Dancing through summer

As we move into September, it looks as though summer will soon be on its way out. For many dance teachers, the summer means they are able to have a well deserved break, and can finish those final admin tasks for their classes. However, by the time the end of August comes around it means it is almost time to welcome students back, who may or may not have been keeping up their dance practice over the summer.

For students and teachers alike, dance can be as mental as it is physical. You may find you need to mentally prepare for long nights at dance class, long weekends in rehearsal, and nights after dance doing homework for those still in school. Getting your mind right is important as it means you are able to focus and dedicate your all to dance by the time it comes around. You may want to think about what went well over the last dancing year, and what it might be good to work on. Collaborating with your teacher (or students!) can help focus on how to make the coming year even more successful.

Whilst it is important to enjoy and relax during the time you have left, you might also want to start preparing the body physically too. For teachers this might mean working more cardio into your daily routine to bring your fitness levels back up, and for dancers this might mean adding some time to your day for stretching the body out gently. You may have been lucky enough to attend a summer intensive or additional dance classes, so try and apply any advice or corrections you may have had during that time. Hopefully you will have been freshly inspired to work hard in the coming year.

Burn the Floor UK premiere

The newest UK premiere from Burn the Floor – named Fire in the Ballroom – will descend on London’s The Peacock from 18 October – 5 November later this year. Previously named “an exhilarating ballroom extravaganza” in the US, London audiences will too be able to delight in this new production off the back of the successful Burn the Floor.

The premiere of the international smash-hit Fire in the Ballroom will see a rebellious, high-energy ballroom dance spectacle, which adds to the numerous similar productions seen at London’s Peacock. However, with its infectious sense of fun, featuring 14 champion dancers and breathing new life into classics such as the Viennese waltz, foxtrot, samba, tango and jive, this Burn the Floor premiere will whip up the stage and delight a variety of audiences.

The production will be backed by a live band, with singers who will re-interpret a diverse range of music, as varied as Santana to Led Zeppelin. There will be free post-show ballroom classes on 25 October and 1 November, enabling keen audience members to try their hand at some of the dance moves they will have seen on stage, while adrenaline and enjoyment are still running high. This production of Fire in the Ballroom has been created over the past two years by choreographer Peta Roby, based on original choreography by Jason Gilkison. It aims to push dance boundaries to new heights in its new take on the social traditions of these well-known dance genres.

Gilkison and Roby are World, British and International Latin Dance Champions and have danced for over 35 years. Gilkison has previously worked on So You Think You Can Dance and is also Director of Choreography on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing. Since 1999, the original Burn the Floor has performed in over 150 cities across 29 countries and entertained audiences in London, New York, Shanghai, Sydney, Tokyo and Cape Town.

Dancing robot world record

Over 1,000 robots have performed a synchronised dance routine in China, and consequently broken a world record. 1,040 identical robots, each under 44 centimetres in height, began their synchronised dance routine in Qingdao city. 1,007 finished the challenge, setting a new Guinness World Record for the largest simultaneous robot dance which is nearly double the previous record of 540, again achieved in China.

The dancing machines broke the record at the Qingdao Beer Festival, controlled using just one mobile phone. To break the record, they had to dance for a full minute, however some robots were disqualified because they either did not dance or fell over. The majority of the robots completed the routine in unison as an uber-disciplined mechanical dance group. In order to break the record, the robots were fitted with special encryption technology in order to reduce radio frequency inference from other mobile phones and Bluetooth devices nearby, to aim for optimum success.

There have been many other world records achieved in dance over the years, featuring all different styles of dance.

The largest Kaikottikali dance was performed solely by women during the Malayalam festival of Onam, as one of the most popular South Indian dances from the Hindu communities of the state of Kerala. Led by choreographer Jitha Binoy, the successful attempt at the record formed part of the Thanima Arts Festival in Irinjalakuda (India) in January 2016. It saw 5,211 dancers perform in front of audience of over 55,000.

The most breakdance windmills in 30 seconds was achieved by LeeRoy Bailey, a break-dancing expert from the UK, performing 46 windmill moves. The record of 2009 was beaten a year later by Italian street dancer Mauro Peruzzi, who managed 50 revolutions during the Sony Ericsson UK B-Boy Championships World Finals, in London in October 2010. The Largest Tap Dance was first recorded in 1977 with 500 tappers at the London BBC Television Centre. The record now stands at 6,951 people, for a dance which took place in Stuttgart, Germany in May 1998.

Being a dance parent

Dance parents. Studio life may be something old hat that you have your own experience of from way back when, or it may be a new journey, learning about costumes, stretching and types of pointe shoe afresh. What happens when your child wants to become a professional dancer? How can you encourage their dreams but help keep their mind focused and their feet on the ground? The dance industry is renowned for its competitiveness and there may be lots to consider.

Dance, unlike sport, does not have clear steps as to ensuring success. Success in dance may mean many things, as becoming performer, choreographer, casting director, abroad or at home. Dancing is extremely subjective and aesthetic, and there is no correct age to begin focusing on and training for a career in dance. Most dancers train vocationally from 16 or 18, however this has shifted, with institutions preferring to take students at 18 after they have completed school exams and gained some life experience. Often physical assessments are required to ensure the body is ready for intense training, and strong enough to dance fulltime.

Some students begin fulltime training even earlier, attending stage schools where vocational training is balanced with academia. Often additional tutors are required as the hours in the classroom are low in comparison to those in the studio. It is important to gain academic qualifications too where possible, to give students the best possible start in life. It may be useful to seek guidance from those in similar positions, or who have done something similar in the past, as they will understand the requirements of the institution and the questions that may crop up. Training abroad may too be an option, so guidance here is even more important in ensuring the correct decision is made.

Dancing in the heat

Summer in the northern hemisphere can spell lots of heat for dancers, taking into account the rising temperatures of public transport and hot studios as dancers sweat their classes away. Many drop-in classes and rehearsals continue throughout these months, so – like in the cold weather – it is important to take care of the body.

In a humid studio, it can be easy to feel very warm and more flexible than usual. Take care not to overstretch or push your flexibility, as muscles can become damaged or even torn through this false sense of security. The muscles will be warmer, but this does not permanently increase their length or pliability, and it can be easy to push them too far. Keep the muscles of the body secure by balancing flexibility with strength, listen to your body and take care not to slip on any sweaty patches on the studio floor!

Ensure you drink plenty of water whilst you are dancing, as dehydration can lead to muscle stiffness. Sweating more than usual means more water is lost as the body tries to keep itself cool, so keep your water levels topped up. You can also eat certain foods to keep cool; for example, cucumbers and watermelon are hydrating due to the high water content, and will also mean you aren’t loading up on heavy foods that can make dancers feel lethargic in the heat.

Whilst class, rehearsal and performance times cannot be dictated by dancers, try to avoid midday exercise when the sun is at its hottest and highest. Cross-training is deemed extremely suitable for dancers, and there are ways to incorporate this into hot summer days, such as swimming or in the air conditioned gym. Longer days mean there is more opportunity to take advantage of these training methods, and the light makes exercising easier too!

The next season for DanceXchange

DanceXchange, the Midlands-based dance house, recently announced its latest performance season at The Patrick Centre, Birmingham Hippodrome, running from 22 September–3 December 2016. A large and varied programme looks set to delight audiences of all ages, with the autumn season taking dance in the midlands up again after the success of the International Dance Festival Birmingham 2016 earlier this year in May.

The International Dance Festival Birmingham, which is DanceXchange’s largest programme, saw numerous dance performances take place across the city to great acclaim. With the new season of dance for the venue, it is set to offer something for everyone, from the English premiere of a family-friendly show at Christmas, to a visually mesmerising production, pushing the boundaries of both dance and digital technology.

The autumn 2016 season highlights include many delights. An international triple bill from the acclaimed National Dance Company Wales will see the company make their first visit to Birmingham with the production Folk. There will be performance art from the award-winning Alexander Vantournhout in a solo focused on the autobiography of his own body and also a brand new triple bill from 2Faced Dance, which showcases new works from three world-class female choreographers performed by an all-male company of dancers.

Moving away from gender, Alexander Whitley Dance Company’s Pattern Recognition will focus on cutting-edge dance and motion responsive technology, also featuring a score by critically-acclaimed electronic composer Scanner and Southbank Centre artist-in-residence cellist Oliver Coates. The international dance artist Didy Veldman’s The Happiness Project, the first project from her new company Umanoove, looks at combining live music and dance. Finally, there will be The Wolf and Peter, a retelling of Prokofiev’s famous Peter and the Wolf by CoisCéim Dance Theatre. The English premiere of this magical Christmas show for families will be told from the perspective of the Wolf.

Safeguarding in the studio

The safety of children in the dance student is something which is both a right and a legal requirement, with dance teachers obliged to uphold their policies on protecting the students who attend their studios for lessons.


On a basic level, studios must be properly equipped for dance, with adequate flooring and enough space for the students who attend. This is in addition to supporting the emotional health and wellbeing of students, engaging with and enjoying an environment that is nurturing and supportive. This provides the joy of dance in addition to the physical safety aspect of correct anatomical instruction and injury prevention.


On a more complex level, dance students must also be safe from any form of abuse, be it when they are involved in dance, sport or any other associated activities. Gone are the days when dance students were manhandled into the correct alignment. Of course, dance is physical and touch is therefore an essential component of teaching, however parents, guardians and even students may be now hyper-aware of this, and feel uncomfortable about human contact and touch. Many teachers ask permission to use touch to aid in their teaching or corrections, in order to respect the student.


To further counter the limits of safety awareness in the twenty-first century, many dance teachers now operate with an ‘open door’ policy, in which parents are invited to view and engage with their child’s class to create a transparent and welcoming environment. Psychological safety is therefore just as important as physical safety, in that the student trusts they are safe during dance lessons. Many dance schools focus on building self-esteem and the emotional wellbeing of students in their duty of care, encouraging the students to communicate with and respect each other, and the teacher also.


The issue of child safety is one that is ever-present. For dance teachers the world over, developing a comprehensive safety policy is essential to protect both students and teachers.

Use of the mirror

Mirrors in dance studios can be both a help and a hindrance. On one hand they can promote the aspiration towards a high level of technique in being able to observe the body as it works, yet equally it can encourage an unhealthy relationship with the body and what is capable of doing. Being aware of the body’s alignments is ultimately useful in working correctly and safely with good technique, its feedback being beneficial to a dancer’s training and daily routine.

However mirrors can seem ever-present for dancers. For those that are young and susceptible to influence, this could have a detrimental effect on dancers’ abilities to abandon themselves in dance and trust their own bodies. Mirrors may equally encourage dancers to be too focused on their efforts in the studio: a large part of dance is also enjoying the movement and performing it, rather than being caught up with technique constantly.

This begs the question as to whether dancers learn better by observing themselves in the mirror to utilise correct technique, or whether it is best to learn without mirrors, to feel the movement and learn the movement sensations that way. This of course depends on whether there is an option of mirrors at all in a dance studio, and whether using them actually means dancers are just creating shapes rather than working the movement from the inside out.

Mirrors can be so prevalent in dance today, however, that it could be that dancers are so visually stimulated they increasingly rely on mirrors for visual feedback, rather than personally feeling corrections. Additionally mirrors can be used to keep in time with the other dancers in the room and even copy what they are doing, rather than trusting the body and listening to the music to create the same effect. Dancers can spend hours in front of mirrors, analysing their reflection and it can be easy to become overly critical and obsessive.

Strictly Ballroom – The Musical

Strictly Ballroom – The Musical, the musical theatre adaptation of the much-loved film will be playing at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in December, and full casting has recently been announced for the UK premiere. The musical tells the story of a championship ballroom dancer, Scott, risking his successful career by performing unusual routines, in a bid to remain true to himself and his own interpretation of dance.

The film version was created by Baz Luhrmann and his wife Catherine Martin, and since then the show made its world premiere at the Sydney Lyric Theatre in April 2014. Rising star Gemma Sutton will star as Fran alongside Sam Lips, who will make his UK debut as Scott. Sutton also starred in the recent productions Gypsy and The Go-Between, alongside Imelda Staunton and Michael Crawford respectively, and performances to Lips’ name include Pippin and Wicked.

Another name on the up is the definitive Drew McOnie, who will both direct and choreograph the production. His Jekyll and Hyde recently ran at The Old Vic to great acclaim, a great coup for the Olivier Award winner. The Strictly Ballroom cast also includes Tamsin Carroll (Miss Saigon), Stephen Matthews (The Lion King), Julius D’Silva (Made in Dagenham), Richard Grieve (Priscilla – Queen of the Desert), Eve Polycarpou (In the Heights) and Charlotte Gooch (Dirty Dancing).

There is no word yet as to whether the show will tour following its run at the Playhouse in Yorkshire, on from 6 December until 21 January 2017, with previews from 30 November. Dealing with such a popular and well-loved story it seems audiences can only hope that the production will journey around the country and then down to the capital.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

In a few short weeks, the iconic Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will be descending on the UK to delight and impress audiences all over the country. As one of the world’s most popular dance companies, its return to the UK ​is further significant due to the fact it is the first time in over six years. During the company’s performances in the UK, it will present 10 works during six exhilarating programmes, including its Revelations masterpiece.

The tour will start with a two-week, four-programme season at Sadler’s Wells, London on 6 September and it will conclude at Festival Theatre, Edinburgh on 19 October. The tour will see Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater visit 10 venues, rather than just limiting its performances to London only. What a treat for regional audiences too! The company’s autumn tour marks the fourth time Ailey is presented by Dance Consortium, a group of 17 large scale venues located across the UK​. ​

​Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater​, founded in 1958, is recognised by the US Congress as a vital American “Cultural Ambassador to the World”, in its presentation of constantly high-quality work and performances which are second to none. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Robert Battle​ (the Company’s third artistic leader in its almost 60 year history)​, Ailey’s performances celebrate the human spirit through the African-American cultural experience and the American modern dance tradition. This was initiated by Ailey’s reliance on his ‘blood memories’ of growing up in the US.

Since 1958​, Ailey’s performers have performed for over 25 million people in 71 countries, on a total of six continents​. ​