Dance Delights!!!

Posting by Dance teacher Suzanne Tromans

Well, we have been busy, ‘mad March’ hares! So busy that we’ve only just got the time to stop dancing, sit down and tell you all about what has been happening here in the dance department!

Firstly, 36 dance students spent an insightful and exciting day at the Birmingham Royal Ballet studios on Thursday 3 March. We arrived early and took part in technical and choreographic workshops based around ‘La Fille Mal Gardee’; one of professional works we study as part of the A level course. We had a live pianist, learnt repertoire and devised our own responses to tasks set by the professional dance artist leading the sessions. Despite the hard work, much fun was had!

After a quick change, we were led up to one of the enormous dance studios where we were privileged to watch the end of a class for the men in the company. We were absolutely astonished at how they made everything look so effortless and the strength and muscular definition that the dancers had. If only we could have left that session being able to do 6 pirouettes and split jetés like the male dancers!

We were then led to another studio where we had a chat with some of the dancers. One of the dancers was from America and she had initially trained in jazz before someone discovered her and suggested she try ballet – she then explained how she found out how good she was at it and how she came to train in England. We then met a male dancer from SOLIHULL – proving that Solihull is a hot-bed for dance talent! We asked them loads of questions about the life of a dancer and how injuries affected their work.

After lunch, we watched the matinee performance of ‘La Fille Mal Gardee’ which was most enjoyable. We left the Theatre after 5pm after a long but interesting and exciting day. Thank you to Birmingham Royal Ballet and the Sixth Form staff for making this day happen.

________________________________________________________________

15 March saw all second year students visit Malvern Theatres to watch the Richard Alston Dance Company. Earlier in the year students had taken part in an all-day workshop led by one of the RADC artists in which they learnt repertoire for their forthcoming examinations. By watching the company perform live, students were able to decipher the demands made on the dancers and helped them understand how they should be performing in their own work.

Students were lucky enough to listen to Richard Alston talk about the three dance works they saw in a pre-performance talk. This helped them understand the dances and also unpick Alston’s unique sense of musicality and architectural choreography.

It was clear from the recent practical examinations that this trip had clearly allowed the dancers to understand what they were aiming for when performing in the Alston ‘style’.

________________________________________________________________

27 March saw the College Dance Company, 2FoldDC, perform in both matinee and evening performances of ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ at Solihull Arts Centre. 2FoldDC had been approached by the Principal of Planet Dance School, Beverley Drew, to be guest performers. Ms Drew had seen the company perform at the Arts Centre in October and was so impressed with them she asked if they would perform as part of their school dance show.

Members of 2FoldDC obviously took up the challenge and had a most enjoyable day. They performed three dance pieces: (1) a contemporary piece created last year about the effects of caffeine (brought on by our addiction to the Costa Coffee shop here at College) using coffee cups and pillows; (2) a jazz piece and (3) a modern piece which looks at the use of emails and the use of sign language to communicate.