Inside
Spring 2014
Photo: Benedict Johnson
DANCE IS NOT A HOME ALONE ACTIVITY
Earlier this year I attended the inaugural event of the new Warwick Commission, an inquiry set up to explore the state of the arts and the future of cultural value. It held its first public provocations at the British Library on 4th February with BBC economist, Robert Peston giving the keynote speech. It got me thinking not only about what I believe to be important about arts and culture in today’s society but also about the journey of becoming an artist (something Grayson Perry spoke on so wonderfully in his Reith Lectures last year).
No one ever became a dancer by staying at home on their own. Dance is not a home alone kind of activity. With few exceptions, dance is something you do in the company of others, whether social dancing or training for the stage, or creating dance for performance. Dance is a people-centred activity. It flourishes in the company of others. Think about all the dance videos that have gone viral...almost without exception they’ve been large group focused activities. Gangnam style for one just doesn’t work does it? Dance thrives where there is a strong sense of community. Dance also needs the right people. It’s hard to be a dancer if you don’t like being with other people, because you’ll spend a lot of time in the close company of others, day after day in the studio, and then on stage. Empathy and trust are essential components of dance, especially when it comes to putting your life in someone else’s hands. “Catch me! Lift me! Don’t drop me on my head!”. Dance helps connect us more fully to ourselves as well as to others. That’s why many dancers and choreographers, I think, learn to be good collaborators. For the best dance to happen, it also needs the right support. Dance is a resource hungry activity. It needs the right spaces; ideally light, airy, obstruction free dance studios,
with well sprung floors, and large enough to have anything between 15 to 25 people in the studio together. As Grayson Perry also observed, the professional artist does not come readymade. It’s a long journey, and the beginnings of that journey often start in childhood. The opportunity for children and young people to participate in high quality dance experiences in schools is so important as a point of access. Just last week, the Secretary of State for Education announced his determination to “ensure every child enjoys access to the best in our culture”, with all schools committed to nurturing creative talent in every child. It’s hard to see how some of the policies that have emerged over the last few years support that, but the key message is an important one. At The Place, we offer a wide range of opportunities for people to begin or to continue their dance journey. We offer bursaries for families who may not be able to afford the classes we offer and we also run a GCSE dance course for those unable to pursue their interest at school; our third cohort of students is already well underway. In this issue you can read about our Centre for Advanced Training and about our postgraduate company EDge. These are
just some of the many opportunities we offer, alongside a whole range of apprenticeships and trainee posts, which together offer a multiplicity of support routes into working in dance. The future of contemporary dance will be shaped by the boldest, most innovative artists. The Place is in a unique position to nurture them, as a training organisation, a research centre, a producing and receiving theatre, home for a national touring company and a hub for hundreds of independent artists. With the support of our funders, trusts and foundations and many generous individuals, we strive to create the best possible conditions in which ambition, risk, creativity and excellence in dance can thrive. Even though we now exist in a very different world to when The Place began in 1969, the development of dance and dance artists remains at the heart of our work today.
Kenneth Olumuyiwa Tharp OBE, Chief Executive
of dance artists on tour
Maya Levy’s Spring on Mars Photo: Benedict Johnson
EDge — The next generation Led by Artistic Director Jeanne Yasko, EDge, the postgraduate performance company of London Contemporary Dance School is now in its 14th year. Each year there is a new cohort. The dancers are selected through a rigorous audition process and the most exciting and talented dancers are chosen to join the company. This year EDge has an equal balance of six male and six female dancers. The period spent with EDge forms the main part of their Postgraduate Diploma in Performance and gives each individual an invaluable insight into creating, rehearsing and touring work as a professional company. By the time the dancers complete the tour at the end of July, EDge will have performed 22 nights, in 17 venues, across seven countries. They will have worked with professional choreographers; learnt how to adapt and push their natural body movements; absorbed different processes; taken part in creative exchanges with other postgraduate companies; live streamed a rehearsal and Q&A session; taught workshops; developed their own creative practice; honed their skills as dance artists; and be ready to take the next steps in their professional careers. On tour, EDge perform a selection from six contrasting works, of which four have been made for the dancers during creative choreographic residencies at The Place. These include special commissions by Ben Wright, Associate Artistic Director of Skånes Dance Theatre called a power to bring light into a darkened room and London Contemporary Dance School alumnus Joe Moran who has created a piece called Subject to Change. For the first time, EDge has worked with two upand-coming Israeli choreographers Maya Levy and Idan Cohen, to create shorter works as part of the partnership with the
Choreographers Association, supported by the British Israeli Arts Training Scheme (BIARTS). This partnership has enabled two vibrant, buzzing contemporary dance scenes to connect. Jeanne Yasko, Artistic Director of EDge said: “Collaboration and exchange of ideas is a key part of creating dance. The cross-fertilisation of ideas is exciting and hopefully plants seeds for future projects.” We’re extremely privileged to be able to present a re-staging of Trisha Brown’s Canto/Pianto, which is the first time a company other than the Trisha Brown Company has performed the work outside the USA, and extracts from Yael Flexer’s The Living Room, which was first performed in 2010 and formed part of Yael’s 20th anniversary celebration at The Place last year. Dancing in a repertory company is exciting and demanding. One choreography requires athleticism, another precision and simplicity, whilst another is playful and dramatic. The dancers have undertaken a process of creation together
with the choreographers which was both challenging and inspiring, enabling them to develop new skills and explore new approaches to making dance. The company will also lead workshops for schools, colleges, community and youth groups at several tour venues, and take part in post-show talks with the audience about their work. One of the London dates is a site-specific performance at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital on 22 May as part of Dance Art Foundation’s Breathing Space Dances. The company will perform in the main hospital foyer for patients and staff before moving onto the wards. EDge also participates in an annual residency at the Casa Das Artes in Portugal. The company does three performances and spends the rest of the nine days teaching and creating for young people (around 150 participants, aged 3-25 years old). This will be the 13th year of the programme.
For full tour dates and venue details go to: theplace.org.uk/EDge
“ It’s so exciting to start on that first day with no idea of how it’s going to be. It has been a very challenging creation process, I have asked a lot from the dancers in EDge and they have more than met the challenge.” Joe Moran, Director of Dance Art Foundation
“ It’s a very challenging, condensed, intense way of working. It’s risky to do a creation in such a short period of time, but the risk is worth it.” Maya Levy, Choreographer
Photo: Nigel Beard
Photo: Nigel Beard
Daniel Cooley Pre-vocational and Recreational Dance Trainee Six months into his year-long traineeship working with the Centre for Advanced Training at The Place, Daniel Cooley talks to Christine Taylor, Development Officer, about his role.
What was your background before starting at The Place? Prior to starting at The Place, I was doing a Masters programme in Arts Administration and Cultural Policy at Goldsmiths. As part of that programme I did a six month internship in the Creative Learning Department at Sadler’s Wells, supporting their community main stage projects.
...the most enjoyable part of working at The Place is seeing the children dance...
What drew you to this particular role? I have always had an interest in the development of young people in dance, particularly through my own training. I was drawn to this role at The Place as I wanted to see what it would be like to work somewhere that is delivering a consistent and established programme for young people. I enjoy seeing how the Centre for Advanced Training (CAT) programme is enabling young people to progress onto the next level of their training and of their lives.
What aspects of your role do you particularly value and enjoy? For me the most enjoyable part of working at The Place is seeing the children dance, the improvement in their technical ability, their artistic maturity and ultimately how they have developed into young adults when they exit the programme. They have become mature young dance artists that are skilled, not only artistically and technically but also in the appreciation of their training and management skills. It is very enjoyable to watch that.
What does being a Pre-Vocational and Recreational Dance Trainee involve? My role involves different areas of administration and pastoral care for the CAT programme, comprising 103 students aged 10-18.
The Place as an organisation is incredible to work in because of the people who work here. I am very fortunate to work somewhere that has outstanding expertise as well as a very generous approach to sharing and building relationships with each other and with artists. This allows you to continuously develop within the organisation. I’m fully appreciative of what they have all had to offer me and I feel they have grabbed the opportunity to allow me to manage projects and coordinate areas of the programme. It is also exciting to help develop our partnerships with Cando 2 and The National Centre for Circus Arts (formerly Circus Space). Hopefully those partnerships will continue to
I work alongside the CAT Coordinator and Programme Manager devising the individual training programmes for participants and liasing with the artists we work with, both guest artists and members of our teaching faculty here. Essentially I support what they have to do, but within the programme I get a lot of opportunity to help guide young people in their chosen field, and I am learning a lot about the CAT programme.
grow and more organisations will become involved. Where would you like to see your career leading once you have completed this traineeship? I’m looking to continue in the areas of project management and creative producing. I think it is really important that we value what young people have to offer as dance artists and that we treat them as professionals. We need to give them opportunities in professional environments so they are not only getting the full experience of training, but also gaining an insight into lighting, sound, stage management and other technical aspects of performing in a theatre. I’m very interested in creative producing for young people, specifically work produced by young people for young people. This is something I want to do, but I’m very fluid in how that progression happens and I’m very willing to be open to any opportunities that become available. You can learn so much by being open-minded and I’d like to keep it that way.
Behind the scenes: A snapshot of a day on tour with Richard Alston Dance Company Over the last year, Richard Alston Dance Company has completed two national tours, performed in Russia, Italy, Germany and the USA, and has presented three high-profile performances at the Barbican, accompanied by the Britten Sinfonia, in celebration of Benjamin Britten’s centenary.
However, the view from the audience is but one dimension of the whole performance. The tireless efforts of numerous logistical, technical and administrative teams ensure that Richard and his Company continue to delight audiences with their performances. Before any dancer sets foot onstage at a tour venue, the Company’s technical team prepare the theatre for their arrival. From 9am on the day before a performance, the team of four spend a full day preparing the stage for the dancers, installing Company lights onto the theatre’s rig and ensuring everything is ready for the dancers’ arrival. This task demands great precision – each light’s position and focus has to exactly match the specifications for each work, regardless of venue.
Marianna Krempeniou, Nancy Nerantzi and Elly Braund in Rejoice in the Lamb Photo: Pari Naderi
When the Company’s dancers arrive on the day of the performance, their daily class, an essential part of a dancer’s life, is held onstage before a rehearsal of the evening’s programme. This all occurs alongside the work of the technical team, who pay close attention during the rehearsal, making numerous tweaks and adjustments to lighting and sound, ready for the evening performance. Backstage, the wardrobe assistant prepares the costumes for the evening’s performance. The dancers’ clothing is put through considerable stress in each show given the physicality of the performances, and so cleaning and repairs need to be undertaken each day before the costumes are delivered to the dressing rooms. This work doesn’t stop here – even during the performance, the Company’s wardrobe assistant is watching from the wings just in case any repairs need to be made mid-show. Following the Company’s last performance at the venue, work continues after the audience have left their seats. The
backstage team works to take down the lights and pack the costumes, before loading this all onto the Company‘s hired lorry to move to the next stop on the tour. Even with the most organised team however, last minute changes to the schedule are not uncommon – last autumn, cancelled trains to Edinburgh saw the team booking the last available flights, followed by a quick dash to the airport to get the dancers to the venue on time.
Company Update In February this year, the Richard Alston Dance Company gave the premiere of Richard’s new work Rejoice in the Lamb at the Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury, in a programme of works to the music of Benjamin Britten, accompanied live by the Canterbury Cathedral Choir. The Company was on fine form with Dance Europe describing the work as ‘a joyous and fitting tribute to the great composer, [which] sent the audience out into the dismal British weather, undeterred and smiling.’ Richard Alston Dance Company’s performance of Phaedra at the Barbican, in collaboration with the Britten Sinfonia as part of the Benjamin Britten Centenary celebrations received a nomination for the Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production. Following a hugely successful season in December 2012, the Company is delighted to have been invited to perform again in Montclair, New Jersey for four nights in October 2014 as part of the opening performances to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Peak Performances, a prestigious USA destination for visiting dance companies. The Company will perform Rejoice in the Lamb, Unfinished Business and Illuminations.
Most of us like learning something new - provided it doesn’t involve too much homework! And lots of us, so our audiences tell us, are curious about what lies behind the scenes of a new dance work.
Our new initiative Spectator School is not exactly a school in the usual sense, but it is all about opportunities to learn more about the what, why and how of dance, and in particular the dance programme in our theatre. For us it’s about learning creatively, and a chance to enrich the audience experience by framing the theatre programme with a new and richer programme of contextual events. Our target audience is both those who already come to The Place and those who, for whatever reason, are not sure contemporary dance is for them. We hope that by offering events that complement the programme and which can even be enjoyed whether you come to the performance or not, we can encourage new people to venture into the dance world. We had an opportunity to try out some of these ideas last autumn, thanks to Sadhana Dance, when we presented their piece Under My Skin, a dance work based on the movements of a surgical team in the operating theatre. Alongside the dance performance was the opportunity to see a realistically staged emergency operation by a real surgical team, to experience handson haptic methods used to train surgeons, and to admire the craft of Savile Row tailoring, then try your hand at a different kind of sewing by stitching a cut (in highly
realistic artificial skin). Led by Professor Roger Kneebone, Professor of Surgical Education at Imperial College London, these events were not just fascinating in themselves, but gave a real and multisensory insight into the material which had inspired the choreography, as well as the parallels between the craft skills of dance and surgery. A post-show discussion with dancers and surgeons further explored the connections and insights they had gained through working together. These events launched the exploratory phase of our Spectator School project, and this year we are offering a number of different events as part of the Spring Loaded season. The idea is sometimes to frame the performance, sometimes to enrich it with complementary experiences or information. Some events will be participatory while others are more social – offering the chance to chat with artists over a meal for example. We will also exploit the possibilities afforded by the digital realm. Spectator School will inform and enrich the way we communicate with our audiences (and potential audiences). With an emphasis on partnership, we will be working with other organisations to share expertise and perspectives, with a steady
focus on what will deepen and broaden the experience of watching, doing and appreciating dance. We also want Spectator School to be a genuine research project, and so we will be seeking support for a full three-year pilot programme that we can evaluate rigorously, and the outcomes of which we can share with others in the dance sector. This Spring we will be offering a variety of talks and other events alongside several of the Spring Loaded performances, including Eva Recacha, Vera Tussing, Igor and Moreno, Joe Moran, Mamoru Iriguchi and the Association of Dance of the African Diaspora (ADAD). In April we will also be launching a series of four short animated films that offer a light-hearted but (we hope) informative guide to ‘Planet Dance’ – for the uninitiated or just plain curious. Spectator School will be informative, engaging and grown-up (though we are also planning more activities for families). Look out for the Spectator School logo and join us. No need to remember your PE kit. Find out more at theplace.org.uk/spectatorschool
Starting the year in an exhilarating fashion, 21 boys from The Place CAT performed a curtain raiser before the main performance of Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake at Sadler’s Wells on Fri 17 January. Not only that,
Following workshops and rehearsals at The Place in April, 12 of our students will perform alongside professional dancers in balletLORENT’s production of Rapunzel at Sadler’s Wells. What makes this particularly special is that Natalie Trewinnard, who performs the lead role of Rapunzel, was one of the original students on the CAT pilot scheme at The Place, as well as a graduate of London Contemporary Dance School. We are also delighted that seven of our current CAT students are dancing with this year’s National Youth Dance Company; Murielle Werthauer, Lewis Cooke, Luigi Nardone, Meshach Henry, Elyas Addo, Bun Kobayashi, Folu Odimayo. They will be working with guest Artistic Director Akram Khan. Three CAT alumni; Akua Amankona, Reynaldo Santos and Mariella Fortune-Ely,
Natalie Tewinnard in Rapunzel by BalletLORENT Photo: Ian West
For the 103 CAT students currently based at The Place and the 24 students on our affiliated circus specialism stream delivered by The National Centre for Circus Arts (formerly Circus Space), 2014 is proving to be a phenomenal year. There’s a whole host of dynamic projects for our current cohort to get their feet into, plus new developments for our alumni. We’ve picked out a few of the good news and success stories to share with you.
but one of our very own CAT Alumni (and London Contemporary Dance School graduate) Parsifal James Hurst, was performing in the main cast of Swan Lake.
The company in Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake Photo: Bill Cooper
Founded in 2004 the National Centres for Advanced Training are part of a Government initiative funded by the Department for Education and managed by the Music and Dance Scheme (MDS). The aim of the scheme is to identify and support children with exceptional music or dance potential, regardless of their personal circumstances.
Photo: Pari Naderi
This year the National Centres for Advanced Training (CAT) celebrate their 10th anniversary. It also marks an exciting year for The Place’s own CAT (one of the very first to emerge), with a host of dance activities happening across the year and some real life ‘Billy Elliot’ moments.
Photo: Pari Naderi
Ihsaan De Banya in Phaedra by Richard Alston Dance Company Photo: Tony Nandi
10th Anniversary of Centres for Advanced Training. The Place CAT students.
joined the company in 2013 and worked with guest Artistic Director Jasmin Vardimon. Alumnus Jonathan Savage who has been with Rambert Dance Company since 2011 describes his experience of CAT at The Place as “brilliant; they introduced me to a wide range of outstanding teachers and choreographers, educated me about the dance world and prepared me for auditions. With everyone’s support I successfully auditioned for Central School of Ballet’s (CSB) 3 year course.” In November last year CAT alumnus Ihsaan de Banya performed the lead role of Hippolytus in Richard Alston’s Barbican Britten:Phaedra which premiered at the Barbican and has recently been nominated for an Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production. Ihsaan says that being part of the second intake on The Place CAT programme was a massive influence, “I wouldn’t have danced. I would not be here had I not joined the CAT scheme.”
Over the last 10 years more than 1,500 young people have attended taster days as part of our outreach work. This February we had 135 young people attend the two taster days at The Place and we had 150 applicants for the auditions in April to start in September 2014. In addition to this the CAT programme continues to grow and to reach more young people through its satellite centres. This is part of a major initiative by The Place and Trinity Laban who are working in partnership with local dance organisations in the South East, in Sussex, Hampshire and Hertfordshire, to provide training for 200 young dancers. We are proud to have been able to nurture so many gifted young people over the last 10 years and are looking forward to the possibilities that the next decade holds for them as they emerge into the profession, and for the new dancers that join the CAT programmes across the country.
What’s On... Highlights from our forthcoming performance programme.
EDge the postgraduate performance company of London Contemporary Dance School will be touring from March to July in the UK and abroad (including Israel, Austria and Portugal). For more information on the EDge tour, visit theplace.org.uk/edge Richard Alston Dance Company is currently touring the UK and the world (Germany, Holland and USA). To find out more, visit richardalstondance.com. Diary Unless otherwise indicated, all performances start at 8pm in The Place’s Robin Howard Dance Theatre and are priced £15 (£12 concessions) 020 7121 1100 theplace.org.uk
APRIL
MAY
Fri 25 & Sat 26 Spring Loaded Eva Recacha Easy Rider
Wed 7 & Thu 8 Spring Loaded Vera Tussing T-Dance
n engaging look at A superstitious beliefs and the pursuit of happiness Tue 29 Spring Loaded Southpaw Dance Co. Riots I Men on a Mission A breaking, contemporary and contact dance fusion double-bill
subtle, poetic and compelling A ‘moving sculpture’ Sat 10 Spring Loaded James Wilton Dance Last Man Standing This piece asks ‘what do we do when facing danger?’ Tue 13 Spring Loaded Joe Moran Assembly triple bill tackling full-bodied A dancing and critical thinking Thu 15 & Fri 16 Spring Loaded Igor and Moreno Idiot-Syncrasy A jumping dance
Look out for the Spectator School symbol for extra activities around Spring Loaded shows. This could be a short film, a talk with the artists or a back stage tour.
Wed 28 Spring Loaded Mamoru Iriguchi Projector / Conjector One Man Show I GRAFT A visually striking triple bill Sat 31 Spring Loaded ADAD Trailblazers Showcase A mixed bill programme featuring innovation in dance from the African diaspora
JULY
Wed 4 Spring Loaded Mickael Marso Riviere Matches I Halfway to The Other Side
Fri 4 – Fri 11 London Contemporary Dance School Graduation Shows
A double bill of collaborations with other exceptional choreographers Fri 6 & Sat 7 Spring Loaded In Good Company Hofesh Shechter Company dancers become choreographers for an evening Tue 10 Spring Loaded Philippe Blanchard This is that Thought-provoking dance and spoken word piece
Sat 12 Without Compromise A showcase of choreographic work by young people at The Place. Sat 19 10am – 5pm Something Happening for Kids For the fourth year we are delighted to bring another full day of dance fun dedicated to the under 11s. It’s an opportunity for families to experience and enjoy dance together. Please check theplace.org.uk for the full listing of performances, further information and to book.
Fri 13 Spring Loaded Deborah Light HIDE A striking piece questioning appearances and identity Sat 14 Spring Loaded Jo Fong Witness A three-screen cinematic dance event Deborah Light’s Hide Photo: John Collingswood
Simply go to the event’s page or to theplace.org.uk/spectatorschool to find out more.
Tue 20 & Wed 21 LC3 London Contemporary Dance School ’s third year performance group
JUNE
Cover image: LCDS BA student Ricardo Da Silva Photo: Emile Holba
Compiled and edited by the Development Department at The Place. Registered charity number 250216
The Place 17 Duke’s Road London WC1H 9PY Development: 020 7121 1050 theplace.org.uk/support