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DanceXchange and Birmingham Hippodrome launched the highly anticipated International Dance Festival Birmingham 2016 at the House of Lords on 17 November. Since 2008, IDFB has made its mark as a signature festival for Birmingham, bringing people together, widening dance horizons and providing new experiences. Produced by DanceXchange in partnership with Birmingham Hippodrome, IDFB 2016 will run from 1-22 May.

Once again, international companies will grace the city’s stages, distinctive new festival productions will enliven Birmingham’s streets and there will be a wealth of opportunities for people to take part in. From intimate to large scale, established venues to outdoor places and unusual spaces, IDFB 2016 will capture imaginations of local residents and visitors alike. The award-winning biennial dance festival will boast representatives from Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Cuba, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Japan, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, UK and USA.

The festival will also present a range of shows in traditional theatre spaces across the city, from ballet to neoclassical, contemporary to physical theatre, hip hop to flamenco and circus. There will also be free performances, helping to engage shoppers and passers-by, attracting diverse new audiences and creating a buzz on the streets. The diverse programme for 2016 will see more new commissions, and an incredible five world and six UK premieres.

Specifically, headlining performances at Birmingham Hippodrome include a mixed bill from Nederlands Dans Theater 2, Carlos Acosta’s classical farewell tour, Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan and Ballet British Columbia’s debut performance as part of IDFB. The festival has become a signature event for the city, creating new opportunities for artists, dance companies and producers, and offering audiences an exciting line-up of contemporary dance.

Dance: SAMPLED, a Sadler’s Wells production, will bring the Birmingham Hippodrome to life, with a selection of different dance styles on one night. Audiences can see some of the world’s best performers in styles from hip hop to tango, ballet, contemporary and South Asian. The line-up includes Wayne McGregor|Random Dance, Birmingham Royal Ballet, BBC Young Dancer finalist Vidya Patel and world tango champions German Cornejo and Gisela Gallessi, in addition to dance activities on offer before the show in the foyer.

Somerset House and Dance Umbrella together are presenting Vertical by Le Patin Libre, the Canadian ice-dance quintet, performing at the London venue from 12–16 January 2016. Hailing from over the Atlantic, Le Patin Libre will bring a ground-breaking, contemporary ice-dance performance to the Somerset House’s ice rink.

Vertical is one of Le Patin Libre’s acclaimed pieces from its award-winning 2014 double-bill which was presented as part of Dance Umbrella last year, Just five nights only will see the group descend on Somerset House’s ice rink following the end of Skate at Somerset House with Fortnum & Mason in January.

Founded by Alexandre Hamel in 2005, Le Patin Libre is a five-strong troupe of professional, prize-winning skaters who have continued to blaze a unique trail on the ice with their innovative, high-octane style of ice-dancing. From humble beginnings creating routines on the frozen ponds and canals of their hometown of Montréal ten years ago, their witty, inspired and creative performances have since gone on to win critical acclaim around the world.

Le Patin Libre break the mould by challenging the conventions of traditional figure-skating through an experimental type of ice-rink performance art, which places emphasis on a liberated approach to ice-skating virtuosity and draws influence from theatre, urban dance, tap and circus skills. Through Vertical, the five artists of Le Patin Libre celebrate the harmony of their skating family, while pushing the boundaries of what is physically possible on the ice. They place emphasis on the unique choreographic potential of gliding, and look set to delight both dance and theatre audiences alike in a dazzling display.

The acclaimed musical theatre pair, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, will have their work seen on the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre’s stage for the first time next summer, when their global hit musical Jesus Christ Superstar is revived at the venue from 15 July to 27 August.

Jesus Christ Superstar in 2016 will mark 45 years since the legendary hit was first seen on stage. The bible-inspired tale is loosely based on the Gospels’ account of the last week of Jesus’ life and features the well-known hits I Don’t Know How To Love Him, Gethsemane and Superstar. The iconic rock opera joins an eclectic season that includes the professional premiere of Michael Morpurgo’s Running Wild, a new production of Henry V directed by Robert Hastie and the return of 2013’s Pride And Prejudice.

The Lloyd Webber musical will be brought to life by the venue’s Artistic Director Timothy Sheader with choreography by the up-and-coming Drew McOnie. McOnie will bring his unique style to Lloyd Webber and Rice’s epic story following his work on this year’s Bugsy Malone, current hit In The Heights and a dance version of The Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde, which will be staged at The Old Vic next year.

The four-show season which Jesus Christ Superstar is part of will be completed by Deborah Bruce’s production of Pride And Prejudice, which returns to the venue from 2 to 17 September prior to a UK tour: casting for the season is still to be announced. As a result, the 2016 programme at the outdoor theatre will celebrate British writing, giving them a new voice through the outdoor theatre. Sharing the delight of theatregoing in such a unique setting is sure to delight audiences.

A unique gala evening of Spanish dance and dancers, featuring two world premieres and dancers from The Royal Ballet, will be presented by the British Spanish Society on 26 November at The Place, London.

The gala will celebrate the centenary year of the British Spanish Society, swiftly following the recent announcement of the nominations for the 2015 UK National Dance Awards, which have seen nine Spanish dancers and choreographers nominated.

Some of these talents will be appearing at the British Spanish Society gala. The Royal Ballet’s principal dancer, Laura Morera, from Madrid, has been nominated for Outstanding Female Performance in a Classical Role and she will dance with the Royal Ballet’s Ricardo Cervera, from Malaga. The pair will perform a duet from Liam Scarlett’s Viscera, which is currently being performed at the Royal Opera House.

Mallorcan choreographer, Avatâra Ayuso, has been nominated in the Emerging Artist category, in addition to Carlos Pons Guerra, a choreographer born in Gran Canaria who is director of DeNada Dance Theatre. Both artists will be presenting work at the gala. Ayuso is creating a new duet for AVA Dance Company, which will have its world premiere at this event, and Pons Guerra will bring his Young Man!, a Spanish take on Roland Petit’s Le Jeune Homme et La Mort, which is part of DeNada Dance Theatre’s Jamon y Pasion (Ham and Passion).

Former Rambert dancer, Estela Merlos (from Barcelona) will present the world premiere of Ukok, a solo that she has choreographed for herself, and the Baltic Dance Theatre will give its first UK performance of Phaedre by Izadora Weiss; the production premiered in Gdansk on 7 November. Phaedre features a cast of eighteen dancers, including six dancers who originate from Spain.

Tamara Rojo, Spanish prima ballerina and artistic director of English National Ballet, is the Gala’s Patron.

Advocated by dance teachers all over the world, perhaps one of the most important reasons to take ballet lessons is because it provides dancers with the ultimate groundwork for the rest of their dance technique. Ballet forms the basis of every other dance style, and is imperative for the dancer to secure strong technique. Purely jazz, lyrical and contemporary dancers can still be successful in these techniques, yet having training in ballet first and foremost gives a greater quality of the movement, and added technical security.

Taking ballet classes simultaneously with other dance techniques forms a well-rounded dancer. The difference in the dance techniques consequently comes from the quality and the stylistic elements, with ballet enhancing this training. Dancers who are classically trained always stand out with polished, clean technique and long lines. Ballet also promotes excellent posture and grace; even if you no longer dance it is often easy to spot ex-dancers walking along.

Ballet also aids dancers’ rhythm and musicality; a background in ballet aids the musical elements of other techniques as they are more easily understood, in areas such as rhythm, structure and music quality. In physical terms, ballet – and dance in general – also encourages dancers to understand their bodies better, due to the particular use of the body. It also promotes learning about anatomy and particular strengths and weaknesses as a dancer.

It is inevitable that ballet can be a favourite or a foe for aspiring dancers. No matter what your opinion of ballet, it is an integral part of dance, both in terms of history and the technique of today. Many young dancers begin with ballet classes when they are starting to learn to dance; some gravitate towards other dance styles whereas others excel further in their love for the discipline.

Running from 9 January-6 February 2016, London’s annual celebration of contemporary visual theatre will form the London International Mime Festival, featuring some of the most eclectic and jaw-dropping theatre audiences are likely to see on a British stage. The Festival is a unique event in the theatre calendar, with the chance to see the very best and newest contemporary visual theatre, including cutting edge circus-theatre, animation and puppetry, mask, physical and object theatre.

Over 29 days once a year, 18 invited companies will give 112 performances of productions that are almost all UK or London premieres, at the Shaw Theatre, Barbican, Central Saint Martin’s Platform Theatre, Jacksons Lane, Soho Theatre, Southbank Centre, The Peacock, and, for the first time in 2016, Tate Modern. Artists from Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Holland, New Zealand, Spain and Sweden will be joining some of Britain’s fast emerging talents, as well as established names.

The Festival line-up will be complemented by workshops, films and artists’ talks, and there are notable festival highlights to anticipate. The 2016 festival opens with Marcel performed by Complicité original members, Jos Houben and Marcello Magni. A tender and witty exploration of how to get round ageing, these two distinguished performers revisit their early days with Complicité in celebrating the art of physical comedy and the beauty of the ‘gag’. Houben will also reprise his acclaimed performance-demonstration The Art of Laughter, explaining and illustrating what makes people laugh.

Belgium’s BabaFish combines circus, dance theatre and ingenious stage design in Expiry Date, a heartwarming story about the passing of time and the fading of passion. BabaFish was a winner at Europe’s prestigious Jeunes Talents Cirque competition. Australia’s world-famous acrobatic troupe Circa re-imagines Il Ritorno, Monteverdi’s great opera about loss, war and the longing to return home. This will be a spectacular fusion of show-stopping physicality, live opera and the ancient Greek story of Ulysses.
In addition to beehive hairdos, full mask theatre companies, poles balanced on fingertips, and a military orchestra, the festival looks set to delight audiences from every walk of life.

Now students are well and truly stuck into their autumn term, ballet teachers may want to introduce pointe work to regular ballet classes, taking into consideration the strength and ability of their dancers. It is essential pointe shoes are fitted correctly by an experienced and reputable fitter, especially if the dancer’s feet are still growing. The feet should be adequately supported in the shoes and suit the shape and flexibility of the foot.

Before young dancers begin pointe work, they must achieve an adequate amount of strength and mobility in the feet. This will mean they are working with correct technique and this also works to prevent injury. Teachers therefore have a responsibility to guide the students before and while they are attempting pointe work, educating the dancers in how to improve strength ‘en pointe’ and how to articulate the foot properly to avoid incorrect technique.

It is important to note that working in the correct way means pointe work can be pain free. Whether the dancer wearing pointe shoes is a professional or a beginner, a significant amount of pain when on pointe indicates that there are problems that need to be rectified, whether it is to do with the shoe or the technique. Naturally ballet dancers must work hard in pointe shoes, and a teacher is paramount to this process.

To prolong the enjoyment of pointe work it is equally as important to look after both the feet and shoes, otherwise dancers could risk blisters, ingrown toenails and fungal infections. Toe pads should be dried out properly and washed frequently as dancers sweat a lot through their feet and this may soften the glue, which weakens the shoes. Always dry out shoes thoroughly between each use to ensure they are as healthy as the feet within them.

For many dancers, a cruise ship gig could be your perfect job. If you have considered backpacking around the globe, or even just soaking up the sunstone where exotic, combining your dance talents with this could be the perfect partnership. There are many reasons why working as a dancer on a cruise ship is a dream come true for many, with seeing the world and dancing different shows every day just two minor reasons!

Whilst the rehearsal period can be demanding, both this and the daily performance schedule on board can help you become an experienced performer very quickly. Dancers are thrown in at the deep end and often rehearse far away from home, perhaps even abroad depending on the cruise line. Having a number of different shows to perform on rotation suits the majority of dancers, as there is less repetition than being cast in a production in a town. Look to the sea for liberating opportunities!

Travelling around the world while performing is fantastic, however also being paid to do so is almost too good to be true. Dancers may become homesick, however with a cast of other performers around you, this doesn’t last long. Working in such close proximity with other like-minded, talented performers means you will have a lot of fun making friends for life. Talent rubs off so use cruising as an experience to make valuable contacts and friends in the industry.

Not every cruise line employs dancers as ‘just’ dancers. There may be other duties to fulfil each day while on board yet there is still free time to read, study, explore, rehearse, work out and just have some down time. Remember you are in a privileged position, being paid to do what you love in fantastic locations. While cruising, your accommodation and meals are all covered, so many performers find that they can save a good portion of their pay too.

The Role Of The Choreographer In The Stage And Screen Musical is a free symposium taking place on 28 November, offered by the Society for Dance Research. The symposium will feature distinguished keynote speeches from Dame Gillian Lynne, acclaimed British dancer, choreographer and theatre/television director, to Professor Millie Taylor of the University of Winchester.

Taking place at St Hilda’s College, Oxford, this special event will provide audiences with an insight into the role and responsibility of a choreographer in productions for both stage and screen. Dame Gillian Lynne’s career, for example, could probably host the symposium alone as it is so varied and rich. The Society for Dance Research is renowned for offering stimulating events, conferences, workshops and publications, and this symposium is no different.

Since 1982 the Society has been working to foster and promote the quality and scope of dance scholarship in the UK and to provide an international forum for diverse dance interests covering a broad range of dance forms and dance-related issues. Through its activities it aims to advance research into all forms of dance and performance internationally, stimulate discussion and exchange through meetings and other activities that support dance research, including practice-led research, and encourage the preservation of archives, collections and important source materials.

The Society for Dance Research’s journal – Dance Research – is published twice yearly. The Society for Dance Research members embrace a wide cross-section of the dance world: scholars, critics, teachers, lecturers, students, librarians, dancers, choreographers, archivists and interested dance-goers. Members come from both the UK and overseas and their interests span all forms of dance and associated disciplines, such as music, theatre, design and literature.

For further information please visit http://www.sdr-uk.org/

Dance house Sadler’s Wells recently announced a programme of new work especially commissioned for ballet star Natalia Osipova as part of the theatre’s Spring/Summer 2016 season. Osipova is currently a Principal with the Royal Ballet, and joining with Sadler’s Wells for the new programme will see her married with much more contemporary works.

World-renowned contemporary dance choreographers Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Russell Maliphant and Arthur Pita will create pieces inspired by Osipova for the production, which will receives its world premiere from 29 June to 2 July 2016. The celebrated ballet dancer follows in the footsteps of Sylvie Guillem and Tamara Rojo in taking on a new challenge with contemporary dance, in a production co-produced by Sadler’s Wells and Moscow’s Muz Art Management Company.

Having a programme of works created with Osipova in mind is a huge compliment for the dancer; whilst she has worked with the contemporary choreographers before, it will be a new challenge to dance these very new works. Osipova will be joined on stage by notorious ex-Royal Ballet dancer Sergei Polunin for the world premieres, who – it is rumoured – is also her off stage partner.

Osipova joined the Royal Ballet in 2013 after her guest appearance in Swan Lake, and has performed lead roles in Giselle, Don Quixote, The Nutcracker and La Fille mal gardée and DGV: Danse à grande vitesse. She has created roles in Wayne McGregor’s Tetractys and Woolf Works, and Alastair Marriott’s Connectome. She started her formal ballet training at the age of eight, before joining the Bolshoi Ballet at the age of 18. She has also danced with American Ballet Theatre and Mikhailovsky Ballet.