Smallpetitklein Kick Start

Last week I attend SPK's Kick Start summer intensive at The Space in Dundee. It was a 4day intensive with fundamental technique and dynamic work in the mornings followed by rep and creative work in the afternoon.

My body went into shock after the first day! I started running this summer and haven't been in the studio for months so my body wasn't best pleased by the range of movement I was expecting it to attempt. I am sure I looked anything but elegant but wow I felt like an angel dancing on clouds. That is the fantastic thing about dance, it can make you really FEEL. I can't describe how dance does it, but I feel alive as I move, and nothing else matters.

Ruth Mills took the first day and the first class (Graham-based and a dash of Beyonce) of each following day. I know Ruth's classes though I haven't been for a long time so it was wonderful to be back in the studio with her, her wit and fantastically encouraging way of giving corrections. Never have I known a dance teacher to inspire strength and energy like she does. Her classes are truly invigorating.

Tommy's Cunningham-based  classes were dynamic, challenging, exhausting but wonderful! Cunningham has a way of making me feel like I am moving freely, giving into gravity and letting my body take me where it wants to naturally. Even though I don't think have ever felt so much discomfort in my quads, moving felt amazing. Tommy's music choices really helped bring out my energy too, I couldn't stop smiling.

After I seized up and attempted to eat through the tiredness over lunchtime, creative work at times felt like a chore. The initial challenges of working with someone you don't know anything about dance-wise (or otherwise) were soon put aside and I found myself moving with and against my partner and creating work reflecting characters from SPK's production 'CUT'. I won't tell you much about it, you have to go and see it at the 2013 Fringe! I worked alone on character choreography and involved voice and physical theatre elements which I enjoyed too. Bringing everyone together to share their material was great as some pieces had similarities where others couldn't have been more different. Everyone I worked with this week was encouraging, friendly and very talented, I couldn't have asked for a better group of students to share in the intensive.

The finale of the week was our sharing, which members of the company, friends and staff from The Space attended. I wasn't sure at first how it would all look to them, and I am still none the wiser, however I look forward to seeing the film footage! It felt great getting so close to the audience and making direct eye contact, ensuring that they were sucked into the atmosphere we had created inside the studio. They seemed really engaged and joined in with the sections of the piece where we wanted some interaction and audience participation. The addition of props, pigs, cellophane and a huge red dress made the piece exciting, complex and (now I've lost all modesty), a bit of a spectacle for a studio sharing!

I now proudly wear my 'I love SPK ' t-shirt knowing I worked hard for it, and really do love the company! I can't wait until next year, but in the meantime, I'll be back at Graham in 2weeks.

Cats- A Dollar Academy Production

Dollar Academy took on one of my favourite shows and I will admit, I was worried! I knew that the school had some fantastic vocalists but, as a dance show, I had the suspicion that Cats would be too big a challenge.

I was pleasantly surprised. Not only did those amazing vocals find their way perfectly though Lloyd Webber's score, there was some beautiful pieces of movement too.

On the whole I felt that it needed more dance as there was too many moments of stillness on stage during the big songs, but there were a few girls in particular who absolutely nailed it. They moved like felines, whether waiting at the side of the stage, sitting posed, walking or dancing, every muscle movement was thought out. It was a pleasure to watch these few girls who had clearly looked for inspiration from their nearest pussy cat.

I had hoped to see more choreography from Cats, which is so famous as a dance show. The school has the talent, it just needs to be nurtured, polished up and choreographed.....if these things had been done this show could have been outstanding.

I can't believe some of the kids were only in 4th year....what a magical show. This school delivers once again with stunning scenery and costumes.... I went to the dress rehearsal so that really says something! The sound was spot on and the band sounded great....all done by school pupils. I heard the rest of the show week was a great success- congratulations!

Dance Moms

So I've discovered the TV show 'Dance Moms' online and all I can say is WOW-those kids can dance! The girls in the competition team have lovely technique, great poise and the fighting spirit that will help them make it in the dance world. As for the teacher.....well apparantly she produces 'employable' dancers but she needs to be more professional and stop starting arguments with the mums in front of the children. It's horrible to see adults behaving in this way and they should be setting an example for these young girls so that they grow up to be polite but confident in their dance careers.

I love watching this for the dance as the girls do a competition every week. The rest of the chat and drama-rama that goes on with the mums is irritating and at times I skip to the dances and put my laptop on mute.

Try it....it's addictive!

ARENA: RSAMD CPP2 Students 24th June 2011

ARENA: an explicit expose of process, generated by the body and from the practice and study of movement.

As with each piece from the contemporary performance practice students of the RSAMD, I had no idea what was in store as I entered the Chandler Studio Theatre. Arranged in the centre of the floor, the performers explored the space around them, keeping in contact with the floor and transferring weight slowly between themselves.

A fun-filled, exciting performance piece followed, including exciting extracts of dance, physical theatre, art, parkour and acrobalance. I was inspired by CPP2's use of contact and improvisation and enjoyed seeing the progress of these amazing young artists from their performance the previous year. Particularly, duets between Aby Watson and Kim Donohoe, Emma Nutland and Amy McLahlan Sayer stand out for me, their strength and beauty stealing my attention from everything else that was happening in the space. I must commend Ellie Dubois and David Banks on their work with contact and parkour. The control in their movements had me holding my breath, I was completely captivated.

CPP students are more than the much talked-about 'triple threat'...they use voice, dance, physical theatre, parkour, yoga, contact, acting, improvisation, art and more to create innovative relevant performances that everyone could relate to on some level. They capture the essence of every individual, personality and natural charisma oozes from every performer.

Congratulations on a fantastic end of year show CPP2. Your performances are real, engaging and inspiring.

Dollar Will Rock You, Macrobert Arts Centre, 23rd June 2011

Aptly performed at Macrobert, where Queen themselves played in the 1970s, Dollar Will Rock You (presented by permission of schools will rock you) was a fantastic tribute to an iconic band and brilliant Ben Elton musical.

I will admit that I am bias due to the extremely talented Fraser Jackson putting together the band, however, having a band made up of school pupils, I was expecting much less than the polished Queen classics I had heard twice from the professional tour. Bias aside, the music was ELECTRIC! I beamed with pride from the audience, Brian May would have been over the moon with the quality of sound from the Dollar Academy pit (he did, in fact, send them good luck wishes before their run).

As with many school and am-dram productions, the choreography did lack the accuracy and impact needed to deliver the themes of this musical, however, the show was led by outstanding singers and enthusiastic chorus work.

Both lead female dancers were sharp with great timing and energy, adding in characterisation and expression in their movements. Such talent is usually only seen in musical theatre students and I wish every success to the dancer going onto pursue musical theatre as a career. A well-deserved place as a performing arts student awaits her come September.

Highlights for me included the mind-blowing visual effects, on a par with the professional show these were technically and artistically perfect. I felt that I would be very critical of technicalities such as the graphics and communication videos but they stood up to my high expectations, an outstanding piece of work by Sally Herbert. The pupils playing Killer Queen and Scaramouche stood out from the rest with their characterisation and vocal abilities. Both girls were a treat to watch, Killer Queen out-doing the role I saw on tour this January.

Congratulations to the pupils of Dollar Academy, you exceeded my expectations and put on a fabulously energetic, polished and technically exhilirating production.

Richard Alston Theatre Royal 26th May 2011

This was the second time I had seen the Richard Alston Dance Company on stage at the Theatre Royal in Glasgow and this time I took my mum with me.

As expected, the music really made the dance, starting with 4 movements from Prokofiev's 6th Piano Sonata. 'Out of the Strong' featured most of the company and lead me through different emotions, from anger to apathy, joy and excitement. Each movement was different and the dancers' movements expressed every feeling with a fabulous synchronicity during the company piece.

'Lie of the Land' 's movement to Rorem's 4th String Quartet was a lovely contrast to the first piece, sweet and sassy with lots of surprise encounters between dancers, keeping me on my toes and not knowing who to watch next.

Finally 'Roughcut' ended this diverse show, a lovely selection for the final piece by the Theatre Royal. With a wealth of dancers, increased stage size and subtle lighting, I felt like I was a fly on the wall of a theatre, getting a sneak-peek of a private movement conversation or rehearsal. The exuberance of the dancers portrayed the 'young performers' roles perfectly, as Alston describes in the programme as youthful and articulate raw talent.

Richard Alston filled the theatre with promise and hope for the future, giving off an ideally accessible form of contemporary dance that I'm sure everyone could relate to.

Dance HQ Summer Night 2011 and FLASHMOB

Dance HQ flashmob was a great success, we took Buchanan Street by storm after a morning of rehearsals to Primal Scream's Rocks and Dance to the Music. I particularly loved dancing with my friends and dance family, including Nicole Foster, Dani Shivers, Jen Watt, Rhona Ashwood, Elizabeth Freer and Nikki McLachlan.



What a brilliant, tiring day!!!


The same weekend, I performed in Dance HQ's summer night with the resident performance group Blaze and the night included 3 performances by ourselves as well as some other great dance acts from across Scotland.

Dance HQ Summer night was a success, Blaze performed fantastically and we loved being joined by great dance companies, choreographers and dancers from across the country.