Dance is on the up!

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Jenny Groves

Having seen a huge influx of dance related TV shows throughout 2012 and into 2013. A survey conducted by YouGov in 2011 revealed, even then, that just over 1 in 5 British adults (21%) have become interested in dancing as a result of shows such as Strictly Come Dancing, Got to Dance and So You Think You Can Dance. The survey was completed in the prelude to the Dance Proms, a new festival which took place at the Royal Albert Hall in London, and went on to be produced again in 2012 and for 2013. Dance Proms features acts selected from a competition held to find the most talented dance students to representing all genres of dance, and was opened to international entries for 2013.

The YouGov survey also revealed that roughly the same number of adults (1 in 5) currently participate in some form of dance, with just over 1 in 8 adults (13%) having taken part in a dance class in the last five years. This is sure to grow in the future, with the introduction of extremely popular “dance-fit” activities such as Zumba, favoured amongst many celebrities such as Madonna and Jennifer Lopez. The survey further discovered that the most popular form of dance to take part in was social dancing (13%), followed by Zumba (5%). 66% of those participating in a dance class in the last five years did so to have fun, with fitness motivations following closely behind (63%). With the dance sector developing at such a rate, what must the figures be like for 2013?

Further findings from the Dance Proms poll included Fred Astaire being named as the participants’ favourite dancer with 17%, with a surprising 1 in 10 (10%) of 18 to 24 year olds having voted for him. Michael Jackson was second (14%) followed by Ginger Rogers and Michael Flatley who were joint third (13%). The lack of current dance artists speaks volumes, suggesting that the dance sector is not a fleeting trend, but one grounded in its roots, the past very much influencing the present.

“Everybody’s doing a brand new dance now, come on baby do the”….Passinho?

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Rosie Fitzpatrick

Over the last few years one of the biggest things in dance has been… social media. From the Harlem Shake to DIY Ballroom the internet, and more importantly Youtube, has been instrumental in keeping us in step. Not that the internet is essential we all know how to ‘push a pineapple up a tree’ or do the Hokey Cokey and they certainly predate Facebook and Youtube. Social networking, however, has opened up the world of dance allowing a group of teenagers in their back garden to share their moves with everybody. That is exactly what happened with the latest dance craze- the Passinho!

Straight from the favelas of Rio de Janerio, the Passinho, which translates as little step, is a mixture of pop, funk, break-dancing, samba, pagoda and frevo. The dance was born accidentally in 2007 at a baile in the Jacarezinho favela, run by one of the criminal gangs who have made the Rio’s suburbs infamous. A gang member began to show off, performing the Portuguese dance, the passo, which was then taken and adapted by some of the other partygoers. The result was the Passinho, but although it became popular amongst the Jacarezinho community it wasn’t until a homemade video of the dancer Beiçola (Big Lips) performing at a BBQ was put on the internet that the dance went viral. Youtube strikes again!

In Brazil, the Passinho has become a sensation. The first ever Batalho do Passinho (The Passinho Battle), judged by the film-maker Emílio Domingos, took place in 2011 and now there are over 200 contests throughout Rio. Inspired by what he saw Domingos has produced a documentary on the Passinho, which won the New Directions award at the 2012 Festival do Rio. At last year’s carnival M.C. Faderado’s hit Passinho do Volante (The Steering Wheel Shank), which attracted 10 million viewers in just over three weeks, replaced traditional funk music to become the festival’s anthem. The Passinho is seen as an ‘antidote’ to the hypersexualised moves and lyrics of funk, which has contributed to the negative reputation of the baile’s funk scene. Most importantly, however, the Passinho seems to have done what the police couldn’t and has weakened the power of the criminal gangs. Teenagers can now travel to different communities, which previously would have been no-go-areas, to attend competitions and it is all down to the explosive combination of dance and social media.

At the Closing Ceremony of the London Olympic Games, Brazil showcased the Passinho to an international audience. With the Fifa World Cup is due to be held in Rio next year, followed by the Olympic Games in 2016 Rio and the Passinho will be on display to the world. So by next summer, rather than blowing Vuvuzelas we will have to put on our dancing shoes and do the Passinho.

Carlos Acosta’s next steps

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Jenny Groves

Carlos Acosta turns 40 this year, with that comes his preparation to bring his own production, On Before to Edinburgh, which is the only Scottish stop on the tour. The production showcases the works of choreographers who are not household names among ballet fans but whose influence on the contemporary scene is prominent, which Acosta believes is crucial to the evolution of dance. As a result, the production echoes this evolution in Acosta himself, as a dancer; for the art-form in the 21^st century; in the audiences who watch dance and so on. However, Acosta hasn’t turned his back on classical ballet but for the time being it seems it is time for him to find other dances within himself.

That isn’t to say that audience watching On Before won’t expect to see Acosta in tights and performing his usual roles such as Siegfried and Romeo, however these will not make any appearances. There are nine separate elements in On Before, with some new and some existing choreography which Acosta values for their strong, but contemporary, even minimalistic form. Acosta will be dancing alongside Zenaida Yanowsky and at one point in addition to a choir rather than big ensembles.

On Before contains a slight narrative with Acosta choosing the pieces which created a moving dance journey and offer love, death, and loneliness. However, Acosta urges audiences to come with open minds and create their own stories of what they see, as well as for Acosta’s stance on this new piece, taking on new challenges with his mind and body.

Given this commitment, Acosta will still be appearing as a guest artist with the Royal Ballet and companies abroad while masterminding On Before. He will continue to deliver the thrilling blend of physical technique and expressive artistry, all this from a man who’s impoverished beginnings meant he sometimes went shoeless. Dancewear Central wish him success with all his endeavours!

English National Ballet’s Swan Lake casting

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Jenny Groves

Pull on your Ballet shoes! English National Ballet has announced the casting for it’s upcoming production of Swan Lake at the Royal Albert Hall, with Artistic Director Tamara Rojo dancing the lead on certain nights. Running from 12-23 June, ENB’s Swan Lake became notorious during the filming of the company’s documentary, Agony and Ecstasy in which choreographer Derek Deane showed a ruthless, yet arguably relevant attitude.

Alongside Rojo will be Vadim Muntagirov and Daria Klimentova, Dmitiri Gruzdyev and Fernanda Oliveira, Erina Takahashi and Zdenek Konvalina. Laurretta Summerscales makes her debut appearance in the Odette/Odile role. Laurretta, a 22 year old former pupil of English National Ballet School, won this years’ Emerging Dancer Competition People’s Choice Award, where she performed the Black Swan solo in the Swan Lake Act III pas de deux.

Rojo will dance opposite Matthew Golding, who makes his debut with the Company, performing together on the opening night, Wednesday June 12th, Saturday 15th and Tuesday 18th June. A Principal with Dutch National Ballet, Matthew will appear in the role of Prince Siegfried.

This will be the seventh season in which this ballet has been performed in-the-round. Featuring more than 120 dancers on stage, this production has delighted audiences around the world and has been seen by nearly 550,000 people since its premiere in May 1997. Set to Tchaikovsky’s classic score, played by an orchestra of more than 80 musicians, this magnificent production features acrobats, jugglers and 60 swans gliding across the arena within the magical splendour of the Royal Albert Hall. The dramatic narrative of Prince Siegfried’s fight for the love of the Queen of the swans, Odette is told through sumptuous costume designs and choreography that uses the space to great effect.

Dancing in Jaffa

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Rosie Fitzpatrick

Dance to the rescue! The last twelve months have been turbulent and the news worrying, so it is refreshing to hear inspiring and positive stories. Indeed for one of the most troublesome conflicts there may be light at the end of the tunnel and it is all down to dancing. Who knew the power of a heel turn?

Since the establishment of the State of Israel after WWII, its Jewish and Palestinian citizens have lived segregated lives and many of their children have been brought up to believe that interacting with the other community is forbidden. Last year, however, Pierre Dulaine, who is of Palestinian/Irish descent, returned to his birthplace the mixed city of Jaffa to teach Ballroom Dancing. Rather than perfecting the Lock Step or achieving a flawless Kick Ball Change Dulaine focused on teaching the students of Ajyal and Al-Ukhuwa Schools ballroom etiquette and respect. By partnering children from the different communities together and teaching them to dance with one another he hoped to begin breaking down the social barriers that are at the root of Israeli tensions.

Four times winner of the World Show Dancing Championships, Pierre Dulaine has had a glittering career. His biggest, and perhaps most famous, achievement to date however, was in 2005 when Dulaine and Yvon Marcaeu embarked upon the Dancing Classrooms project in New York, which aimed to break down gender and race boundaries. Pierre and Yvon’s attempts to teach public school children aged 10 and 11 (fifth graders) to dance was chronicled in the documentary Mad Hot Ballroom. This was later adapted into the feature film, Take the Lead (2006) with Antonio Banderas playing Dulaine. Since then, over 300,000 children have taken part in Dancing Classrooms, and 509 schools in over 24 cities worldwide have become involved in the project.

Dulaine’s latest venture is documented in Dancing in Jaffa, directed by Hilla Medalia. It reveals the scary nature of the hostility that has developed between the Israeli Palestinians and Jews, showing young children spitting at each other and refusing to hold hands. Yet by the end of the documentary these same children are not only dancing by competing together, cheering each other on regardless of their backgrounds. As Pretty Pictures stated Dancing in Jaffa is one of ‘the most powerful documentaries’.

In April, Dancing in Jaffa made its World Premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. It is due to be shown at the Cannes Market Screening at the end of this month before being released this autumn. I am sure you will agree with us here at Dancewear Central that this is going to prove a truly inspirational film and that it is mind-blowing what can be achieved from a simple Samba.

Scottish Ballet and the new you!

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Jenny Groves

Scottish Ballets’ Health and Fitness videos are a fantastic way to hone that summer body and it doesn’t have to be done in the studio now the British weather seems to be hotting up!

The ‘New Year New You‘, the third in the series of free fitness downloads designed to improve fitness from the comfort of your own home, offers workouts designed to help tone, lengthen and strengthen muscles. Ballet Gyrotonic instructor Kate Menzies is joined by principal dancer Claire Robertson and Coryphée dancer Kara McLaughlin in downloads which introduce barre work and takes the form of a dancer’s regular warm up prior to taking daily class.

The New Year New You downloads can also be used in conjunction with both the Core de Ballet and Port de Bras downloadable workouts, providing users with a fully-rounded and comprehensive resource for their fitness and general wellbeing.

Scottish Ballet’s first video, Core De Ballet is a specialised introduction to core-based ballet exercises. Kate Menzies works alongside dancers Luciana Ravizzi and Luke Ahmet for a 15-minute exercise routine designed to stretch, tone and energise. Following on is Port de Bras which is inspired by 5 Tangos, which is one third of Scottish Ballets Autumn Season 2012. The dancers featured are Victor Zarallo and Brenda Lee Grech, taking part in a workout which focuses on upper body and arm movements.

Port De Bras introduces a more complex series of exercises aimed at toning the whole body introducing movement and centre practice to provide a fuller workout. Combined with New Year New You, Scottish Ballet have provided a ballet-based workout for everyone wishing to discover their inner dancing body. So watch the videos and check out Dancewear Central to discover dancewear to fit that perfectly honed body!

All Stars

Posted on May 2, 2013 by Rosie Fitzpatrick

‘We are here to rock your world old English styley- booya!’

What style of dancing is Britain famous for? Morris Dancing sure, a Highland reel maybe, we can even stretch to some Ballet shoes or a little Strictly glitter but Street??? More recently, however, the British film industry has taken on the American monopoly on dance movies. Move over Dirty Dancing, I think it’s time Kevin Bacon kept on his Sunday shoes and Step Up needs to step down, for ever since the ‘runaway’ success of Vertigo Film’s Streetdance the British have proved they can certainly do Street dancing.

All Stars is the latest British-made dance movie, which promises to continue the trend. Directed by Ben Gregor, the film follows the story of two tweens from East London, Ethan and Jaden, who attempt to put on a talent show in order to save their youth club; the Garage. The trouble is Ethan can’t dance and is trying to impress the girl of his dreams by beating her boyfriend in a dance off. Jaden (played by the winner of Got to Dance 2010, Akai Osei-Mansfield) on the other hand, has been banned from dancing by his parents because it eats into study time. The rest of their dancers prove to be uncoordinated and there is also the small problem of persuading the Garage manager Gina (performed by Ashley Jenson who famously played Christina in the American sitcom Ugly Betty) this is a good idea. Of course it is a race against the clock to put the performance together before the bulldozers roll in, but you’ll just have to watch the film to see if they succeed.

Acting alongside Akai Osei-Mansfield is the Strictly star and member of Girl’s Aloud Kimberley Walsh, Comedian Hugh Dennis and the West End Actor John Barrowmen- could this film get any more star studded? Although Kimberley doesn’t get to show off her Strictly moves John Barrowmen laces up his tap shoes for a spectacular homage to Michel Hazanavicius’ award winning film The Artist. This is just one dance sequence in a film which is jam-packed with ballroom, street, tap and of course Morris dancing. The space invaders dance is a favourite here at Dancewear Central. Coming to cinemas on May 3^rd this film promises to be the kind of fun that will leave you with itchy feet.

The Critics’ Circle centenary

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Jenny Groves

As part of the Centenary Celebrations of the Critics’ Circle, the Circle’s five sections – film, visual arts, music, drama and dance – were asked to come up with twenty names each of people who, or institutions which, had made a major contribution to the arts in Britain in their respective fields during the Circle’s first hundred years.

The Critics’ Circle aims to promote the art of criticism, to uphold its integrity in practice, to foster and safeguard members’ professional interests, to provide opportunities to meet, and to support the advancement of the arts. Admission to the Circle is by invitation of the Council and there are currently 430 members, mostly from the UK, the majority of whom write regularly for national and regional newspapers, magazines and online.

Listed in alphabetical order, the list is both interesting and challenging, and whilst contribution itself may be objective, the arts are very much subjective and open to interpretation and debate. Those recognised as contributors for dance are listed below in an acknowledgement of the fantastic work that has been done over the past 100 years of the Critics’ Circle’s existence. It’s hard to narrow the list down to twenty, Dancewear Central can think of more…who would be in yours?

Sir Frederick Ashton OBE – Dancer and Choreographer

Fred Astaire (above) – Dancer

George Balanchine - Choreographer and Ballet Master

Lilian Baylis - Theatre Producer, Manager of English National Theatre and English Royal Ballet

Matthew Bourne OBE – Choreographer

Val Bourne OBE – Director of Dance Umbrella

Christopher Bruce CBE – Choreographer

Robert Cohan – Choreographer and Co-founder of The Place

Dame Ninette de Valois - Dancer, Teacher, Choreographer and Director

Serge Diaghilev - Ballet impresario and founder of the Ballets Russes

Dame Margot Fonteyn (above) – Dancer

Robin Howard – Co-founder of The Place

Akram Khan MBE – Dancer and Choreographer

Sir Kenneth MacMillan - Ballet Dancer and Choreographer

Dame Alicia Markova – Dancer and Choreographer

Lloyd Newson - Dancer and Choreographer

Dame Marie Rambert - Founder of The Ballet Rambert

Rudolf von Laban - Dance artist and Theorist

Sir Peter Wright CBE – Choreographer

The Royal Ballet’s Pointe Shoes Appeal

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Jenny Groves

The Royal Ballet dancers Edward Watson and Mara Galeazzi have teamed up in order to launch the Pointe Shoes Appeal, The Royal Ballet’s annual drive to raise funds to keep the company in footwear, offering an insight into a vital aspect of their performance. The dancers act as representatives for the appeal, despite the fact Galeazzi is due to retire this season after 21 years with the company.

As monumental as it sounds, it is true that each dancer gets through three or four pairs of shoes a week due to the sheer intensity of their work. Each shoe is handmade to individual dancers’ needs and often dancers, such as Watson, have the same shoemaker for many years, due to the craftsman’s unique understanding of their technique. Costs are therefore inevitably high in order to transport the dancers through class and onto the stage.

At the Royal Opera House, the ever-busy Pointe Shoe Room is staffed by two full-time members of staff, and all dancers are responsible for preparing their shoes. Galeazzi, for example, often uses two pairs of shoes for a single performance, due to the demands of the roles she dances. Each dancer has their own pointe shoe ritual but it invariably includes sewing the fronts, gluing the insoles, attaching the ribbons and elastics, and applying shellac.

Each season the dancers at The Royal Ballet use over 10,000 pairs of pointe shoes, and around 2,000 pairs of flats, making the combined cost of shoes, character shoes, elastics, ribbons and detailing relevant to each production over £250,000 a year. The Pointe Shoes Appeal therefore requires donations in order to make this commitment possible, from the craftsmanship that goes into making the shoes, to the careful hours of preparation, the discipline in the rehearsal studio and the precision required on stage. The Pointe Shoes Appeal will then be able to fund all the required footwear for the dancers involved.

Maintaining the magic

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Jenny Groves

How do West End shows maintain their spell-binding quality? How do the cast and crew perform night after night, managing to retain the magic of opening night, press night, and all the nights after that?

For shows that have celebrated milestone performances, such as The Phantom of the Opera and Les Misérables, it seems that they will run forever. It is equally as thought-provoking when a seemingly successful, typical-musical type show opens and closes in the space of a few months or a year, such as Lend Me a Tenor, Singin’ in the Rain and Crazy for You. Whilst some may be revivals of earlier productions which may have run for longer, it is still questionable why some succeed and others do not.

However, for productions such as Phantom, the directors and choreographers tend to drop in to see performances and rehearse the cast throughout the year, not once or twice as one may think. It seems that this is the formula for keeping the show playing in tip-top condition for audiences who each want to see something special and spectacular, no matter how many times the actor or dancer has spoken the opening line or performed that time-step. It is also equally important to fulfil this responsibility when new casts or understudies are brought into the production, although arguably each cast make the show their own whilst maintaining the original template of choreography, staging and direction.

Despite a turnover of a number of casts during a show’s run, some performers often play their role throughout this or may even change roles, meaning they will know the production inside out. As a result, the rehearsals which are taken throughout the year are vital in order to keep the show fresh and alive and to maintain its integrity, especially when a show runs for eight shows a week or similar.