Dance Direct Blog. News, Reviews & Advice About Dance

McQueen stars announced

McQueen at the St James Theatre The world premiere of the imminent new play “McQueen” is set for 12 May at St. James Theatre, London. It will map a journey into the visionary imagination and dark world of fashion designer Alexander McQueen, set on a single London night. More than a bio-play, it steps onto the landscape of McQueen’s mind, seen in his fashion shows, where a dress can make an urchin become an Amazon, where beauty might help to survive the night.

A girl has watched McQueen’s Mayfair house for eleven consecutive days; the play sees her climb down from her watching tree and break into his house, to steal a dress and become someone special. He catches her, but, instead of calling the police, they embark on a journey through London and into his heart. McQueen will be directed by John Caird, with production design by David Farley, choreography by high-rising choreographer Christopher Marney, video design by Tim Bird, lighting design by David Howe and sound design by John Leonard.

Award-winning actor Stephen Wight takes on the title role of Lee McQueen and Dianna Agron will play Dahlia in James Phillips’s play. It will also star Tracy-Ann Oberman as Isabella Blow, Laura Rees as Arabella, and David Shaw-Parker as John Hitchcock.

Wight was named Outstanding Newcomer at the Evening Standard Awards for his performances in Michael Grandage’s production of Don Juan in Soho and Samuel West’s production of Dealer’s Choice. Other theatre includes Nicholas Hytner’s production of The Habit of Art at the National and Sean Foley’s production of The Ladykillers in the West End.

Critically acclaimed actress Agron’s breakthrough role was playing Quinn Fabray on the hit series Glee. Most recently, Agron was seen opposite Robert De Niro and Michelle Pfeiffer in the film The Family, directed by Luc Besson. This year, she will appear in several films, including the romantic comedy Tumbledown opposite Jason Sudeikis and Rebecca Hall, Bare directed by Mark Polish, Zipper opposite Patrick Wilson, and the independent ensemble Conspiracy on Jekyll Island.

Matilda The Musical Relaxed

The Royal Shakespeare Company’s record-breaking production of Matilda The Musical is set to stage its second relaxed performance at London’s Cambridge Theatre in June this year. The specially adapted performance of the hit musical will take place on 14 June, offering full access to theatre and providing a special experience for those who may not usually have the opportunity to attend musicals.

Designed for individuals with autism spectrum conditions, learning disabilities and other sensory and communication disorders, relaxed performances are modified to create a supportive atmosphere for the audience. These include adjusting light and sound level, providing designated ‘chill-out’ areas and demonstrating an understanding attitude towards audience noise and movement.

Matilda The Musical brings Roald Dahl’s classic story to life on stage, charting the tale of a young girl with loathsome parents and an intimidating headmistress who discovers a very special talent. Following 2014’s sold-out relaxed performance, it is great news that there will be a second relaxed performance, almost a year after the first. It is hoped that this becomes a more regular event and is also adopted by other musical companies.

The RSC is said to be planning to present more of these performances across as many of its productions as possible following positive feedback from its audiences. These specially tailored performances are a welcome addition for those audience members who have autism or other disabilities and who find it hard to attend live theatre, and for their families too. The inclusive welcome and relaxed atmosphere give everyone the chance to come and experience the work, and enjoy it too.

Trips to the theatre can pose enormous challenges, however productions – such as Matilda – which are tailored to special audiences and their sensory needs mean whole families can experience theatre together without the usual added pressure of other audiences.

The 2015 Olivier Awards

The nominations for the 2015 Olivier Awards have recently been announced, following a year of the Olivier panel viewing huge numbers of performances across the board.

The nominees for outstanding achievement in dance are Sadler’s Wells’ Associate Artist Crystal Pite for her choreography in The Associates, The Tempest Replica and Polaris – also at Sadler’s Wells – Christopher Wheeldon for The Winter’s Tale at the Royal Opera House, Rocío Molina for Bosque Ardora at the Barbican and The Elders Project, part of the Elixir Festival, also performed at Sadler’s Wells. The Elders Project, one of its kind, is a deserved nominee, having brought ex-professional dancers back to the stage in a special performance.

The nominees for best new dance production are Peeping Tom’s 32 rue Vandenbranden at the Barbican, Mats Ek’s Juliet and Romeo at Sadler’s Wells and James Thierrée’s Tabac Rouge at Sadler’s Wells. Here there are a mixture of nominees, with Mats Ek the only name with a huge grounding of history in contemporary dance. In the best theatre choreographer category, the nominees are Jerry Mitchell for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels The Musical, Annie-B Parsons for Here Lies Love, Josh Prince for Beautiful – The Carole King Musical and Sergio Trujillo for Memphis the Musical. These new musicals are demonstrative of the West End trend to keep theatres fresh, with a swift turnover of productions generally.

Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace’s Dance ‘Til Dawn and the vaudeville cabaret show La Soirée are also among the Olivier nominations, for Best Entertainment and Family category. Whilst the productions may not fully fit in this category, it is encouraging to see recognition of the promise of new work. The nominees for the This Morning audience award are Billy Elliot the Musical, Jersey Boys, Matilda The Musical and Wicked.

For a full list of nominees, visit olivierawards.com.

Judy – The Life And Music Of A Hollywood Legend

As the only authorised Judy Garland show in the world today, the UK premiere of a breathtaking new musical show, Judy – The Life And Music Of A Hollywood Legend, will tour UK theatres, opening at the Edinburgh Playhouse on 8 May. Highly-acclaimed choreographer, Arlene Phillips, will be Creative Director for the production, with the show made in arrangement with the Judy Garland Estate.

The show will star Lorna Luft, Garland’s daughter, together with leading West End musical theatre stars, including Louise Dearman, Rachel Stanley and Ben Richards. Also appearing are dancers – The Boyfriends – named after Judy’s original dancers of the same name. Luft is considered ‘Showbiz Royalty’, as the half sister of Liza Minnelli and a highly successful stage, film and TV actress and singer in her own right. She has appeared in numerous film, TV and stage shows, including White Christmas, They’re Playing My Son and Babes in Arms.

Dearman has performed in leading West End roles including Wicked, where Dearman was the first actress to play both the good and bad witch – Glinda and Elphaba. Dearman also starred in Evita, Cats and Guys and Dolls to name just a few. Richards has played lead roles in West End and touring musicals including Rock of Ages, Oliver!, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Guys and Dolls and Saturday Night Fever. TV includes roles in The Bill and Footballers’ Wives.

The show will feature songs from some of Judy’s hugely popular films such as A Star is Born, Meet Me in St. Louis, Easter Parade and The Wizard of Oz. The set of songs will include I Got Rhythm, The Trolley Song, The Man That Got Away, Get Happy, and the song synonymous with Judy Garland, Over the Rainbow.

Dancers’ Habits

Dancer Habits As a dancer, things you may not think twice about may surprise your non-dancing peers. Things like cracking your hips when you stand up, cracking your back, your feet, your neck: to many dancers this is a complete norm but to others this sounds painful and unnatural. There has been much debate as to whether cracking your joints is good or bad for you, but for onlookers it is definitely a bad thing!

Dancers like to practice and stretch at any opportunity while not in the dance studio. You might lie in frog while you’re reading, or watch television whilst sat in the box splits. Brushing your teeth? There’s the perfect opportunity to practice your tendus and relevés! The odd looks you get are part of the process – the obscure positions you take up, however, are completely natural for you. Equally, practising variations around the kitchen as your dinner is cooking may be annoying for those you share with, but essential to your work.

Whilst it is not anatomically healthy to walk in turn out due to the use and strength of the leg muscles, it is still something dancers may do subconsciously if they aren’t actively engaging the legs in order to walk in parallel. Often dancers must consciously walk in parallel rather than leg their legs turn out naturally from years of training, and this also goes for standing in any of the five ballet positions. Standing in fourth of course feels completely natural!

Marking choreography, especially with your hands, is also something dancers do without thinking. If you aren’t practising time steps under the dinner table you’re using your hands to practise a new routine. Aspiring professional dancers who live and breathe dance may even go several steps further than this, and to you it is of utmost importance.

The Dance Manifesto For 2015

MPs have been urged to raise the profile of dance in a new manifesto that came to light during February from stalwart Dance UK. Politicians are now under further pressure to ensure dance plays a greater role in young people’s education, following what has been labelled a constant “undermining of arts subjects” by high-profile MPs.

The new dance manifesto launched by Dance UK calls on politicians to “speak up for the benefits of dance as an essential part of a balanced curriculum for children”. It also calls them to increase the number of PGCE-trained dance teachers in schools, which is encouraging news for the industry following claims by education secretary Nicky Morgan that studying arts subjects can hold young people back.

The manifesto was presented to MPs at an event in Westminster, and comes ahead of a major conference to be launched in April that will see dance leaders come together to debate issues in the sector and devise a new five-year strategy for the industry. The manifesto builds on one previously launched in 2006, aimed at politicians with no knowledge of dance. The dance world is now dealing with government ministers who undermine arts-based subjects in their public speeches whereas the majority of politicians have no idea about the level and amount of dance going on in their constituency. Furthermore, they have not thought about it in terms of public health, education or how popular dance is.

In the manifesto, written by Dance UK member and project manager Jim Fletcher, politicians are urged to make sure dance has the same status as music, maths and English in education. It encourages MPs to ensure primary schools deliver more dance activity, and that there are more affordable spaces for community dance. This sounds resoundingly positive however it now falls to the politicians to act upon the manifesto alongside Dance UK’s incredible work.

First Mistakes Not To Make

Dance Studio You have successfully auditioned and booked your first professional dancing job! Whilst this is hugely exciting and a great achievement, don’t make first-time mistakes that could reflect negatively on you as a professional dancer… Some mistakes are common, some you only learn once you have been there and have done that.

Before you start the job, receive your contract or agreement terms in writing from your employer. In your eagerness and excitement this may not be the first thing you think of, but having this in a hard format protects both you and your employer. Whether you are a freelancer or a full-time company dancer, read through your contract thoroughly.

Of course you will want to bound into the studio on your first day of rehearsals, but be wary of being over eager. In your aim to please everyone don’t let yourself be taken advantage of – taking on too much could be detrimental to your dancing. Don’t nab the first spot at the barre or place in the room you set your sights on either. Existing dancers in the company or on the job may have already claimed these – dancers are very territorial! – and you don’t want to start with rubbing another dancer up the wrong way.

Anticipate everything you will need when you start your new job, especially food and drink to fuel you through the long, intense days. When you are rehearsing there is often no telling how long the day will go on for so stock your dance bag with plenty of high-energy, nutritious snacks. Make sure you have spare everything, and also be prepared for injuries – they can affect anyone and everyone.

And remember… muscles don’t like having to go from cold to dancing full out, even when you are excited about starting!

New Arts Space From Wayne McGregor

Iconic choreographer Wayne McGregor is set to create a new world-class arts space in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in east London. The leading company Wayne McGregor | Random Dance has set its sights on 2016 for the space to materialise. Studio Wayne McGregor – to be built within Here East – will be a home for McGregor, his company and collaborators, and a major resource for the arts and for the communities of east London.

Here East is transforming the former Press and Broadcast Centres in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park into a world-class centre of innovation and enterprise, driving the regeneration of east London and stimulating long-term economic growth in the UK. It is a space that combines business, technology, media, education and data in the pursuit of innovation. As the first cultural organisation to move into the Park, Studio Wayne McGregor will be a leader for the new education and cultural district being developed.

Comprising three extraordinary studios and additional work spaces, Studio Wayne McGregor will host all of McGregor’s creative work alongside artist development and creative learning programmes based on the trading of space, time and skills: through ‘FreeSpace’, artists will be offered access to world-class studios regardless of funding or stage of development. Space will be offered in blocks of time for rehearsal, creation, research and development. In return, artists will be asked to trade their time to deliver creative engagement for local schools and communities through ‘Free2Create’.

Studio Wayne McGregor aims to be a shared space for making, where artists can exchange knowledge and invent together to collaborate across disciplines. The space will also provide a base from which the company can work with local communities and young people to share experiences and nurture creativity. This is another major step in delivering a combination of education, employment and innovation, and is a major coup for East London in education and the arts.

Stars For Northern Ballet Gala

In preparation for Northern Ballet’s exclusive 45th anniversary Sapphire Gala, it has been announced that the dancers of Northern will be joined by eminent guest artists from The Australian Ballet, The Royal Ballet, Hamburg Ballet and Phoenix Dance Theatre. This special celebration will be held at Leeds Grand Theatre on Saturday 14 March, with tickets available for the general public to purchase. The Sapphire Gala is a rare opportunity to see exceptional dance talent from across the world brought to the stage for one magical performance next month.

The Sapphire Gala will showcase both new and classic pieces from renowned choreographers, and Northern Ballet’s talented dancers will be joined on stage by some of the world’s most celebrated dance artists for one night only. It is notable that many of these artists are rarely seen on the stages of the UK. This spectacular evening will see The Australian Ballet perform extracts of its magical production of Cinderella, particularly. Northern Ballet will also be joined by its renowned contemporary dance company and Leeds neighbours, artists of Phoenix Dance Theatre.

Northern Ballet’s dancers will perform new pieces specially created for them by Artistic Director David Nixon OBE; former Royal Ballet dancer and acclaimed choreographer Jonathan Watkins (who is creating the Northern Ballet’s 2015 première 1984); Northern Ballet dancer and upcoming choreographer Kenneth Tindall and Ballet Master Daniel de Andrade. The company will also perform Little Monsters by Stuttgart Ballet’s resident choreographer Demis Volpi, and Northern Ballet Soloist Lucia Solari will be joined by a guest from Hamburg Ballet to perform an extract from their adaptation of The Nutcracker.

In what looks set to be a thoroughly entertaining evening, audiences will also be treated to a grander version of the Charleston from Northern Ballet’s blockbuster ballet The Great Gatsby, based on the story of the same title.

Breakin’ Convention – International Festival of Hip Hop Dance Theatre

Breakin' Convention The international hip hop festival – Breakin’ Convention – will run from 1-4 May at Sadler’s Wells and Lilian Baylis Studio. Breakin’ Convention has firmly established itself as one of the major highlights on the British dance calendar and one of the world’s greatest celebrations of hip hop culture. 2015 will see performances from UK and international companies and crews, the 12th year of this hugely popular Sadler’s Wells Production, hosted and curated by Associate Artist Jonzi D.

While Breakin’ Convention is an event for the whole family, for the first time this year there will be an adult-only evening of entertainment in the Lilian Baylis Studio, an intimate show blending stylish cabaret, circus, live music and burlesque with hip hop. The main festival on Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 May sees Sadler’s Wells’ foyer transformed with live DJs, freestyle dance jams, graffiti exhibitions, workshops from top international artists and live aerosol art. Participatory activities will take place pre-show and during the interval. Full line-up to be announced 12 March 2015.

Artistic Director of Breakin’ Convention and Jonzi D Projects, Jonzi D has been actively involved in British hip hop culture in clubs and on the street since its genesis in the early 1980s. Since graduating from the London Contemporary Dance School, he has been committed to the development of hip hop theatre, in his former role as Associate Artist at The Place and by creating and performing dance theatre pieces worldwide.

Breakin’ Convention is committed to celebrating, elevating and supporting hip hop dance theatre: the company works with the most respected, innovative and inspirational hip hop artists in the industry. Through its world-renowned international festival, professional development, youth projects and educational programme, Breakin’ Convention seeks to position hip hop dance alongside more historically established artforms.