is hoped that the initiative will be expanded for dance audiences all over the world; whilst the Internet and YouTube are a fantastic source of performance, entertainment and information in terms of dance, a dedicated channel for dance and the arts only would be a welcome addition to any fan’s resources.

Aladdin soaring into the West End

Following months of rumours and speculation around the capital, the entertainment giant Disney has confirmed its hit Broadway musical adaption of Aladdin and its elaborate costumes will soar into London during the summer of 2016, much to the delight of theatre fans all over. Based on the much-loved 1992 Disney film, which is now over 20 years old, Aladdin boasts a highly acclaimed creative team, with direction and choreography by The Book Of Mormon’s Casey Nicholaw, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, and music by regular Disney writer Alan Menken.

The show made its New York premiere in 2014, gaining critical and public acclaim. The show features incredible staging, as well as a magic carpet ride! Also in the mix are the original film’s musical numbers including A Whole New World and Friend Like Me, in addition to new songs created especially for the stage adaptation. The five-time Tony Award nominated show will become the latest of Broadway transfers to hit the West End to great popularity, including The Book Of Mormon, Beautiful – The Carole King Musical and the forthcoming Kinky Boots.

Also announced in the wake of the news of the show’s transfer has been the open auditions for the production, due to take place in London and enabling anyone and everyone to audition for a part. Whilst casting for new productions is usually done through agents with highly trained actors and performers on their books, Aladdin will open the pool up to anyone who would like to audition. On the production’s Broadway website, Disney announced the production is in search of athletic, technically trained male and female dancers with excellent ability to join the company of its West End production, meaning those without agents too can join the audition throng.

Full details are still to be announced.