KNT's Day of Dance Tomorrow

The Dear Old Dancehouse

One of the highlights of my year is KNT's Day of Dance.  It offers a chance to train with some of the best teachers and performers in the business.  Last year, for example, I took classes with   Alex Hallas of Bale Cymru and  Jane Tucker of Northern Ballet Academy.

Another Day of Dance will take place tomorrow and I regret to say that I only learned of it a few minutes ago when I tried to check in your some online classes for the coming week. According to KNT's Class Manager app, the following are available:

• 11:00 - 12:30 Beginner/Pre-Intermediate Ballet 
• 11:00 - 12:30 Intermediate/Advanced Contemporary 
• 13:00 - 14:30 Intermediate/Advanced Ballet
• 13:00 - 14:30 Pre-Intermediate Contemporary 
• 19:00 - 20:30 Beginner/Pre-Intermediate Ballet 
• 19:00 - 20:30 Beginner/Pre-Intermediate Contemporary
• 20:30 - 22:00 Intermediate/Advanced Ballet  
• 20:30 - 22:00 Intermediate/Advanced Contemporary 

All the classes for tomorrow's Day of Dance are priced at £10.

Sadly it won't be quite the same as last year because we are exiled from the Dear Old Dancehouse as a result of the public health emergency but we shall still have excellent teaching.  Above all, we can still wave at each other over Zoom even if we can no longer embrace.

Plagues don't last forever.  There is every chance that medicine will eradicate or at least contain this virus as it has done with so many other infections.   One day this horrible scourge will be nothing more than a horrible memory.  I wish everyone a great weekend.

"A Swan? Me a Swan? Ah! Go on!"

I have just received my joining instructions from Karen Sant for the KNT Danceworks summer intensive in Manchester between 17 and 19 August and I can't begin to contain my excitement I am. I am joining the beginners class based on Swan Lake which will be led by Jane Tucker who has already taught me at Northern Ballet.

Here is what Karen has written:

"Each day will start at 10:00 am with a 45 minute warm-up session, so please make sure to bring either a yoga mat or a towel with you! We will have a short 15 minute break after the warm-up session, and then the morning ballet class will begin at 11:00 am. 

Class will be 90 minutes long, and we’ll have a short break in the middle so you can get some water and rest. We will have another 15 minute break afterwards, and then at 12:45 pm we will start our technique/repertoire class.

Lunch will be at 1:30 pm for one hour, and you will be able to eat it in the café/coffee shop on the first floor (no food or drink, except for water, is allowed in the studios). There are lots of shops, cafés, and other food places around The Dancehouse Theatre, so there will be plenty of choice if you are not bringing food with you!

The afternoon will be filled with rehearsals for the performance on the final day. We have split this into two sessions with a short break in the middle – the first session starts at 2:30 pm and runs for one hour, and the second starts at 3:45 pm and runs for 45 minutes. On the final day, the second session will be when the performance takes place."

As for the performance I have been told to bring a white leotard (or at least a white t-shirt over the top of  another leotard) and a black skirt together with flesh/pink and black tights. A a decision will be taken on the day as to which we all prefer.

Now this is unlikely to kill me (though if it did I can't think of a better way to go) but I am no spring chicken and no sylph either. I am not particularly well coordinated and while I do my best and try very hard I am the first to admit that I am one of the least talented ballet students who has ever clutched a barre. Added to that I pulled a muscle two weeks ago which was so painful that I thought that my last hour had come. So it will be a challenge for me and even more for Jane.

But you know what? Opportunities like this do not come every day. This one is definitely once in a lifetime because next year I will definitely be far too old and far too busy. For three days I shall pretend to be a swan. How good is that?

KNT Danceworks Adult Summer Intensives

Dancehouse Theatre, Manchester

Source Wikipedia

In More good news from Manchester 14 April 2015 I mentioned KNT Danceworks'  show Move it on 23 May 2015 and the possibility of an intensive workshop in August.  I am glad to report that the intensive workshops are actually going to happen and that KNT are taking bookings,

Here's Karen Sant's announcement:

"We are now taking bookings! If you would like to confirm your place on a course please comment below and I will send you a registration form.
All of our intensives will be held at The Dancehouse Theatre in Manchester, and will be taught by industry professionals. The price will be £200 for one workshop (3 days) or £350 for two workshops (6 days). The days will run from 10am - 4:30pm. Please note we need a minimum of 20 students in each course for it to run.
There is a £50 non-refundable deposit included in the price to secure your place, and the outstanding balance must be received 4 weeks prior to the commencement of the course.
A typical day at one of our workshops will start with a 45 minute warm up, followed by a class in the style of dance that your intensive is based around. We’ll then spend a bit of time working on technique and repertoire, before having a well-deserved lunch break. The afternoons will be filled with rehearsals, and on the final day of the intensive there will be a performance were you can show off everything you’ve been working on!
The dates of the different workshops we are running are as follows:
Mon 10th - Wed 12th August: Beginner Jazz and Contemporary - Jazz Repertoire CATS, Teacher: Dane Quixall CATS, Contemporary Repertoire and Teacher TBC
Thurs 13th - Sat 15th August: Advanced Jazz and Contemporary - Jazz Repertoire CATS, Teacher: Dane Quixall CATS, Contemporary Repertoire and Teacher TBC
Mon 17th - Wed 19th August: Beginner Ballet - SWAN LAKE, Teacher: Jane Tucker NBT
Thurs 20th - Sat 22nd August: Advanced Ballet - GISELLE, Teacher: Jane Tucker NBT
Looking forward to it!
Thanks,
Karen Sant"

If I were good enough and has the time I would just to take the Beginner Ballet Workshop. Imagine how exciting it would be to do just a little bit of Swan Lake. The teacher is Jane Tucker of Northern Ballet Academy. I think I attended one of her classes last year and she was very good.

You can email Karen on info@kntdanceworks.co.uk or call her ib 07783 103 037.

Postcript 9 May 2015

After I had posted this article Karen told me that I would be good enough to take the beginners ballet course. Anybody can do it. I am tempted but I remember that the most famous part of Swan Lake are Legnani's 32 fouettés:



"I hope you don't expect me to do those" I pleaded.  Karen assured me that I would not.

On another topic I attended KNT Danceworks Friday class on 8 May 2015. Here is what I wrote on Facebook:

"Yesterday evening I tried Sarah's class at KNT Danceworks in Manchester. I think it must be quite a new class because I had noticed it only recently on the timetable and it was smaller than the classes that I had previously attended on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The Friday class works well for me because I like KNT Danceworks but can't come most Tuesdays and Thursdays because I attend the Over 55 class at Northern Ballet on those days. I recognized some of the students from the Tuesday and Thursday classes yesterday. Sarah took us through the usual barre exercises and then two short port de bras sequences which I enjoyed very much. We ended with a few petits jetes, echappes and changements in which, I regret to say, I got very confused. It was a good way of ending a busy and enjoyable but somewhat stressful week."