Dance Direct Blog. News, Reviews & Advice About Dance

BalletBoyz To Be Part Of Roundhouse Summer Sessions

Returning to the venue that hosted their first public performance – as George Piper Dances in 2001 – the award-winning BalletBoyz® will perform at Roundhouse Summer Sessions on 31 July and 1 August 2014. This will mark the final UK performances of Russell Maliphant’s piece Fallen and Liam Scarlett’s Serpent. The sessions will also offer an exclusive first look at new work Young Men.

Following three successful nationwide UK tours and sell-out performances in Australia and Europe, BalletBoyz the Talent will celebrate their success of the above critically acclaimed and popular double bill by having the BBC Concert Orchestra join the cast of dancers to perform the scores.

The Roundhouse Summer Sessions audiences will also see an exclusive excerpt of BalletBoyz’ highly anticipated new show, Young Men, that has been in development for the past year. The piece explores the theme of war and the bond that forms between the men who train and fight together and is part of 14-18 NOW WW1 Centenary Art Commissions drawing inspiration from images of war through the ages, in particular the First World War. The full work will be premiered in January 2015 at Sadler’s Wells.

Choreographed by NDT dancer/choreographer, Iván Pérez, Young Men features an original score by British singer songwriter Keaton Henson who will perform an extract of it at the Roundhouse. A gifted composer and illustrator, Keaton has released two critically acclaimed albums, ‘Dear’ and ‘Birthdays’ and won the Best Music Video Award (Rushes Soho Shorts 2012) for the video of the single ‘Small Hands’.

Last year BalletBoyz won the 2013 National Dance Award for Best Independent Company, having revolutionised dance presentation formats and are at the forefront of digital dance creation. Choreographer Russell Maliphant won the 2013 National Dance Award for Best Modern Choreography for Fallen.

Karen Pilkington-Miksa – New English Ballet Theatre

Karen Pilkington-Miksa, choreographer and artist, is the Founding Director of The New English Ballet Theatre. She holds a degree in education and is an Associate of the Royal Academy of Dance (ARAD). She ran her own dance group and school, and has choreographed for ballet, opera and the BBC.

Tell us about your dance background.

I trained as a classical dancer and joined Seattle Ballet. I then came to London and ran my own studio and choreography group, of mainly classical ballet. I also had a second career as an artist and a sculptor!

After the years, I noticed a bottleneck in the industry – there was a huge backlog of talent and not enough opportunities for classical dancers, and so New English Ballet Theatre was born.

Explain the beginning of NEBT.

The company began as a summer festival of productions, looking to becoming a full time company of well trained dancers. We are neo-classical in genre and have a huge variety of styles and vocabulary in as wide a spectrum as possible.

Gaining charitable status took a long time, but the idea itself grew quickly in order to put the company together and offer performances.

During the last three years the company has employed over a hundred young artists including musicians, classical dancers, choreographers and designers, giving them lots of support at a high level. This company of emerging dancers was born from the huge talent pool out there and the lack of jobs available. It’s important to highlight that to audiences, as they don’t know how many good dancers don’t work because companies want a small number of dancers from hundreds of graduates each year.

Where is the company now?

We are solely dedicated to producing neo-classical work but as a cross-discipline company. In a way we are inspired by Diaghilev in commissioning a number of young artists, musicians and designers to work with us, offering career development for them.

Within two years of establishing the company it had performed in the Linbury Studio Theatre at the Royal Opera House, in addition to a premiere season at the Peacock Theatre which received great reviews – the company and its reputation is going from strength to strength.

What are you currently working on?

Our next performances are at the Sadler’s Wells’ Peacock Theatre in July, and following that at the Lantern Studio Theatre in Canary Wharf. We are currently rehearsing five world premieres! Some of the work have had previews and have received great feedback, especially ‘Kreutzer Sonata’, which is based in the Tolstoy novella of the same name.

What are your aims for the company?

Our long-term goals are to expand the programming and build up the company’s repertoire of commissioned works of exciting new neo-classical choreography.

We have been lucky to receive an Arts Council grant for audience development. We have also been booked to perform at the Cheltenham music festival and we are planning a tour and various cultural exchanges for 2015.

My aim is to make the company the premiere company for neo-classical work, as I think the UK especially has an appetite for this type of work – there is a diverse audience to support the company.

Where do you see the future of dance going?

Today the dance audience is widely spread and there has been an explosion of interest in dance. It has also become popular to ‘mix media’, and dance has become more sophisticated for it and will continue to. It’s fascinating.

The company is modern and has a wide range of styles in a crossover with classical work and because of that and our collaboration with young artists and film makers, our company is becoming very interesting to the general public.

What is your favourite part of dance?

I think the moving and lyrical expression of emotion that fits the choreography is my favourite – bleeding out of the soul of the dancer. When dance moves everyone, that what gives me the biggest thrill. This doesn’t have to be done just through a solo or pas de deux, as long as it expresses deeper emotions.

Photo by Joshua Lawrwence

Through & Out: Skipping Extravaganza

12 July will see South East London’s Greenwich Park taken over by a skipping extravaganza. Hundreds of people are expected to join in the hugely entertaining and energetic Through & Out: Skipping Extravaganza, a brand new commission by Greenwich Dance for Big Dance 2014, which forms part of the Royal Greenwich Festivals 2014.

Devised by choreographer Jorge Crecis, Through & Out is a cross between dance and rope skipping that paves the way for a new choreographic game for all, dancers and non-dancers alike. Hundreds of dance-skippers, including professional dance artists and a local community cast from across south east London will come together for an epic performance to the sounds of an original score by composer The Artist. Audiences will all be taken into the heart of the action in Greenwich Park, against the iconic backdrop of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, with an audio soundtrack to listen to through headphones, which can be downloaded on to mobile phones or MP3 players in advance for a totally immersive experience.

The team of dance artists are working with groups at schools, community centres and youth dance groups around Greenwich and beyond, ready to jump 121 times per minute, with 1,500cm of skipping ropes following 440 hours of rehearsal and 59 different skipping moved. The dancers are expected to jump an astonishing 4,000 over 30 minutes.

Greenwich Dance is the home of dance in South East London as a meeting place for artists, audiences and communities. It aims to set the standard for dance locally, nationally and internationally. Big Dance is the biennial festival of participatory dance delivered by the Foundation for Community Dance and the Mayor of London and is supported by Arts Council England, Creative Scotland, Arts Council Wales and British Council.

West End LIVE’s 2014 line up

The line up has been revealed for West End LIVE 2014, and it looks set to delight each and every visitor. Last year more than half a million people descended on Trafalgar Square for West End LIVE, and this year’s event promises to be even bigger and better. Now in it’s tenth year, the celebration of the West End’s top shows is a staple in the capital’s performing arts calendar. It will take on the square on 21 and 22 June.

The tenth anniversary of the festival will be celebrating all things musical, and will feature performances from musicals including Wicked, Miss Saigon, Jersey Boys, Matilda the Musical, as well as other shows confirmed to be included in the two day spectacular, such as Billy Elliot The Musical, The Bodyguard, Disney’s The Lion King, Les Misérables, Mamma Mia!, The Phantom Of The Opera, Once, Stomp, Thriller Live, The Commitments, Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and The Pajama Game

This annual festival is free to attend, and guarantees there to be something for everyone with a mixture of both West End newcomers and Theatreland veterans performing throughout the weekend. Opera fans will also be treated to performances by the Royal Opera House Chorus and the English National Opera, whilst cabaret lovers can enjoy a special show entitled 10 From 10. The cabaret sees a star-studded line-up return to their former roles to perform ten iconic songs from the last decade’s most popular West End shows.

If your interest is more backstage than onstage, the Spiegeltent Theatre Emporium in Leicester Square enables visitors to take a sneak peek at the inner workings of Theatreland. As well as giving an insight into scriptwriting, costume, and special effects, there will be a talks from the cast of Handbagged and award-winning director Jamie Lloyd (Shakespeare in Love).

Agent Searching

Finding An Agent In both the musical theatre and acting industries – in fact, any of the performing arts – securing an agent can be tricky, and almost as difficult as securing jobs! Some graduates from performing colleges leave with agents already secured; most of these are the agency that works alongside the institution and the graduates are automatically added to their books. Other instances of securing agents upon graduation is a direct result of the students inviting agents to their final college showcases, and being taken on that way.

If neither of these ventures are fruitful, it means an agent must be secured outside of the institution and post-graduation. It is something that must be done in order to be put forward for appropriate jobs, giving more chance of securing the job. Some performers do work unrepresented, however it is useful to have that other person talking and negotiating in their behalf. An agent will have more of an idea of the types of auditions and work opportunities that are suited to you, and will have more chance of getting you in the audition room.

It is important to do your research when it comes to agents, and often recommendation from friends and peers are a good basis to go on when approaching agents for the first time. Make sure you check which performers the agent already represents and think carefully about your training, skills and experience, and what would be best for you. It is important to contact agents that suit your skill level, and as a result the agent can attract castings and work opportunities that suit you.

It may take time to secure the agent you would like to represent you, and sometimes plans do not work out. However it is important to be open as you might find a different agent who suits you better.

Academy Of Northern Ballet Celebrates!

The Academy of Northern Ballet will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Centre for Advanced Training (CAT) programme it runs with a fundraising Gala to support the dancing stars of the future. The summer garden themed Gala will take place on 29 June, organised by Northern Ballet’s Leading Soloist Hannah Bateman. It will include exclusive performances by the Academy’s CAT students, past and present, as well as afternoon tea and a drinks reception.

The Academy of Northern Ballet is the official school of Leeds based Northern Ballet, one of the foremost professional ballet companies. It specialises in offering a holistic approach to teaching, nurturing and inspiring the professional dancers of the future and is the only recognised Centre for Advanced Training specialising in Classical Ballet in the UK, with students securing vocational training places at schools including the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and English National Ballet School. Training programmes are offered at professional level, and a wide range of classes at recreational level are available for anyone from the age of 18 months up.

The Gala performance will take place in Northern Ballet’s Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre and will see current CAT programme students perform as well as returning CAT graduates. Performers include Matthew Topliss, now dancing full-time with Northern Ballet, Andrew Tomlinson, who has been training at Canada’s National Ballet School since graduating from the Academy in 2012, and Charlotte Tonkinson, who graduated in 2013 and was the Academy’s first to go on to train at the Royal Ballet Upper School.

Northern Ballet’s CAT programme runs in collaboration with Northern School of Contemporary Dance which offers contemporary dance CAT training. Together, the combined CAT scheme was the first in the UK and has now been joined by a further nine Centres for Advanced Training in the UK offering dance training to young people.

Festival News From Wilton’s Music Hall

Wiltons Music Hall The iconic East London performance venue Wilton’s Music Hall is set to host a three-day dance festival this autumn in order to showcase new work by emerging artists, and forge relationships for future collaborations. In addition, the organisation is also looking for potential companies to partner with on future commissions across different dance forms, widening their reach to new and potential dance audiences who may have not engaged with the music hall venue before.

The venue will stage the event, to be called Wilton’s Strike!, as part of its interim arts programme that is running while the venue’s restoration continues, providing an unmissable opportunity for emerging dance artists and choreographers all over the city and beyond. Wilton’s is inviting applications from dance groups to take part in the festival, by submitting an idea for a piece of choreography, up to 30 minutes in length, based on the theme of metamorphosis.

Following applications, six of those applicants will be selected to appear in the festival in the autumn of this year, and will be given £1,500 and rehearsal time to develop their work, as well as mentoring from contemporary dancer Jonathan Goddard and other artists. The chance to be mentored by dancers of this calibre alone is an incredible opportunity and not one to be missed. Goddard danced at Wilton’s Music Hall last summer in the title role of Mark Bruce’s Dracula to great critical acclaim.

Wilton’s Strike! will take place from 25-27 September, with two companies of the six selected performing per night. Dance and theatre critics will be invited to attend the festival and view the performances, and each performance will be live streamed online to expand the festival’s reach.

The deadline for festival application submissions is 23 June.

Dance For Young People At The Place

Young people in the capital are asked to watch, learn, create and perform this summer as part of The Place’s summer activities throughout July. It is a month packed with exciting dance for children, young people and families. The hugely popular Something Happening For Kids family festival then returns on 19 July to take the under 10s and their families on a whirlwind tour of dance. For older children there is Summer Fusion, a five-day summer school for young people aged 6-16, which starts on 28 July.

The Place will present two events that showcase the quality and creativity of the young dancers who participate in the Children and Youth Dance programmes at The Place; Without Compromise and All Over The Place. All proceeds raised through ticket sales will go towards the Iris Tomlinson Fund which helps children from all backgrounds fulfil their dancing potential by providing small bursaries to help with the cost of their dance classes at The Place.

All Over The Place will see young dancers aged 5-15 take audiences on an exploration of movement on 5 July. There will be site-specific performances, where you could find anything, from haunted houses to superheroes in training. The tour culminates with a simple dance which audiences can take part in, inspired by the national Big Dance celebrations. On 12 July The Place will present new work created for and by young artists aged 10-18, Without Compromise. The platform gives young dance makers a voice and opportunity to develop their choreographic skills and style, supported by professional dance artists and expert technical staff.

Summer Fusion is a five day summer school from 28 July-1 August for dancers who enjoy being creative. Participants will work with highly skilled dance artists, and live music will feature in all technique classes allowing young dancers to develop their musicality. The creative sessions will also allow them to explore innovative movement, working creatively to produce short dance pieces that will be shared on the final day.

Dancers’ Career Development & The Royal Ballet School

Dancers’ Career Development (DCD) Logo Dancers’ Career Development and The Royal Ballet School are set to work in partnership to embed a culture of Continuing Professional Development within the curriculum at the school in a partnership which is the first of its kind in the UK. It demonstrates The Royal Ballet School’s practical approach to safeguarding its students’ welfare beyond their time at the school, educating students about dancer transitions through the leadership of Dancers’ Career Development.

The partnership will support dance students at a key time in their personal development: they will be encouraged to consider a wider view of the world around them and to build upon transferable skills developed through study. Dancers’ Career Development will engage with students in all three years of study at The Royal Ballet Upper School.

Adopting a practical approach to learning, the programme will include an Introduction to Transition in Year One. In Year Two, students will participate in visits to Dancers’ Career Development beneficiaries working in multiple, diverse careers and will have the opportunity to meet and network with current and former professional dancers. In the Graduate Year, students will take a detailed look at the practicalities of transition and the Transition Support Services provided by Dancers’ Career Development.

The partnership is set to be particularly valuable in giving students a chance to think more broadly about a future beyond dance; Dancers’ Career Development will give them the support they need to understand how the life skills they learn during their training will one day serve them in other disciplines. As a world leader in dance transition, Dancers’ Career Development welcomes the opportunity to engage with and support the dancers of the future to be fully prepared for their performance careers and beyond, recognising their unique talents, skills and abilities.

Floriana Frassetto: Decades Of Dance

Floriana Frassetto was born in 1950 to Italian emigrants in the States (Norfolk, Virginia). She studied at Alessandro Fersen’s Theatre Academia in Rome from 1967 to 1969 and completed her training as actress attending a comprehensive course (mime, acrobatics, dance) at Roy Bosier’s Teatro Studio.

Having worked in Rome in several pantomime and theatre productions, the idea of founding MUMMENSCHANZ resulted from meeting Andres Bossard and Bernie Schürch: two young Swiss clowns called Before and Lost in 1972.

Floriana has since co-invented the repertoire of MUMMENSCHANZ and played in each performance. The creation of costumes, the choreography of Giancarlo Sbragia “Faust” played in the Roman amphitheatre of Taormina (Sicily), the staging of some MUMMENSCHANZ scenes for André Heller’s musical Body and Soul, the artistic collaboration with Isabelle Baudet for the children musical Oliver Twist in Lausanne (Switzerland) all rank among her greatest individual achievements.

When did you begin performing, where and why?

As a very shy child I loved to express myself through movement, clown and mime: my inner world. I started performing when I was 17 in Rome, Italy.

What were your early years of performing like?

As a youngster I was full of dreams, criticism against part of the society which I did not agree with. I was, of course, a ’68 flower child. I performed in schools, in warehouses and in the streets of Rome.

With whom and where did you train?

I trained with Alexandro Fersen, a private acting school in Rome and with Roy Bosier, a Swiss Mime in Rome.

What is a typical day like now?

Doing some office work and maintaining the materials, the masks, the costumes, the shapes. Occasionally creating a new sketch.

How do you maintain your technique?

If there is the occasion I would love to [take class]. I keep on top of my technique by training.

What’s the best part about performing?

The interaction with the audience.

What would you say was your greatest achievement to date?

Having co-created more than a 100 sketches in 40 years and wakened that innocent child which is the same all over the world.

Which part of dance do you enjoy most?

I am not really a dancer but I love when dancers truly dance with passion and a baggage full of technique

What’s next for you?

To study and to sacrifice until they achieve and find their own language.