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Friday, 1 May 2020

Online Company Classes for May 2020

Company Class 29 February 2020

A photo of our last company class in a studio. It was held on 29 Feb 2020 in Studio 2 at The Dancehouse and Jane Tucker of Northern Ballet was our guest ballet mistress. I am particularly fond of that studio because it was there that Jane taught us Swan Lake, La Bayadere, Coppelia, Romeo and Juliet and The Nutcracker in KNT's wonderful choreographic workshops. It is also where my pre-intermediate class with Karen used to meet.

Jane gave us our first company class in Huddersfield two years ago. Last year she gave us a great anniversary class at Yorkshire Dance with David Plumpton at the piano. I had booked Jane, David and the same studio on 30 of this month for another anniversary class.

I have no idea when we shall be allowed to reassemble in a studio but from what the PM was saying last night it is unlikely to be any time soon. Also, as I am in the most vulnerable age group I have to face the possibility that I may never take a conventional class again.

But we can still do online classes. To make up for the classes that we missed in March and April I have booked Charlotte Ingleson at 14:00 tomorrow and Jane Tucker at 11:00 on 16 May to train us online. Jane will still deliver our anniversary class at 11:00 on 30 May which I shall make as special as I possibly can.

On the first Saturday after dance studios reopen, Jane and David have agreed to give you the class of your lives even if I cannot join you in person because of continuing social distancing for my age group.

So make the following notes in your diaries:

2 May 2020 14:00 Charlotte Ingleson Online Company Class
16 May 2020 11:00 Jane Tucker Online Company Class
30 May 2020 11:00 Jane Tucker Anniversary Company Class

Wednesday, 21 February 2018

Gaudeamus Igitur: St Andrews and Cambridge Student Shows

On 30 April and 1 May 2018 at 19:30 the St Andrews Dance Club (which I helped to found) will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a performance at the Byre. The show will feature "11 styles of dance from ballet to hip hop, choreographed by over 20 choreographers, this show is a true celebration of all the club has achieved over the past half century." I mentioned the club in Ballet at University 27 Feb 2017 which included a clip from Striking a Pose. It is good to know that our club has survived and prospered over those years. You cam buy tickets through the Byre's website here.

Last year's article was promoted by a post on BalletcoForum on Cambridge University Ballet Club's Giselle, As you can see from their trailer the students reached a very high standard and their performance was applauded enthusiastically. This year they will dance Swan Lake at the West Road Concert Hall at 11 West Road, Cambridge on 2 and 3 March 2018, According to the Club's website

"over 100 dancers from the Cambridge University Ballet Club are coming together to choreograph and perform this four-part ballet. It will be an unforgettable experience!"

I attempted to learn the cygnets, prince's solo, Hungarian dance and the swans' entry at KNT in Manchester a few years ago (see KNT's Beginners' Adult Ballet Intensive - Swan Lake: Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3). It isn't easy. Fitting rehearsals into an already busy timetable requires a massive commitment from each and every member of the cast. They have my respect. I shall try to attend, or send a reviewer to attend, one of their shows.

I spent a very pleasant week at Downing College at the IP Summer School last year and I attended an adult ballet class while I was there (see Ballet, Bodywork and Bits in Cambridge 15 Aug 2018). It was one of the hardest classes I have ever taken in my life. I don't know whether any members of the Cambridge University Ballet Club attended that class but the standard in that class was very high indeed.

I wish the students at both universities toi, toi and chookas for their performances as well as every success in their studies and subsequent careers. I will certainly be in the Byre on 30 April and I will do my best to attend and review one of the shows in West Road.

Sunday, 1 May 2016

Prickling - NDT2 in Bradford

NDT2's Cacti

NDT2, Mixed Programme, Alhambra, 30 April 2016

I saw Nederlands Dans Theater 2 at the Alhambra last night and enjoyed their performance in Bradford even more than their show at The Lowry (see NBT2 at the Lowry 24 April 2016). Yet again my favourite was van Manen's Solo and once again I was dazzled by the virtuosity of Gregory Lau but I also appreciated the other works a little more, particularly Sad Case, Mutual Comfort and Cacti and I was impressed by the other dancers, especially Katerina van den Wouwer and Alice Godfrey. Some Other Time was omitted from the Bradford programme but otherwise it was the same as the one in Salford.

Despite its title there was nothing particularly sad about Sad Case. The Latin American music was exuberant and the pace fast. Voices could be heard speaking Spanish: a count down, then something that sounded like a dialogue from one of the Spanish language TV soaps of the kind you often find on the hotel telly when you have just landed from a Transatlantic flight, an ecstatic "Ay, yai, yai, yai" and finally an "ay, yai, yai, yai" with the stress on the final "yai". The audience exploded in mirth. Thoughts of the breakfast scene from When Harry Met Sally perhaps. This was a work that involved the whole company. It was vibrant and fast. I wish I could see it again soon.

Edward Clug's Mutual Comfort followed after the first break. close intense dancing by van den Wouwer and Godfrey with Benjamin Behrends and Lau. I particularly liked Milko Lazar music with its incessant, compulsive beat. It was a short but powerful work. I had not fully realized just how good it was first time round as I had been waiting for Solo. This time I think I did it justice.

Solo was as exciting in Bradford as it had been in Salford and it raised the biggest applause. The house was less than full yesterday but you would never have guessed that from the noise that they made. Yet again it was Lau who raised the biggest cheer.

As is Salford, the whole of the last part was taken up by Cacti. It was introduced by the droning of an American male voice which might have come from an anthropology lecture at a US junior college or, worse, a low budget TV show. I could not make head or tail of what he was saying but that was probably the choreographer's idea. There were scenes of the whole company on wooden platforms conducting what seemed to be some meaningless ritual. Then a cackle of laughter, more simian than human. Then a dialogue between a man and a woman on dividing their assets including a lifeless cat which fell from the ceiling, The American voice could be heard at the end. "This is the end", "I know this is the end", "I know" with added frustration as the dancers kept dancing. It was a fine work to a fine score - particularly the Beethoven - and some dramatic scenes such as this one towards the end.