Young Creatives: How it works
www.yde.org.uk
Regional choreographic development programmes feed into the national application process for Young Creatives
Youth Dance England would like to thank:
Royal Opera House Wayne McGregor – Resident Choreographer of The Royal Ballet Paul Reeve – Director of Learning and Engagement Clare Thurman – Ballet Education Manager Kate Hodson – Education Officer Dawn Clark – Education Projects Assistant
Choreographic Facilitator Sarah Dowling
The national application process
A total of 44 applications was received, and all applicants and their dancers were invited to attend a Sharing and Selection event at either the Royal Opera House or Yorkshire Dance in November 2012
Technical & Lighting Adrian Bonfield & Nick Peel
The Royal Ballet School Jay Jolley – Assistant Director Ginny Brown – Dance Partnership & Access Programme Manager Alex Leonard – Dance Partnership & Access Programme Co-ordinator Kate Flatt – Choreographic Course Co-ordinator Jennifer Jackson – Choreographic Course Co-ordinator Bim Malcomson – Artist in Education
Costume Advisor Emma Wee
Residential Artists and Mentors Mayuri Boonham Tania Fairburn Kate Flatt Katie Green Jay Jolley Hope Keelan Bim Malcomson
The Skill Boosting Weekend
The 12 selected choreographers were invited to attend a 2-day residential at the Royal Opera House in January 2013 where they took classes and choreographic workshops and learned about the technical and costume aspects of creating dance for the stage and choreographed on Royal Ballet dancers
Kerry Nicholls Hakeem Onibudo Rhian Robbins Wayne Sables Bettina Strickler Adèle Thompson Alexander Whitley
Yorkshire Dance Wieke Eringa – Director Gail Ferrin, Youth and Community Dance Director
And also:
Youth Dance England Linda Jasper – Director Claire Somerville – Programme Manager Martha Wilkinson – Projects and Administration Assistant Laura Brannagan – Marketing and Communications Manager
The teachers and parents who nominate and support the choreographers including: Julie Bridger, Juliet Chappell, Lucy Crowe, Andrea Davis, Katy Dowson, Caroline Newman, Clare Palethorpe, Jonathan Poole and Amy West Photographer – Brian Slater Designer – Marc Marazzi All the staff at The Royal Ballet School’s White Lodge for all their help and support throughout the project
Professional mentoring
At the Skill Boosting Weekend, each choreographer was introduced to their professional mentor with whom they met 3 times between January and April to further explore and refine their choreographic ideas and intentions
In partnership with:
Funded by:
YDE Patrons: Arlene Phillips OBE; Carlos Acosta; Kymberlee Jay Charity registration: 1105635 Company registration: 5033279 Photography: Brian Slater and Martha Wilkinson
The residential at White Lodge
All 12 choreographers and their dancers spent a fabulous 4 days at The Royal Ballet School’s White Lodge in Richmond Park where they trained with professionals and rehearsed their pieces for the final performance
‘Overwhelmingly excellent!’
3 YDE’s National Youth Dance Festival 19th – 21st July across Leeds
The performance at the Royal Opera House
The Young Creatives are now ready to premiere their work on the Linbury Studio Theatre stage at the Royal Opera House… sit back and admire their talent!
U.Dance 2013 will bring together a wealth of youth dance talent from across the country and will push pre conceived ideas of what ‘Youth Dance’ is. The introduction of the new strand; ‘New Dimensions’; where there are fewer restrictions on length of piece and number of dancers, allows an experimental approach to creating a dance piece. Groups selected through New Dimensions and the mainstream regional platform route will all perform over the 3 day festival, widening the variety, creativity and vibrancy of the whole event. U.Dance 2013 is not just about watching performances – it’s also about celebrating and showcasing youth dance through film, photography and workshops, so to find out how you can be part of the biggest celebration of youth dance this year visit: www.u-dance.org for ticket information and more!
s e v i t a e r e C c g an n u m o r use Y o o H E Per f era p D O Y 13 yal o R 013, the 2 20 y e Ma atr e 7th io Th 1 ay Stud d i r F bur y Lin
www.yde.org.uk
YDE YOUNG CREATIVES 2013 I am delighted to welcome you to the 5th performance of YDE Young Creatives at the Royal Opera House. Since we created the programme in 2008 we have seen an increase in the quality of choreography produced by and with young people and more importance placed on young people as artists in their own right. Tonight you will see a very impressive selection of choreography created by the YDE Young Creatives 2013, aged between 15 and 19 years old. This programme offers participants the opportunity to find their own choreographic voice and help them make work that speaks directly about themselves, their passions and concerns. The pieces that you will see tonight have been created by young people who have come to choreography from very different contexts, whether through dance in school, youth dance groups or vocational dance training. We enjoy bringing together such a range of talented and motivated young people to inspire each other and challenge practice and perceptions of choreography. We received over 40 applications for this year’s programme and they were of an incredibly high standard. All choreographers and their dancers, in total 101 young people, attended a sharing and selection event in November either at Yorkshire Dance or the Royal Opera House. From these events an expert panel selected 12 young choreographers to join the programme. Their first activity was the Skills Boosting Weekend which took place in January where the young people were able to take part in choreographic workshops and attended sessions with lighting and costume designers at the Royal Opera House to give them more understanding of how their work could be presented. Over the course of the programme they have been mentored by professional choreographers who have given
1. Unto The Ground Richard Chappell from Middlesex Dancers: Maddie Shimwell, Kai Tomioka, Jack Thomson, Alice Shepherdson, Duncan Anderson Music: Lost by Zoe Keating; BBC Radio Four’s Paradise Lost recording (edited) ‘Cherube and Seraph rowling in the Flood. With scatter’d Arms and Ensigns, till anon His swift pursuers from Heav’n Gates discern Th’ advantage, and descending tread us down Thus drooping, or with linked Thunderbolts Transfix us to the bottom of this Gulfe. Awake, arise, or be for ever fall’n.’ The piece is an exploration of the persona of angels and their image which takes inspirations from John Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost’ and 16th-17th century paintings and sculptures. The piece depicts angels as both demonic, human and supernatural beings. I’d like to thank the dancers for their creative input, Jack Thomson for his costume design and creation and Alice Shepherdson and Anne Chappell for their artistic research. I am an 18 year old contemporary dancer originally from South Devon who is currently training at Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance. My choreography is inspired by thought provoking acts, literature and works of art. I applied to be a Young Creative to gain a better understanding of choreography from skilled and inspiring mentors, as well as from other young choreographers with similar ambitions to me. I feel that the way I analyse and develop movement has completely changed from the start of the process, thanks to a very inspiring creative team. I now feel like I can approach choreography with a more informed creative process which really excites me.
feedback to help them create new works. During the Easter vacation, the Young Creatives and their dancers took part in an intensive residential held at The Royal Ballet School’s White Lodge, where they took class together and explored new choreographic approaches led by professional choreographers Sarah Dowling and Kate Flatt. All the choreographic techniques they have learned along the way have helped them develop and refine the pieces that you will see premièred tonight. Youth Dance England delivers national programmes that inspire, raise aspirations and celebrate excellence. Our programmes provide essential platforms for engaging young people in dance from first steps to training for a professional career. We create lifelong dance participants and audiences as well as the next generation of dance artists and leaders. YDE Young Creatives encourages more young people to choreograph, thereby raising the standards and profile of choreographic practice both in and beyond school. The success of this year’s programme would not have been possible without the continuing support of our YDE Young Creatives partners, The Royal Ballet School and Royal Opera House. We would like to thank them for all they have done and look forward to future collaborations. The need to increase creative thinking in people from all walks of life grows as we face an uncertain future. Here we see young people demonstrating their creativity through making new work, testing out ideas and finding ways to convey their intentions. It is always challenging work – but rewarding for them, and for us, who can share their journey and success. Linda Jasper MBE Director, Youth Dance England
2. There Is A Grief That Can’t Be Spoken Molly Roberts from Worcester Dancers: Stephanie Bentley and Rob Ferguson Music composed by Sam Hall The piece is inspired by the song from Les Miserables, Empty Chairs, Empty Tables. I used the lyrics to create movement and connect with the emotion that the song portrays. The piece has reference to the story itself and follows a narrative. I’ve been dancing since I was 8 and have been on the CAT scheme at DanceXchange since I was 11. I gained an A* in Dance at GCSE and was invited to perform my GCSE solo at the NDTA conference at the Royal Opera House. This is only the second time I’ve ever choreographed a piece. I like to create emotive work with a narrative so that an audience can feel something. I came to Young Creatives to boost my skills, become more confident and explore areas of dance other than just dancing. I have learned a lot about different approaches to choreography and how different people work. I have learned about using various stimuli to create different work. I’ve met a lot of new people and make some great connections which I hope to maintain in the future.
3. Decision Henry Ward from Bedfordshire Dancer: Joseph Peacock Music: November by Max Richter The piece focuses on how our decisions affect us and how we, as humans, react to our thoughts, whether they be quick, thoughtful, life changing or life ending. I started contemporary dance at the age of 14 by studying at GCSE. I am part of a youth company called U.P.Rising. My main inspiration for choreography comes from music. Watching dance makes me want to dance and create new movement. I applied to Young Creatives to become a better experienced choreographer and develop my confidence to work with other dancers. I have gained new skills and learned about different techniques to help me explore my choreography in more depth. I have developed confidence to express myself effectively.
4. Night Time Chloe Green from Surrey Dancers: Nicole Cannon, Jaimie Morris and Sara Ferreira Music: Night Time by The XX The piece is influenced by the beats and the lyrics of the song which inspired me the first time I heard it. The lyrics are based on a person in love with somebody and they are finding it difficult to tell them. The piece is an abstract contemporary piece which explores that theme. I dance at Glenthorne High School where I am currently studying for my A levels. I used to dance in A-D-1 Dance Company which is where I heard about YDEs Young Creatives. I also dance and teach hip hop at X-plosion Dance Company. Music is my main inspiration for choreography, both the lyrics and the beat. I have always felt I struggle with choreography and so I thought that Young Creatives would teach me new approaches and help me gain confidence. I hope that this experience will help me with choreography in the future as I plan to go on to study dance at University. The Young Creatives programme has really opened my eyes to the world of choreography.
5. Corridors James Rosental from Wigan Dancers: Olivia Sewell, Shannon Platt, Paige Langley Music: Beach by Michael Price; Metamorphosis 2 by Phillip Glass; Machete Standoff from The Raid soundtrack My piece tackles society’s perception and our inquisitive attitude towards traumatic experiences. Following the journey of three women we see how the struggles they go through effects the decisions they make. I first found my love for dance at high school and from this I began gaining an enthusiasm for both contemporary dance and choreography. I am inspired to dance as a way of expression and I am fascinated about what I can tell an audience through creating my own work and choreography. I am currently on the CAT programme situated at The Lowry theatre in Greater Manchester and have been for three years now. I am now going on to continue my training at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance. Young Creatives has been an excellent experience for me as a choreographer to enrich both my choreographic practice and learn from other choreographers and the way they work and to have the chance to work with professional mentors and tutors enabling me to develop as a choreographer. To have the chance to create a new piece of choreography for performance with no limits is incredible and I am very interested in how I can carry on developing the work and exploring new ways to look upon it.
6. How to Build a Shelf Dan Hammond from Cambridge Dancer: Dan Hammond
See for yourself! I am a Bboy from Cambridge. I’m part of a group called SIN Cru which is a Hip Hop organisation. I’ve been dancing since I was 9 which a specific focus on Bboying. I choreograph to create an impact and show people something they might not have seen before. I applied to be part of Young Creatives to see dance from a different angle, to focus on the creation and not just the performance. I have gained new choreographic skills and the task of creating a piece from nothing is no longer daunting.
Interval
7. Transmutations Barny Sharratt from London Dancers: Mica Bradbury, Fi McGee & Adam Russell-Jones Music: The Carrier by Brian Eno & David Byrne Based on the theme of evolution and Charles Darwin’s quote: “From so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, eveolved.” I was drawn to choreography because it allowed me to use what I know from my ballet training and express ideas in a less restrained and academic way. I love the creativity of being able to convey a theme or narrative through movements of my own invention. I’m in my 7th year of training at The Royal Ballet School. I applied for Young Creatives so that I could gain experience and confidence in choreography and help decide if it’s something I want to pursue professionally. I wanted to meet choreographers from different backgrounds and other dance styles to see if how they work could help me to create richer choreography
8. A Thin Line Between Space and Matter Charlotte Statham from Shropshire Dancers: Iona Mcguire, Megan Harris and Amber-Rose Hall Music: Radioactive by Imagine Dragons; 0_U3 by Alva Noto Inspired by a piece within the Lost in Lace exhibition at Birmingham Art Gallery, my piece is a female trio that explores the three states of matter; solid, liquid and gas, and the way in which the particles move in relation to each other, tied together by the thin line where they cross into the next state. After training in ballet since the age of 3, I began contemporary with the Birmingham strand of the CAT scheme in 2010, where we worked on lots of creative sessions with choreographers and this sparked my interest in choreography. I work experimentally and like to explore using improvisation tasks around specific themes. This project has been a challenge for me as I don’t usually choreograph on groups. I have enjoyed meeting other young aspiring choreographers and seeing how they work has inspired and reassured me about my goals in the dance business. I applied to Young Creatives because I heard about it through my dance teacher who had been part of the project before. I spoke to one of the choreographers who had taken part in the project before and felt compelled to apply. I wanted to push myself to make authentic work and all the teachers, other dancers, my mentor and the other choreographers have been inspiring and encouraging. I have thoroughly enjoyed taking part in the project.
9. Untitled Morika Richmond from London Dancers: Sam Ford, Dinah Gray, Shay Barclay, Jason Smallwood-Jordan Music: Through The Roof of Your Mouth by Ben Frost The piece is about the exploration of Darwin’s theory and the idea of evolution. It is an intertwining of analysis and the ideas that Darwin has made known to many. It asks, ‘have we evolved so much or have we hit our pivotal point in history and are slowly returning to a blank state of thinking and living?’ I do most of my dance activity at The BRIT School where I am a student. I was inspired to dance because I was fascinated by how dancers move in different ways; I wanted to explore that language. Seeing different choreographers’ work made me think “I want to create something as amazing as that”, I hoped to gain more knowledge and develop my choreographic skills. Young Creatives has helped me to find my own style and individual and unique essence. I applied to Young Creatives because I thought that I’d be able to find myself and I did exactly that. Thank you to Young Creatives.
10. My Little Thing Asmara Cammock from London Dancer: Elsie Cullen Music: Tetrishead by Zoe Keating (edited) This piece is about balance, reminding us that there is true beauty in a child’s faith and carefree spirit but there is yet an alluring quality in a teenager’s daring and responsible attitude. My choreography emphasizes both stages in life and highlights the need for balance. It shows the grip in which a child, a teenager and an adult has on life. This is my little thing. I currently study at the BRIT School. My inspiration for this piece was my own life experiences and self discovery. Life inspires me to dance and create work. I use dance as a tool to express feelings and lessons learned. I believed that Young Creatives would challenge my process, physically and mentally and I have enjoyed every moment of exploring movement, rhythm, costume, music and lighting in a new way. Young Creatives has been an unforgettable experience that I will be forever grateful for.
11. Task One Robert Bridger from Middlesex Dancers: Julie Nunes, Asako Yakoya, Inês Pinheiro, Lydia Mackenzie, Kyomi Ishibashi The dancers explore the concept of language and conversation through the use of somatic movement techniques in a live improvisation. I’m currently training at Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance. Before that I trained at Youth Dance Academy CAT scheme at Swindon Dance. I enjoy watching work that makes me think and this inspires me to create experimental choreography. I applied to Young Creatives for the opportunity to learn new skills and experience new choreographic techniques. I hoped to be informed by other people’s ways of working and see how it could influence my own work. Thank you to Young Creatives for giving me this opportunity.
12. Trans Danielle Campbell from Wolverhampton Dancers: Aaron Baugh and Harry Ondrak-Wright Music: Virus by GruffMuzik; voice recordings Trans is an abstract exploration of organ transplants: an issue of controversy throughout history. Trans embodies the uncomfortable awe and concept of accepting but more importantly, living with, a foreign ‘miracle’. This all male duet probes into the possibilities of the organ rejecting the body as opposed to the body rejecting the organ. My dance teacher inspired me to dance; once I caught that spark I think the possibilities then caught a flame. I dance at Coppice Performing Arts School studying A Levels and I am also a member of Flexus Dance Company based in Wolverhampton. My hopes with Young Creatives was to close my eyes and open my mind, to find further possibilities and dance with that fire I spoke of above. Young Creatives was a programme that gave me no limits or boxes to tick and endless freedom. It was something that I could do for me and hopefully enrich and begin to find and see myself more so as an artist than just a dancer. I have enjoyed every aspect of the course particularly seeing the way other aspiring young dancers work and create.