Theatre ticket organisation TKTS, and annual ticket project Kids Week, have teamed up in order to bring theatre lovers a fun Theatreland Trail. Touted as perfect to do with the family, with a group of friends or even on your own, the Theatreland Trail will take participants on a journey throughout London’s Theatreland, where you can meet famous playwrights, see a whole host of theatres and enjoy the sights and smells of the West End.
Taking The Next Step II
CBBC is offering young dancers aged 9-15 from across the UK a special opportunity – to audition for the chance to be part of a television show, performing with the cast of the hugely successful series, The Next Step. In order to apply, after gaining parental permission, all dancers need to do is complete an application form and send in a video of their best dance moves. Dancers must be aged between 9 and 15 years old on 1 April 2017.
Sergei’s Project Polunin
March will see Project Polunin take to the Sadler’s Wells stage in London, with internationally acclaimed and notorious dancer Sergei Polunin dancing at the venue from Tuesday 14–Saturday 18 March. Project Polunin will draw together world-class artists for this new production, aiming to challenge perceptions of dance through live performance. In addition, the production hopes to act as a catalyst for a new generation of dance artists to explore what the future may bring.
Watkins Dance Company – woman on a mission
Anna graduated from the Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance in 2005. She has worked as a dancer with European Ballet, Neville Campbell, Pair Dance, Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company, MaxwellDanceProject and Motionhouse for its world premiere tour of ‘Broken’. Anna is a current dancer for Tavaziva Dance, having joined in 2007. She was Rehearsal Assistant from 2009–2010, Project Manager in 2014 and then Project Leader for ZIVA Youth Dance, Tavaziva’s youth company.
Crazy for Caroline Flack
The classic musical Crazy for You is soon to reappear around the UK, as it embarks on a UK tour this summer. Adding to the excitement of the musical reopening, television presenter Caroline Flack will make her stage debut in the UK tour. Flack previously won the 2014 series of Strictly Come Dancing – and trained at Bodyworks in Cambridge – so a step onto the musical theatre stage will not be at all taxing for the performer.
Annie – starring Miranda Hart
Much-loved comedian Miranda Hart is set to make her West End debut in the musical Annie, playing the notorious Miss Hannigan in Nikolai Foster’s show. Foster will direct the new production of Annie at the Piccadilly Theatre, London to open in May this year, a distinct change for Hart renowned for her stand-up comedic talents. Musical theatre will be a new string to her bow, with fans anticipated to support the star’s venture into singing, dancing and acting.
Hair’s 50th anniversary production
The 1960s musical Hair is set to receive an immersive revival at The Vaults, in the heart of London, returning to the city for its 50th anniversary production. This new production of the acclaimed musical will be a particularly immersive one, celebrating the show’s anniversary in October, underground in The Vaults near to Waterloo in the city.
Hair will run at The Vaults from 10 October to 3 December, with previews from 4 October: it is set to be a hugely successful opening. Directed by Jonathan O’Boyle, the production will be preceded by an immersive experience including pop-up restaurants and themed stalls down in The Vaults, and added post-show entertainment will include ’60s discos, live bands, and screenings of iconic ’60s movies. In an experience similar to that of Secret Cinema, the musical is sure to delight and excite.
Hair is set in the East Village of New York in 1967, and tells the story of a tribe of young people yearning to change the world – under the shadow of the Vietnam War. It features the songs “Aquarius”, “Let the Sun Shine In” and “Good Morning Star Shine”, and has a book and lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni. With music by Galt MacDermot the show is a plea for change, and is particularly poignant in how relevant it could be regarded today.
The production will be mounted by four young producers; Katy Lipson, Ollie Rosenblatt, Joseph Houston and William Whelton. Whilst they have some experience under their belts the foursome are undoubtedly fresh-faced, however this unique transfer looks set to deliver for them. Already there has been a very positive reaction to the vibrant young production of Hair, providing it with both a future and longevity. At 50 years old The Vaults is the perfect setting to celebrate this continually topical and moving musical.
Data-driven dancers’ health
The Royal Ballet has recently committed itself to sharing its knowledge in caring for dancers, by partnering with the National Institute of Dance Medicine and Science. It’s support of the National Institute of Dance Medicine and Science means that one of its research projects that aims to gather injury and fitness data from dancers at the UK’s major companies and schools can move forward, in a data-driven approach to dancers’ health.
The project hopes to improve care for dancers’ health and wellbeing through this research, and as a result of the partnership The Royal Ballet will share learning from its system that uses specialist digital technology to track dancers’ injuries, health and day-to-day training, which it uses to inform its injury prevention strategies. As they work together it is hoped that the dance industry will better understand the vast breadth and depth of ‘injury’ across the wider dance sector. It is deemed as essential for the development of the industry.
The partnership between the ballet company and the National Institute of Dance Medicine and Science will strengthen the valuable work already done in this area, and will go on to further support the physical and psychological health and wellbeing of dancers around the world. The work has been welcomed by the founding partners of the National Institute of Dance Medicine and Science, including One Dance UK and Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Jerwood Centre for the Prevention and Treatment of Dance Injuries. The centre has already begun to align its injury surveillance methods with the Royal Ballet.
The National Institute of Dance Medicine and Science was founded in 2012 to share dance science expertise and provide information, guidance and access to healthcare services. Its other partners include the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, the University of Birmingham and the University of Wolverhampton.
Singing and dancing service
A branch of the popular fast-food chain Leon has said it will only be hiring staff who can sing and dance. In this bold new move, it vows that hiring individuals of this stature will mean it will be easier for staff to take time off to prepare for and go to auditions. The particular chain which advocates this is located opposite the Queen’s Theatre in London, where the iconic musical Les Misérables is currently running.
The Leon branch said it would be holding auditions to recruit its staff at the end of January, looking to hire a large team of 40 performers as its serving staff. It is well documented that it can be difficult for performers to attend auditions for performance work, due to the fact they are limited by the hours of work they must do in between these jobs. By working for this branch of the Leon chain, performers have more freedom to attend those auditions which they may not have previously been able to consider.
In a bonus to working at such a considerate and understanding organisation, the restaurant will also allow the staff to perform for customers during shifts. From practising their new audition repertoire to performing their favourite time steps, customers in the Leon branch are surely in for a treat as they get more than they pay for. Leon’s co-founder John Vincent told the Evening Standard newspaper that the company wanted to provide a stage for West End hopefuls, both by hiring them as employees and allowing them to perform for customers.
On its website, Leon say its vision is to ‘prove that it was possible to serve food that both tastes good and does you good, and there is no denying the fact that customers will sure receive this in the branch opposite the Les Misérables theatre.
HeadStart Newham project
East London Dance is embarking on a major new partnership with HeadStart Newham, a project to tackle the growing prevalence of mental health problems amongst young people. From February 2017, East London Dance will embark on an 18 month project with HeadStart Newham – in partnership with London Youth and Sadler’s Wells – for mental health prevention in young people aged 10-16. The programme will deliver a creative and high quality programme of dance participation and performance, for young Newham residents with emerging mental health difficulties.
Through the participation programme, East London Dance aims to provide progression routes for all young people in East London, of any age or ability. The HeadStart project will identify and connect with this specific group of young people, providing them with a progressive dance journey. The dance programme is vital: Headstart Newham identified a significant and growing area of need among young people with this project, which will greatly benefit from shared knowledge, experience and the effect dance can have on mental health and wellbeing.
The programme will offer access dance classes at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels, weekly classes, week-long projects and the opportunity to join the East London Youth Dance Company. The programme will reach at least 150 local young people over the next 18 months, culminating in a dance platform event at Stratford Circus Arts Centre.
50% of all lifetime mental disorders begin by the age of 14, and evidence of the benefits of creative and sporting activities in promoting mental health resilience in 10-16 year olds who are at risk has been well proven. In light of this, HeadStart Newham’s commissioning of East London Dance to develop and lead a new preventative dance programme is hoped to promote wellbeing and mental health resilience for local young people.