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Frantic Assembly to offer MA

Physical theatre company Frantic Assembly is set to partner with Coventry University in order to deliver a postgraduate qualification in theatre-making, much to the delight of many of its fans and followers. The two organisations have claimed this marks the first time a professional theatre company has been involved in the creation of a master’s degree programme in the UK, and is thought to offer participants an enriched and all-round fulfilling education.

The one-year course, named Collaborative Theatre Making MA, will see Frantic Assembly lead intensive, practical performance projects, which will feature alongside supporting seminars, research events and master classes run by the university in a balance between the academic and the practical. The theatre company will lead modules on devising work and engaging with young people and communities, and will also work with students to create a public performance as part of the course.

The course will begin in January 2015 and will offer professional level training for 26 full-time students from all disciplines, including actors, directors, writers, dancers, choreographers, composers and musicians and will be taught in both London and Coventry. Coventry University will run a taster workshop on the new MA course in London in mid July in order to give potential students the opportunity to work with Frantic Assembly and to find out more about the course.

The new MA course will produce a creative environment where emerging artists are encouraged to think beyond their background genre and their own areas of expertise in their theatre-making. It will provide exciting opportunities for the participants to develop their practice and understanding of the theatre industry and it will mean they can develop a ‘total theatre’ approach to open up the potential of devising theatre with highly skilled and exciting collaborators.

Becoming a Professional

Dance Auditions Making the transition from student to professional is a hazy one – dancers can gain employment whilst in full-time training and there are factors that can help navigate the transition. Aside from having talent and passion, dancers need to be self-motivated, persistent and professional. It’s also much easier to survive if you are liked by your peers and professionals, and have a reputation of working hard and making the most of every opportunity.

It is important to remain motivated and take class, to keep up to date in the industry and with the new faces. Work may not come along for a while, but it’s important to keep your face out there and remind teachers, agents and other dancers that you are there. Dancers may also need to take on other forms of casual employment to pay the bills. For many, this means teaching or waiting tables; whatever it is, having the flexibility to get to classes and auditions is essential so that you can be as fit and ready for work as possible.

Finding an agent is a high priority for graduates as there are many jobs that only agents hear about and because they can negotiate agreements. Some agents attract a variety of work and others specialise in one or two areas, so make sure they have a reputation for getting the type of work you’re interested in. It may be that you cannot find an agent until you have some experience, so remember that there are still open calls, particularly for jobs such as theme parks, cruise ships, and other shows.

Auditions are a big part of a dancer’s life so it’s vital to cultivate a positive attitude and develop a thick skin. Keep in mind that each audition you attend is an opportunity to show what you can do, whether or not you get the job. If you aren’t right for the job this time, make sure you impress someone enough for a job in the future. Always ask yourself what you can improve on from the experience that will help you get closer to getting the job next time.

Recovering From Smaller Injuries

Shin Splints While major injuries are devastating, it is often the smaller injuries which have more of an effect on a dancer’s wellbeing, such as being covered in bruises or burning the feet constantly. Dancers can become desperate for a cure, such as for cuts, split skin, blisters and bruises.

For cuts and split skin, lots of dancers use fat-based balms to keep skin softer so it’s less likely to split in the first place. Use a pumice stone to reduce the thickness of skin or calluses, or nail clippers to trim tough edges so they don’t get caught and pull the wound open. Some dancers also develop taping methods for prevention. Cuts need to be kept clean and sterile, to prevent microorganisms from growing and tape can be used to hold the skin together.

Despite being small, blisters can be painful and troublesome. They form due to friction on the skin but by placing a layer between what rubs and your skin can eliminate the friction, such as by using tape, tights or clothing. Your skin will also toughen up with exposure so you will be less susceptible to blisters once your skin gets used to a new shoe or to dancing barefoot. As with calluses, dancers can use a balm or oil to make sure their skin stays soft and doesn’t dry out and harden around the blister: make sure you keep an open blister clean, sterile and covered. Don’t pop the blister, but if it is no longer intact, leave the skin over the wound.

Bruises are difficult to prevent, as they occur when capillaries, and sometimes tiny veins, are broken due to impact, allowing blood to collect near the surface of the skin. Try to control descents to the floor with strong muscles and smooth, coordinated movement. If you do bruise easily use balms and creams such as Arnica to help the healing process, and don’t let the small stuff get you down!

Leroy Dias Dos Santos: A Flawless approach

Leroy Dias Dos Santos is a passionate dancer, choreographer, model, singer and a social mentor who continues to strive for perfection. In 2007, he graduated from Middlesex University after studying Dance Studies.

As a freelance dancer, choreographer and teacher Leroy is a proud member of the street dance group Flawless, who were finalists on ITV’s ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ (2009). Flawless have had great success in the entertainment industry featuring in movies like ‘Street Dance 3D’ 1 and 2 by Vertigo films (2009), appearing on Eastenders -E20 BBC 1 (2010), being invited by HM The Queen for the ‘Youths In The Arts’ event at Buckingham Palace (2011) performing at The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee with Kylie Minogue (2012) and also performing at the Paralympic Opening Ceremony (2012).

There have been many highlights in Leroy’s career through performing and touring but also meeting many prestigious people such as HM The Queen, Prince Charles and other members of The Royal family, and working with artists such as Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Leona Lewis, Sugababes and choreographers such as Jermaine Brown, Rafael Bonachela, Shobana Jesaysingh, Mavin Khoo and companies such as English National Ballet.

When did you begin dancing, where and why?

I started dancing from the age of 6 years old and as I grew older I started to train and practice Hip Hop with my cousins and friends in my free time. Dancing is a big part of my culture, in my family everyone would always dance and show off at birthday parties and weddings. I wanted to be the best dancer so I would always dance and practice my best moves.

I’d say Michael Jackson was one of my key inspirations throughout my childhood.

What were your early years of dancing like?

My early years of dancing were fun and exciting. In secondary school I would always compete in dance competitions with my friends and we would always win every year. I was taking street dance classes outside of school with my friends, which really helped me interact with other people and boost my confidence. Having friends who were into dance encouraged me to keep on dancing.

How long have you been performing? Did you start young?

I have been performing for about 14 years. I started performing at events, festivals, parties and bar mitzvah’s from the age of 15. I was committed to several community dance groups, which gave me opportunity platforms. Performing from a young age was a great experience, which helped enhance my skills and ability.

Where did you train and what was a typical day like?

After secondary school I took a BTEC National Diploma in Performing Arts, which was a 2-year course at Barnet College. In this course I was able to develop my singing, dancing and acting. This was also the first time I experienced Contemporary and Ballet training. A typical day at College was Ballet and Contemporary class in the morning, drama/singing and technical theatre in the afternoon. I would then go to D.I.C.E. after college, which was a community street dance group for Popping, Bboying and Hip Hop training. This was my schedule for most days.

What is a typical day like now?

A typical day for me now is very hectic and spontaneous. The majority of the time as a freelance dancer, choreographer and teacher I am always kept busy touring across the world. If I am not performing or touring with Flawless, I am either teaching workshops in schools or universities, choreographing shows and working on my own individual projects.

Everyday has a different story and is never the same.

Do you still take classes? How do you keep on top of your technique?

I still take class in my free time, as it’s important for me to keep on top of my game. I take general classes from Ballet to Hip Hop classes. I also go gymnastics too as I like tumble and practice different tricks. Being an all round dancer means I always have to keep on training and having balance in training all styles.

What’s the best part about performing?

The best part about performing is being able to engage with the audience and being in the moment.

What would you say was your greatest achievement to date?

My greatest achievement so far was being invited by HM The Queen to perform at Buckingham Palace (2011) and performing with Kylie Minogue at The Diamond Jubilee (2012), which was such an honour.

Which part of dance do you enjoy most?

The part of dance I enjoy most is definitely performing.

What advice would you give to someone aspiring to be part of the dance industry?

The best advice I would give is that you have to be very disciplined, hard working and consistent as a dancer/choreographer. Make sure you are always training, learning and exploring. It’s great to be ambitious, creative and confident in every path you take and make the most out of every given platform and opportunity.

What’s next for you?

I am currently on tour with Flawless featuring in a show called ‘Flash Mob’ which is being toured across the UK from June till August 2014. I am also working on my solo show called ‘The Battle Within’ which will be performed in theatres towards the end of 2014. I will be choreographing a few projects and creating video concepts throughout 2014. For more details check my website www.leroydias.com twitter.com/Fx_Flawless

Step LIVE!

Eighteen youth dance groups from mainstream and SEN secondary schools across London have been selected to perform at Sadler’s Wells in London’s biggest celebration of youth dance, taking place on 5 July.

Step LIVE! is the end of year showcase from Step into Dance, the UK’s largest inclusive secondary school dance programme. The event will feature over 350 young performers, who all receive specialist dance education thanks to the Step into Dance programme – a partnership between the Royal Academy of Dance and The Jack Petchey Foundation. The event is the culmination of a year of hard work and a fantastic opportunity for young dancers on such a large stage.

From a pilot of 28 schools, the Step programme is now a fully inclusive programme delivered in 200 schools and available in 32 London boroughs and Essex, including Special Educational Needs schools and Pupil Referral Units. Step into Dance is unique in offering sustained training (of up to 2 hours per week) and performance opportunities throughout the academic year.

Following a series of nine London-wide Borough Events, groups who showed the most promise and talent were invited to auditions across the capital. Lambeth Academy were one of the groups to impress with an energetic street piece choreographed by their Step into Dance teacher, Kevin Young. The group from Lambeth, who performed outside a local supermarket to raise money for costumes, will join seventeen other school groups from the Step into Dance programme performing at Step LIVE! 2014. Also performing will be the three Step into Dance Youth Companies, showcasing the very best of the programme’s promising young talent.

Tickets to Step LIVE! 2014 are now on sale at www.sadlerswells.com or via the Box Office on 0844 412 4300.

Reaching The Top In Musical Theatre

Musical theatre is captivating for many people, where the magic of illusion makes anything possible. For professional musical theatre performers, being on stage is the culmination of years of training and hard work; often encompassing more skills than were originally required by becoming a triple threat of singing, acting and dance. Now productions require an ever-increasing range of skills, such as puppetry and stilt-walking (Lion King), acrobatics (Pippin), playing a musical instrument (Fiddler on the Roof) and roller-skating (Starlight Express).

Traditional triple-treat performers should be strong across all three traditional areas of dance and have a few extra skills as well for the best chance of continuous work. Most musical theatre performers start in the industry as members of the ensemble or as understudies meaning they need to be as good as every swing or ensemble member in the show in all three traditional areas of performing. This can be relative between shows, as some require stronger dancers (Chorus Line or West Side Story) as well as being a singer and an actor, and some require stronger singers (Les Miserables)

In terms of the style of dance students should be learning, a strong ballet technique is an important foundation in addition to jazz and tap as the basics. Classes in pas de deux, ballroom and Pilates are also particularly useful to students in training. It is imperative that musical theatre performers show a technique regardless of dance ability with strong body posture and carriage, long lines, legs and feet turned out and upper body and arm lines.

It is therefore important to make the most of your training, regarding discipline as an integral part of training and bringing your own personal style and commitment to classes and rehearsals. Make sure you are unique and make choices to commit to working hard and going for every opportunity given.

Mirrors: An Honest Reflection?

Dance Studio Mirror It is often a revelation to dance in a studio without mirrors. Some dancers may feel uncomfortable and uncertain at first not to have mirrors, as they are not to be able to see what they are doing and check they are performing the exercises correctly. Despite this many would argue that the movement will feel right for the body, and mirrors are not required to feel this as they encourage dancers to ‘make shapes’ rather than initiate the movement from an internal source.

Dancers often find that dancing in a room with no mirrors frees up their dancing, with no judgements about themselves and liberating the movement, feeling it rather than observing it. It is important to dance with the whole body, increasing confidence and changing the way dancers experience dance and their own movement.

It’s not to say that mirrors are not a useful tool as an addition to the dance studio to help correct placement and alignment, however when dancers are constantly in front of a mirror it is easy to judge yourself harshly and compare yourself to others in the class. The reflection becomes the most important part of the dance and what dancers think they should be seeing, rather than working to improve the physical body that is there in the studio. Some dancers can even become obsessed with their reflection, spending more time looking at it than listening to the teacher.

As you progress and develop as a dancer it becomes easier to recognise the feelings of movements and technique when they are ‘correct’, gleaning the best results when you’re not caught up in your own image or perception of what you see in the mirror. Essentially your teacher is your mirror, providing feedback needed to move more efficiently without the effects of reflective self-criticism. Once you feel the movement and understand how to move her boys when you feel it, your brain can start to reproduce it over and over again and you need never see it.

Talent Throughout The Birthday Honours

Queen Elizabeth II The Queen’s birthday honours recently recognised a multitude of talent in the awardees: actors Daniel Day-Lewis and Maggie Smith were recognised in the honours list, which also sees Young Vic artistic director David Lan and English National Opera’s John Berry honoured. The arts faired well as Day-Lewis was made a knight, and Smith was made a Companion of Honour.

Among those awarded CBEs were the Young Vic’s Lan and Berry, artistic director of the ENO. Choreographer Michael Clark, soprano Susan Bullock and Pauline Tambling, joint chief executive of training body Creative and Cultural Skills, also received a CBE.

Others receiving recognition for their services to the arts include pianist Andras Schiff, who was made a knight, and Angelina Jolie, who was awarded an honorary damehood. Hilary Mantel, author of Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, the stage versions of which have just extended their run in the Aldwych Theatre, was made a dame.

OBEs were presented to actors Damian Lewis and Phyllida Law, lighting designer Patrick Woodroffe and composer Talvin Singh. Other recipients included Mark Featherstone-Witty, the founding principal and chief executive of the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, ex-director of the UK Foundation for Dance, Namron Yarrum, talent agent Jonathan Shalit, and Nisha Tandon, executive director of Northern Ireland’s only full-time ethnic arts and culture company.

Theatre figures recognised with MBEs included John Barrowman for services to light entertainment and charity, choreographer Rosemary Butcher, playwright and founder of the Identity Theatre School Femi Oguns, producer Judith Dimant for her work with Complicite, and theatrical wig designer Angela Cobbin.

Also receiving MBEs were the former joint chief executives of the Askonas Holt agency, Martin Campbell-White and Robert Rattray, conductor and artistic director of the Leeds Symphony Orchestra, Martin Binks, and Maria Friend, director of the Trinity Laban Conservatoire’s junior department.

ROH Production Of The Wind In The Willows To Return!

Directed and choreographed by Will Tuckett, the Vaudeville Theatre will see the Royal Opera House production of The Wind in the Willows return to London’s West End this Christmas, running from 26 November 2014.

The Olivier Award-winning production will play an eight week season at the Vaudeville Theatre with full casting to be announced soon. The production’s transfer to the Duchess Theatre in December 2013 marked the Royal Opera House’s first commercial transfer and the production was named Best Entertainment and Family at the 2014 Oliviers.

Based on Kenneth Grahame’s timeless classic, the adventures of four woodland friends are retold through dance, song, music and puppetry along a peaceful riverbank, with a speeding car, a racing train and criminal deeds from the Wild Wood. The escapades of Toad, Ratty, Mole and Badger are brought to life in a production that has charmed audiences of all ages, suitable for all from the age of 5. Drawing inspiration from the music of Edwardian composer George Butterworth, the action is set to a score by Martin Ward. Tuckett’s choreography is accompanied by narration written by former Poet Laureate Sir Andrew Motion.

Tuckett is an award-winning choreographer, dancer and director. He was a member of The Royal Ballet 1990–2005, with whom he is now a Guest Principal Character Artist. His work as a choreographer and director includes The Wind in the Willows, The Soldier’s Tale, Timecode, Pinocchio, The Thief of Baghdad, Faeries, Into the Woods and Pleasure’s Progress (ROH2), The Seven Deadly Sins, ‘Diana and Actaeon’ in Metamorphosis: Titian 2012, (Royal Ballet), West Side Story (Sage, Gateshead), The Canterville Ghost (ENB), Hansel and Gretel (Ilford Arts Festival) movement and puppet direction on The Orphan of Zhao (RSC), as well as projects in Europe, the USA, Japan and China. He has choreographed widely for film and television, was Creative Associate for ROH2 and was the Clore Dance Fellow 2008-10. Tuckett’s production of The Wind in the Willows is in its eleventh year.

Billy Elliot Screenings!

It has been rumoured that the hit musical Billy Elliot is to be screened in over 300 cinemas in September. A special matinee performance on 28 September will be broadcast live, with a repeat showing to be broadcast in the evening and Ruthie Henshall, who recently joined the cast as Mrs Wilkinson, will star in performance alongside some special guests making the screenings a milestone in the musical’s history.

In addition, the musical has recently announced that it will be continuing its hugely successful run at the Victoria Palace Theatre long into 2015, continuing to delight audiences. The record-breaking show centres around the 1980s miners’ strikes in North East England and Billy’s struggle to break free from his family’s expectations and fulfil his dream of becoming a ballet dancer. The Thatcher-era presented many obstacles but audiences will observe Billy defy the odds and go on to achieve great things.

In May 2015, the show will celebrate its 10th birthday, making it one of the longest running shows in London, as well as being a blockbuster film. The feel-good show has recently welcomed its 37th Billy to the cast, and other new cast members, led by Olivier Award nominee and musical theatre icon Ruthie Henshall in the role of Billy’s dance teacher Mrs Wilkinson. Henshall has had a fantastic career in the West End to date, starring in musicals including Les Misérables, Chicago and Crazy for You having trained at the prestigious musical theatre institution, Laine Theatre Arts.

As a result, the booking period for the show has been extended until May 2015, with more tickets on sale next month. This will extend the booking period until October 2015, great news for fans all over.