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Top Hat Tour!

Top Hat - The Musical Alan Burkitt and Charlotte Gooch, stars of the recent West End run of the much-loved musical Top Hat, will return to play the lead roles when the show tours the UK later this year.

Gooch will star as Dale Tremont in the UK tour; Gooch took over the lead role of Tremont from leading lady Summer Strallen when the production ran in the West End. Her credits include Dirty Dancing at the Piccadilly Theatre and in the national tour, the UK tour of Grease and the German tour of Cats. Burkitt, whose credits include Singin’ in the Rain and 42nd Street at Chichester Festival Theatre, and We Will Rock You at the Dominion Theatre, understudied the lead role of Jerry Travers as part of the original West End cast of Top Hat at the Aldwych Theatre.

The touring cast of the the Irving Berlin’s musical will be joined by Clive Hayward as Horace Hardwick, Rebecca Thornhill as Madge Hardwick, Sebastien Torkia as Alberto Beddini and John Conroy as Bates. The cast also includes Lucy Ashenden, Thomas Audibert, Caroline Bateson, Sophie Camble, Matthew Caputo, Kristy Cullen, Paul Farrell, Ian Goss, Carys Gray, Alyn Hawke, Rebecca Hodge, Samuel Humphreys, Thomas Inge, Thomas-Lee Kidd, Sarah-Marie Maxwell, David McKechnie, John McManus, George Olney, Ben Palmer, Holly Rostron, Maria Ward, Amy West and Monique Young.

The production will begin a 47 week tour on 12 August at the New Wimbledon Theatre before visiting venues across the UK, finishing in Eastbourne in July 2015. Directed by Matthew White, Top Hat is choreographed by Bill Deamer, with design by Hildegard Bechtler, costume by Jon Morrell, lighting by Peter Mumford, sound by Gareth Owen, musical supervision by Richard Balcombe and new orchestrations by Chris Walker. Top Hat is produced by Kenny Wax, with Stewart Lane and Bonnie Comlet.

Kids Week 2014

Kids Weeek 2014 Kids Week is back for 2014 with a bang, offering an incredible 36 London shows with free tickets and amazing exclusive activities for children throughout the whole of August. This year sees everything from hilarious page to stage adaptations to dramatic long-running musicals each taking their place in the line-up.

Kids Week is now in its 17th year and shows no sign of stopping. From 1-31 August, one child aged 16 or younger can go free for every adult ticket purchased to a participating show, plus a further two children’s tickets can be purchased at half price. Shows such as – for the younger theatre-goers – acclaimed picture book stage adaptations Aliens Love Underpants, The Tiger Who Came To Tea and What The Ladybird Heard are on the cards, as well as those such as Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, The Lion King, Mamma Mia!, Matilda The Musical, Les Misérables, The Phantom Of The Opera and Wicked.

For families wanting a slightly different theatrical experience, there are shows on offer that aren’t so much in the mainstream such as The 39 Steps, Stomp or book to stage adaptation War Horse. Also included in the Kids Week celebration is Beatles concert extravaganza Let It Be and Michael Jackson tribute show Thriller Live. For slightly older children, Billy Elliot The Musical, The Bodyguard, The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, The Mousetrap and The Woman In Black all return to take part in Kids Week.

Each show offers a unique theatrical experience regardless of age category; ticket holders can also explore life on stage or behind the scenes with a host of fantastic activities. From attending a tea party with The Tiger Who Came To Tea to taking a Billy Elliot ballet class, there is something for everyone.

Miss Saigon To Hit Broadway?

Producer Cameron Mackintosh may be considering taking his new London production of Miss Saigon to Broadway in 2015, depending on the success of the production currently running in the West End, and if a suitable theatre becomes available in New York.

Miss Saigon is an iconic musical production about a doomed romance between a young Vietnamese woman and a marine before the fall of the city Saigon. The show opened on Broadway in 1991 and became a huge hit, grossing $285 million before closing in 2001; it remains the 12th longest running show in Broadway history. The London revival began performances in May, with extremely strong sales. There have been new designs for the scenery and the helicopter, and a new song “Maybe” has been added, performed by the character of Ellen, and not included in the Broadway run.

It has been claimed that Mackintosh, who led the British musical invasion of Broadway in the 1980s with Cats, Les Misérables, and The Phantom of the Opera, would like to open the new Miss Saigon in Toronto first and then go to Broadway. The London-Toronto-Broadway path would be similar to the one taken by his latest revival of Les Misérables, which opened in New York in March.

When asked for his comments on the Broadway run, Mackintosh confirmed the gossip as speculative but highlighted that he would like to take the show to both Toronto and New York, especially due to the fact the Princess of Wales theatre in Toronto was built to house the original production of Miss Saigon. However, with incredibly busy international openings of several different titles over the next two years, and the very limited number of theatres that could house a production as big as Miss Saigon on Broadway, it looks unlikely that the production will hit New York soon.

The Royal Ballet School Announces New Teachers’ Course

The Royal Ballet School will launch a new teachers’ course starting in September 2014: the Diploma of Dance Teaching will build on the highly successful Professional Dancer Teachers’ Course and the expertise of the school’s Dance Partnership & Access Programme, to provide a good foundation in both technical and creative approaches to teaching ballet. The course will be delivered by Royal Ballet School staff and visiting lecturers in The Royal Ballet School’s state of the art studios in Covent Garden, London.

The two-year part time course includes opportunities to specialise in teaching in either vocational or educational settings: the Diploma is suitable for both current and ex-professional dancers and teachers and will provide a sound foundation in teaching ballet to a broad range of students. The course will cover classical ballet technique, anatomy, education practice, reflective practice, psychology and child development and work place context.

The course is a particularly special one for the organisation in that it not only offers flexibility in learning, but also gives teachers a broad body of knowledge on which to build a successful career in dance. The Dance Partnership & Access Programme was established in 2004 to provide broader access to ballet and the work of The Royal Ballet School. Over ten years a national programme of long term, sustainable primary and secondary school projects has been established, providing introducing ballet to a new generation by the school’s graduates.

The School’s mission is to train and educate outstanding classical ballet dancers for The Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and other top international dance companies, and in doing so to set the standards in dance training, nationally and internationally. The School offers an eight-year carefully structured dance course, aligned with an extensive academic programme, giving the students the best possible education to equip them for a career in the world of dance.

Rambert And Cunningham

Rambert Dance Company Logo Rambert, Britain’s oldest dance company, is set to perform a site-specific version of Merce Cunningham’s signature works, Events, at its new South Bank building this summer. Cunningham is seen as many as one of the fathers of post-modern dance as we know it today within the contemporary sphere, with many artistic directors of Rambert having studied in the then-Cunningham studios in New York.

Events marks the first time the touring dance company will stage a professional show of its own at its new £19 million home, which opened in December 2013 with the original intention of operating solely as a rehearsal space. It will stage Rambert Event – which will see Cunningham’s choreography arranged in a new version by Jeannie Steele – in two of its studios, which will accommodate 120 people from 28 June to 12 July. Previously Rambert has only partnered with the nearby National Theatre, using the Rambert studios to stage performances of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime following the collapse of the theatre the show was playing in.

The promenade show will feature new music written and performed by Philip Selway, from rock band Radiohead, and designs by painter Gerhard Richter. It will be the first performance of Cunningham’s Events since the closure of the choreographer’s dance company in 2011, following his death in 2009. The company presented a number of Events throughout its lifetime, accumulating in a farewell tour which came to a triumphant close on New Year’s Eve in 2011.

The performance has been made possible due to a £100,000 donation by Ambassador Theatre Group chief executives Howard Panter and Rosemary Squire. Panter is chair of the dance company and their donation has launched Rambert’s New Work Commissioning Fund, which will raise private money to develop exceptional projects that are additional to the company’s normal repertoire.

Daniel Bolton: Rising Star

Daniel Bolton Daniel trained at Laine Theatre Arts and has appeared as a parade performer, ice skater, sky runner and dancer at Disneyland Paris for several successful seasons. His television credits include Britannia High (ITV) and Libra Television schools documentary, and his theatre credits include Peter Pan (White Rock Theatre, Hasting) and Sleeping Beauty (Civic Theatre, Chelmsford).

When did you begin dancing, singing and acting, and where and why?

I was 9 years old when I joined a local Amateur Dramatic society in Horwich (my home town) for the year 2000 production of Oliver. I then continued to do a number of productions with various adult and youth societies in and around Bolton. By the age of 13, I decided I wanted to try to do this as a career, so I decided to start some formal training in dance. I joined Frances Bleasdales School of Dance in Bolton and started to follow ballet, modern and tap gradings.

What were your early years of performing arts like?

Fantastic, I loved my time performing in various amdram productions around Bolton. This is where my hunger for performing on stage began.

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

I was 9 when I started performing on stage, but I only started formal dance training at 13. So I suppose I was a late starter for a dancer, as most people start to learn to dance from the age of 3!

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

I trained professionally for 3 years at Laine Theatre Arts, in Epsom. My typical day would start at 8.30am and finish at 6pm. It would consist primarily of dance. I had ballet and jazz lessons at least once a day.

What is a typical day like now?

I am currently touring with Fiddler on the Roof, so my day depends on if it’s a double show day or just an evening show. On an evening performance day, we have to be at the theatre for 6pm for warm up. Warm up consists of a 20 minute dance and 20 minute vocal, leaving time to tune musical instruments and run anything that needs to be ‘cleaned up’ before the performance. The reason we have musical instruments is that the show is actor-musician, so we don’t have an orchestra and we all have to play the music as well as act, sing and dance. I also try to get to see some of the city or town we are currently performing at and do a spot of sight-seeing.

What’s the best part about performing?

I really like the challenge of this production of Fiddler on the Roof, as I have had to learn how to combine playing a musical instrument with my acting, singing and dancing. It adds a whole new vibe to our cast, we have to be listening very carefully to all the other performers even more than in any other production I have been involved in. Even when I’m in the wings, I have to be in the music booth playing the music for my fellow cast mates.

What would you say was your greatest achievement to date?

I think Iid have to say my persistence in wanting to train at one of the top training colleges. My journey to college had its ups and downs and it’s quite a long story but I feel I should share it with you. I auditioned for Laine Theatre Arts for 3 consecutive years and each time I was offered a place but fell at the funding stage!

I couldn’t afford to self-fund so I took on all types of jobs for 3 years, saving as much as I could and writing to charities and trust funds to find any means I could to acquire the fees. Jobs that I did were waiting on tables in restaurants, call centres and my favourite was working at Disneyland Paris. It really was an incredible time at Disney.

On my third attempt to get the funding for Laine, once again, I wasn’t offered the 3 year DaDa funding but Miss Laine offered to help with a 1 year bursary. With the money I had saved and the kind donations from the hundreds of letters/application forms I completed for trust funds, I was finally in a position to feel I could financially take up my place that had been there for me for 3 years.

I was beaming; I moved to Epsom that summer and found myself a part-time job to help me pay for my living costs. At that point I knew I had finances to help me get through approximately half of the 3 year course. So I continued to write to trust funds to continue to search for additional funding for the second half of the course.

Towards the end of my first year, Miss Laine offered me a 2 year DaDa which provided me with the funding for my final two years tuition fees. I will always be very grateful to all the people that helped me find the finances I needed to get through the 3 year course. However, with determination to not give up, I graduated last summer and started an incredible job with Fiddler on the Roof.

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

“It’s ok to fail, but NEVER be defeated.” Napoleon Hill

I think this quote pretty much sums up my time to date, not just in the industry, but also for during the training required. I strongly believe that if you want something, you can get it, if you are never defeated.

What’s next for you?

I will be moving back to Epsom after my tour finishes. I have just got my job back waiting on tables. I will be attending class to keep the training up and back in the audition rooms hoping to find my second job in the career I love.

Carolyn Bolton: Rising To Rambert

Carolyn Bolton

Carolyn Bolton was born in Columbia, USA, and trained at South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities, the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance and University of South Carolina. She joined Rambert in 2013 after working with the Wideman/Davis Dance Company, Unbound Dance Company, and Spartanburg Ballet.

Carolyn’s career highlights include performing with New York City Ballet in the USC Dance Company’s annual gala and featuring in the 2007 ETV documentary Sketches from Chronicle for the Martha Graham Company.

Carolyn has also choreographed works during the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities year round programme, the University of South Carolina academic year and Summer Program, Benedict College After School Dance Program, as well as works for Litchfield Dance Arts Academy. In addition, Carolyn has choreographed solos for numerous dance competitions including the prestigious Youth America Grand Prix Competition.

When did you begin dancing, where and why?

I began dancing quite late, aged eleven. I auditioned for a dance programme at my local middle school in South Carolina and was accepted. Initially I was inspired to move by images on the television ranging from Olympic events, such as figure skating and gymnastics, to more fantasy based programmes like the Power Rangers. However it was seeing Julie Kent from American Ballet Theatre perform Le Corsaire that ultimately sparked my interest. I loved the music, costumes, and the beauty of each step and knew I wanted to dance too.

What were your early years of dancing like?

When I began dancing it was only for fifty minutes a day, five days a week. My school did an excellent job of exposing me to various modern techniques as well as classical ballet. They also brought in professionals, such as Carolyn Adams, to work with us and set established pieces like Donald McKayle’s ‘Rainbow Etude’. My teacher also encouraged me to take classes outside of school and provided me with free after school lessons at a local studio.

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

I have been performing for about fourteen years now. I started performing shortly after I started. My school would put on several productions a year, including one large production at the end of each year. I also had the opportunity to participate in performances with local companies in South Carolina.

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

I did my pre-professional training at the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities. A typical day for me included a ballet technique class in the morning, followed by a pointe class, and three hours of repertory. I would then complete my academic course work and continue rehearsals into the evening. After rehearsals I would have about two hours of free studio space, so I would continue to work on my own choreography or improving technical skills. Each Saturday I would take either a Horton, Cunningham, or Jazz class in addition to my normal ballet class and rehearsal schedule.

What is a typical day like now?

A typical day now consists of a morning technique class either ballet or contemporary, followed by five hours of rehearsals.

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

I try to stay on top of my technique by taking daily classes provided by Rambert, as well as maintaining pilates exercises to target my weak areas.

What’s the best part about performing?

The best part of performing for me is the silence and moment of stillness I feel when I step on the stage. It’s an indescribable feeling to have all the focus on you. It’s also a lot of pressure, and that knowledge of everyone watching you gives you an adrenaline rush which is unmatched by any other experience.

What would you say was your greatest achievement to date?

My greatest achievement to date is to be dancing for Rambert. I have had the privilege and honour to work with so many artists in America, but Rambert has truly opened a new world of dance to me. It is a pleasure to be in the midst of such talented and diverse artists each day.

Which part of dance do you enjoy the most?

I truly enjoy taking class every morning. For me class is a form of meditation; a way of centering the body, reconnecting with myself and getting in touch with how I am feeling each day. Class allows me to take risks and improve on my technique and artistry prior to stepping on stage.

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

I would advise someone aspiring to enter the dance industry to cherish every moment and opportunity presented. The dance world can be very fickle but it is vital to remember that ultimately, you are in charge of your destiny. It is important to persevere even when it appears things may not work out. By maintaining a positive attitude and looking for solutions rather than problems, achievement is inevitable.

What’s next for you?

I am looking forward to more touring and performing with Rambert. I am also interested in further exploring my choreographic vision while simultaneously teaching for companies/schools.

Life Without Dance?

Red Cross As a passionate young dance student, it can be hard to conceive of a life without dance. Perhaps you’ve been injured, or can’t get a job or even discovered a full dancing life just isn’t for you. You may be able to return to dancing, and if you do your body will not have forgotten, and you’ll be able to bring more to your dancing than previously.

For many, letting dance go and getting a different job is a welcome change. The change from dancing can be refreshing and the shift in routine can be a welcome break from a sometimes intense dance existence. Injury might also mean you need to take a break from dance and, if it permits, with the right rehabilitation you can return your body to dance.

In the return to dance it is important to retrain the body to return it to its optimum health. A combined programme of, for example, running for cardio, skipping for lower leg strength, Bikram yoga for flexibility, lunges for thigh strength and ballet classes for overall strength, coordination and movement pathways can get the body back into condition.

An alternative return to dance may be through teaching, either within an institution or, more likely, freelance. It is important to take it slowly and set good foundations as a gradual return will put your body at less risk. Focusing on gently increasing your flexibility, strength and fitness means there is less chance of injury.

If you’ve managed to stay fairly active, you might not find the physical side of returning to dance too tough, but it is still important not to be too hard on the body in the beginning by keeping your legs low and not at maximum turn out. If you haven’t been active, start with simple things like brisk walking, swimming or gentle yoga classes. Pilates is always useful for core strength, flexibility and overall conditioning.

Prepare yourself mentally for the fact that you body may have changed, especially if you are a little older or if you’ve had a particularly long break. This is not a limitation however, but a positive change in a new direction and an opportunity to learn more.

Osipova And Vasiliev Reunite!

Two of the world’s most celebrated dancing partners, Natalia Osipova and Ivan Vasiliev are to be re-united this summer at the London Coliseum from 6-9 August. They will appear in Sergei Danilian’s production of Solo for Two: three diverse pieces including two world premieres commissioned by the Segerstrom Center for the Arts and Ardani Artists.

The evening will open with a piece to be confirmed, followed by Passo by Ohad Naharin, artistic director of Batsheva Dance Company. Naharin has choreographed more than 20 works for Batsheva and its junior division, Batsheva Ensemble. Naharin has also worked with Nederlands Dans Theater, Ballett Frankfurt, Paris Opéra Ballet, Cedar Lake, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. The evening will conclude with a new work by Arthur Pita named Facada. Pita is a highly talented and versatile choreographer and director. He has created works for Johannesburg’s Dance Umbrella, Resolution! and Spring Loaded at The Place, Royal Shakespeare Company, Phoenix Dance Theatre, CandoCo Dance Company and The Metamorphosis for The Linbury Studio Theatre Royal Opera House.

Osipova graduated from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy and joined the Bolshoi Ballet the same year, going on to reach the position of Principal Dancer. She has been a guest artist with the Mariinsky Ballet, Teatro alla Scala, Paris Opéra Ballet and American Ballet Theatre, and is currently a principal dancer with the Royal Ballet and American Ballet Theatre. Her vast repertoire includes Nikiya, Aurora, Juliet, Medora, Kitri, Swanilda and Giselle amongst many others.

Vasiliev is currently a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre, having studied at the Dnepropetrovsk Ballet School in Ukraine and later at the Belorussian State Choreographic College in Minsk. In 2006, he was invited to join the Bolshoi Ballet as a soloist, making his debut with the Company, at age 17, and was soon promoted to the rank of principal dancer. Vasiliev has been a guest artist at the International Rudolf Nureyev Festival in Kazan and has appeared with the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theater Mikhailovsky Ballet in St. Petersburg.

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Soft Tissue Therapy For Dancers

Soft tissue therapy is a method used to assist dancers in building and maintaining flexibility and facility, as well as treating injuries, in keeping the body both strong and supple. Using soft tissue therapy aids dancers in reaching their potential: sometimes referred to as massage, the technique covers such a broad range of entities the term massage cannot encompass them.

In soft tissue therapy, all the soft tissues of the body are concentrated on, as well as the systems of the body which maintain wellness. Dancers must maintain their bodies as their instrument, and in that comes muscles, ligaments, tendons, fascia, connective tissue and so on. Dancers may seek the therapy because of injury, or even small aches and pains. Others may come to increase flexibility or fluidity, and to check they are working at their capacity. As a result, soft tissue therapy can be about both improving performance as well as diagnosing and treating injuries.

For some therapists, working on soft tissues is not always about being ‘hands-on’, but also about working with occupational therapy and the mind-body connection which both affect the state of soft tissues. Dancers sometimes have to be trained to let the body relax and release tension to enable them to perform better – visualisation and relaxation techniques can help along with concentrating on breathing. Positive thinking is another technique that is encouraged to help dancers, along with visualisation techniques to help them see the body doing what they want.

In enhancing the benefits of soft tissue therapy it is important to be aware of the body and not ignore things, as early intervention is the best intervention. To get the best out your body you must ultimately believe in yourself, and believe that your body can do what you want it to do.