Student Spotlight

Student Spotlight: Lucy Panou

June 10, 2013 by 4dancers

Today we have a different type of student spotlight–a dancer who has crossed over into another area of dance…meet Lucy Panou…

1. Can you tell readers how you became involved with dance?

I started dancing quite a bit later in comparison to the rest of my peers, at the age of 12. My interest began in school PE classes when dance was being introduced as an alternative method of fitness and I took to it straight away. I was confident with it, had dexterity and co-ordination, it came naturally so to speak. I then joined an after school dance club and the rest is history. From there I joined a contemporary youth dance company led by one of the founders of UK dance company Phoenix Dance Theatre, Donald Edwards, and worked my way up to vocational training at Middlesex University.

2. What do you find you like best about dance class?

Dance and the act of dancing itself allow me to express myself. I find that whatever the emotive background of a specific movement, phrase or piece, I am still able to find my own personal and emotional connection. Finding this connection became very prominent whilst training for 3 years. I was able to relate to what I was doing on a much more complex level and had justification for each and every detail.

However, having shifted my focus from physically dancing to the academic side of Dance Science at Trinity Laban, my interests in dance have taken an 180 degree turn and have progressed to another area of the art form. Academic study at Trinity Laban has allowed me to truly discover what I am passionate about. I enjoy having access to the knowledge and the means to pushing physical boundaries in dancers. I truly believe that dancers should be classed as athletes as well as artists. An area of particular interest to me is how periodization and varying training protocols can improve the performance and physicality of professional dancers.

3. What is the hardest part about dance for you?

Having experienced it briefly at vocational level as well as being constantly exposed to it at Masters level, I am very confident in saying that the lack of knowledge about how the human body works is the hardest and least enjoyable part of the profession for me. This lack of knowledge, in my opinion, is inhibiting optimal performance in dancers. Over and over, studies have found that dancers are unfit in comparison to other athletes, and that they can be associated with malnourishment, eating disorders and high injury rates, as well as psychological-based issues such as low self-efficacy that can be linked to the lack of psychological training methods (Twitchett et al, 2010; Wyon et al, 2007; Nordin-Bates et al, 2011). The above may sound stereotypical and while it cannot be generalised for the entire dance population, the research suggests that it is very common. This is where my generation of dance scientists and physiologists comes in – bringing to light such problems and working closely with the dance community to provide a backbone of support.

4. What advice would you give to other dancers? [Read more…]

Student Spotlight: Rachel Burn

May 6, 2013 by Ashley David

Today for our student spotlight, please welcome Rachel Burn…

1. Can you tell readers how you became involved with dance?My mother was a dance teacher and so my sister and I grew up going to ballet, acro and jazz when we were little. As a teenager, though, I began to love it for myself and a friend who had previously done a dance degree gently nudged me that way, which I’m always very grateful for!

2. What do you find you like best about dance class?

I’m not sure there’s a best thing! Class is simply the most amazing thing/place for a dancer… I prefer it to performing some times! It is a unique and significant experience to be amongst a group of like-minded ‘Body Thinkers’, all sharing the same space, music etc, and whilst sharing that space also being alone to work just for yourself. What other opportunity do we get to pay attention to the very internal state of our bodies? Humans have bodies, not just brains, and a huge majority of the world don’t ever connect themselves to their bodies in an intentional way, I think they don’t really know themselves as a result, to set that time aside daily is the same thing as a faith/spiritual practice. I could go on and on…!

Physically I like the opportunity that class gives to teach your body new things, work hard, get tired, get sweaty, to develop the fullness of your fitness – agility and clarity alongside stamina and strength etc – and that very primitive joy that comes from flailing everything around to loud music! J I don’t understand why more people don’t love that.

In terms of being a freelance professional dancer, my experience has been that class is where you meet your network. Most of my work and projects and the dancers who I am currently working with have come from just meeting people in class and getting chatting. Contemporary dance doesn’t have a simple and clear system put on us to develop ourselves professionally so making your own network is important – it then joins up to other networks, other dancers, other projects…

3. What is the hardest part about dance for you?

This is a very difficult question… the answer is rather more about my insecurities than about dance itself. I personally at times can find it hard to be working in an industry that many of my peers and family don’t understand. They support it, endlessly in fact, but maybe also think I’m a bit odd or missing the point. But that might just be my paranoia! I don’t mind that I also have to waitress, or that I am usually broke or that a lot of my friends are married with mortgages and children – some people let those things push them out of dance.

4. What advice would you give to other dancers?

I would say to just keep going… there is absolutely not a direct and straight career ladder to climb. If you get a great project for a while and everyone thinks that this is it for you, you’ll always earn money now and travel the world on huge stages, you need to know that that is absolutely not necessarily the truth and a week after that contract ends you might be dancing at a kids party, but THAT’S OK. You need to do what you need to do to keep going. Be wise in your choices and look after yourself physically and spiritually, it really is a tough world to be in and you need to be in a good state to deal with it. Keep doing class.

5. How has dance changed your life?

I took a three-year break from dance and if I hadn’t gone back to it I would be a secondary school teaching assistant in my home town living a comfortable and timetabled life… Gary Clarke was a Butlins Red Coat and Natasha Kahn (Bat for Lashes) was a teacher in a primary school – so I feel in good company – we all need some thinking time, but at some point you have to answer the niggle in you to do what you need to do. My prompt came from watching Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake for the millionth time one Christmas and thinking ‘What am I doing?? Why aren’t I dancing? I need to re-train’ and it’s been forwards from there. I have less money and less stability than ever before but far more assurance in myself, understanding of and energy for life, and I know that I’m doing the thing that I need to do. I think that’s important.

BIO: Rachel trained at Middlesex University, graduating with a BA Honours in Dance Studies with a particular focus on choreography, followed by completing a year of further training at the Merce Cunningham Studios in New York and performing with the Repertory Understudy Group. She has choreographed for Cloud Dance, Actual Size, Middlesex University students, Switchback Productions and currently a variety of her own projects, including Pullover, Pull Through, Flick, performed at Woking Dance Festival and for the Surrey Dance Collective. She has also worked with H2 Dance, Laila Diallo, Douglas Dunn, Shobana Jeyasingh and Gary Clarke.

Student Spotlight: André Fabien Francis

April 22, 2013 by Ashley David

Here’s our latest student spotlight–André Fabien Francis…

1. Can you tell readers how you became involved with dance?

I first became seriously involved in dance while I was auditioning for the Aspire Dance Mentoring Programme – which is run by the Council for Dance Education and Training. On the Panel was Vanessa LeFrançois who is the Director of Prevocational & Recreational Dance at The Place: London Contemporary Dance School and while auditioning for Aspire she scouted me to join the Centre for Advanced Training at The Place – which I joined in January 2009 – before graduating to accept a fully Funded Place at London Studio Centre in September 2011 where I’m currently in my 2^nd Year.

student spotlight

2. What do you find you like best about dance classes?

I’d have to say one of the best things about dance classes is being somewhere you want to be. Then to add to that; being taught by a teacher who loves what they do and therefore encourages you to go beyond your limits each every time is something I love. Being surrounded by other individuals who want to be there and want to work hard to achieve their goals too is always a bonus!

3. What is the hardest part about dance for you?

Honestly one of the hardest parts of dance for me would have to be: having to push myself constantly to achieve things… it’s hard work! Some people can turn well, others can jump like a kangaroo, some are more flexible than a rubber band and others have to work on all three.

The hardest part is having to work on the things that don’t come naturally and the things you’re working on that often really annoyingly do not come straight away, while knowing if you want to achieve them you have to keep working and pushing for that bit extra as if you keep doing what you always do you can’t really expect to see change!

4. What advice would you give to other dancers?

While I was at CAT one of my teachers Raymond Chai –who is Chief Ballet Master for Ballet Black – said something that has ALWAYS stuck with me: “Dancers never reach their 10 out of 10, when they reach what they thought was their 10 that then becomes their 9”

5. How has dance changed your life?

The amount of people who I have had the pleasure of meeting through my dancing experiences is honestly second to none. Dancing has given me so many opportunities to travel nationally and internationally and experience some of the Best Experiences of My Life so far which I am so thankful for! E.g. Performing in The Lion King West End as Young Simba, being the face of Move It 2013, representing Youth Dance England in Leeds as a National Young Dance Ambassador, performing at the London 2012 Olympic Closing Ceremony and the next exciting opportunity is going to New York this Summer to take part in the Alvin Ailey Summer School – I CANNOT wait!

Student Spotlight: Merritt Rosen

April 8, 2013 by Ashley David

Today we welcome Merritt Rosen from Portland Ballet as the dancer featured in our student spotlight:

1. Can you tell readers how you became involved with dance?

My first dance class was when I was two-years-old and I have taken dance classes ever since then. It is hard for me to remember a time when dance was not a major part of my life. I think my initial intrigue was sparked by my cousin who is a professional dancer.

2. What do you find you like best about dance class?

Some might find it surprising but I enjoy getting to work on my technique every day. I find a comfort and refuge in the routine and structure of a ballet class. In a dance class, you can forget about other problems and only focus on your technique and strength building. The best feeling in the world is getting a step right that you have been struggling with and the the opposite is true on an ‘off days.’ It’s mesmerizing, it’s infuriating, and that’s what I love about it.

3. What is the hardest part about dance for you?

Since I take ballet classes almost exclusively, I often have a hard time doing other styles of dance. I struggle with translating the concepts I learn in ballet and applying them to other dance forms in a way that is helpful. It can be easy for me to forget about strengthening my technique in other styles of dance when my main focus is on ballet, but in the end, a diverse dancer is much better.

4. What advice would you give to other dancers?

Always stay positive. Sometimes it can be tough when a teacher is particularly stern but it is important to remember that dance is meant to be fun and that teachers are there to help bring you to your fullest potential. It can be easy to get caught up in drama or what not and lose sight of why you wanted to be there in the first place. If you can’t remember, then maybe it is time to do some deep soul searching and find a new hobby.

merritt_51 — Merrit Rosen; Photo by: Blaine Covert

5. How has dance changed your life?

Besides taking any possible free time away (and I say this endearingly) it has taught me many more things than I could ever possibly list for this interview. Bear with me while I try: I have learned self discipline and time management, how to focus and how to apply constructive criticism without getting my emotions tangled up, and I have learned that taking time each day to do what you are passionate about is of the utmost importance for maintaining sanity.

BIO: Merritt Rosen, 17, is a senior at Westview High School. She began her training with Portland Community Ballet and moved to The Portland Ballet in 2006. She has participated in many of The Portland Ballet’s performances including La Boutique Fantasque, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Paquita. The last two summers she attended the Miami City Ballet summer intensive as well as The Portland Ballet’s Masters Workshop. She is attending Skidmore College in the fall.

Student Spotlight: Lucy Panush

March 26, 2013 by 4dancers

Today we are running another student spotlight–Lucy, from The School at Steps…

LucyPanush2_byE.Patino — Lucy Panush, Photo by E. Patino

1. Can you tell readers how you became involved with dance?

I first became involved with dance at age 2 in “Mommy and me” classes, and my earliest dance training was in ballet and tap programs at various studios in Manhattan. I decided five years ago to audition for The School at Steps’ Pre-Professional program, where I have found my “home,” and am currently a student. It is there that I have been able to broaden my dance education, incorporating other varieties of dance — Horton, hip-hop, jazz, contemporary, theatre dance and ballet– into my dance vocabulary.

2. What do you find you like best about dance class?

What I love about dance class is the atmosphere and the people that come with it. Dancers have this amazing work ethic, which adds to the energy in the room. Now that I have gotten to the advanced level it has become even more enjoyable to watch all the incredible dancers around me. In particular, I find it intriguing to see what choices they make because I am able to enhance my own dancing by learning from them.

I also love the dance studio because it is a place I can practice my performance skills. The feeling of dancing a ballet variation is very different than that of performing a hip-hop piece. I hone these performance skills in dance class.

3. What is the hardest part about dance for you?

The hardest part about dance for me is having the confidence and mindset to tackle a new and challenging step. If I am too afraid to mess up, or fall flat on my face, I realize I am never going to succeed in accomplishing something difficult. I remind myself constantly to be confident within myself, because 60% of the time it’s actually “in my head.” If I believe I can execute the step, I find I most likely do!

LucyPanush1_by Panush — **Lucy Panush, Photo by Keith Fremon**

4. What advice would you give to other dancers?

I would offer other dancers the mantra: “dance is to express and not to impress.” If you are dancing because you love it, and not doing it for someone else, whether it be a teacher or a parent, then that is all that matters. Dance is also such a great outlet to build confidence. It is important to take the confidence that is gained in class and apply it to performances and other areas of life. But mostly, rather than compare yourself to others, focus on your own improvement.

5. How has dance changed your life?

Dance has changed my life in so many positive ways.

It has taught me time management, which certainly helps with juggling classes and schoolwork;
It has given me the ability to focus better, putting all my personal issues aside for a period of time to just be in the moment and the movement.
It has given me performance skills to apply on stage;
And it has taught me, plain and simple, that your life is much more enjoyable when you have a passion!

In the studio I am my own person; I have the ability to express myself freely. Nothing beats the feeling that accompanies finishing an amazing class; I always leave with endless energy and a huge smile on my face. I know I will remain committed to this art form, as it is such an integral part of my life.

The School at Steps is a training ground for students, ages 2-18, who are interested in exploring various dance styles, as well as for those students already focused on a particular discipline. The school offers an Academic Year and Summer Programs, with classes in ballet, modern, tap, jazz, theater dance, hip hop, and Pilates. Students at the school are also given performance opportunities, and workshops on dance and career-related topics. Beginning with the Young Dancers Program and continuing through the most advanced pre-professional classes, The School at Steps provides children with an opportunity to explore the world of dance, to learn and experiment with technique, and to enrich their appreciation for the various forms of the art.

Here’s a video of Lucy dancing:

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