london contemporary dance school

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!

London Contemporary Dance School’s EDge

September 11, 2012 by Ashley David

by Jessica Wilson

EDge12 - Group performing Tony Adigun's Unleashed — EDge12 – Group performing Tony Adigun’s Unleashed

EDge, the postgraduate performance company of London Contemporary Dance School founded in 2000, completed its annual spring tour earlier this year, coming to a close on 12 July 2012. Under the direction of Artistic Director Jeanne Yasko, the company’s 12 exceptional dancers visited 21 venues nationally and internationally, travelling to places such as Denmark, Austria and Portugal, in addition to performing at their home, The Place’s Robin Howard Theatre in London.

The varied programme was populated by highly stimulating and thought-provoking contemporary dance pieces, choreographed by esteemed dance artists such as leading dance makers Matthias Sperling and James Wilton (winner of the Sadler’s Wells Global Dance Contest in 2010), choreographing Dances With Purpose and Through Shards respectively. In addition to these two new pieces, The Place and Dance Umbrella co-commissioned Rachel Lopez de La Nieta and Tony Adigun’s own version of Richard Alston’s iconic Wildlife (1983) reinterpreted with the choreographers’ own individual artistic voices; both pieces were first seen at The Place in Autumn 2011. Completing the programme, dancer and choreographer Delphine Gaborit restaged The Quartet, a powerful piece set to György Ligeti’s String Quartet Nr.1 by world famous German choreographer Sasha Waltz. Delphine, who has danced in Waltz’s company, was given permission to restage the iconic piece for EDge’s Spring tour, marking the first time a piece of repertoire by Waltz has been re-staged for a postgraduate performance company. [Read more…]

Student Spotlight: Kimberley Harvey

February 17, 2012 by Ashley David

We have another student spotlight to share with you today…Kimberly Harvey…

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

I first became involved in contemporary dance 11 years ago; when I joined Candoco Dance Company’s youth dancecompany, Cando2, back in 2001. I was one of the founder members of their youth company.Over the years, Cando2 has had the opportunity to create a variety of pieces with different choreographers; and have been lucky enough to perform in an array of environments and venues, including at The Royal Festival Hall, London Contemporary Dance School, and The Lilian Baylis Theatre in London; at various youth dance festivals and as part of The JamFree Tour.

From there, I then successfully auditioned to study on Candoco Dance Company’s Foundation Course in Dance for Disabled Students. I have gone on to be an Associate Artist with CandoCo. In addition to my work with Candoco Dance Company, I am also a dancer and co-choreographer in Subtle Kraft Co.

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

Exploring… The opportunity to move with genuine curiosity and intention, whilst always striving to reach my potential both artistically and technically.

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

Trying to avoid the sometimes seemingly inevitable process of self-judgment.

4. What advice would you give to other dancers?

Make sure you love what you do.
Find the ‘sparkles of joy’ in each movement.
Rather than trying make your body do what you want it to do, work WITH your body in that moment on that particular day.

5. How has dance changed your life?

Dance is my life. Dance is where my life has most meaning. It has had a tremendous effect on shaping who I am as a person and as an individual. Through dance I have met people who have influenced and inspired me beyond belief, and I have had experiences that I had only daydreamed about before that time.

Do you know a student who should appear in “Student Spotlight”? E-mail the editor at: editor@4dancers.org to submit their name and information.

Student Spotlight: Chris Scott

February 13, 2012 by 4dancers

4dancers would like to introduce a new feature–Student Spotlight. In this column, we’ll be sharing some information about students from all over–a little glimpse inside their world as they work to move into a career in dance. Today is our first….

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

I was first exposed to dance through the Physical Education curriculum at my local state school. All of the students at my school had to take dance on rota like all the other sports, such as rugby and football. At that time I was playing rugby at a very high level. After breaking my wrist twice in the same year I was forced to spend more time off the pitch, and coincidentally ended up heading to the dance studio for refuge.

The ball just started rolling from there. I was intrigued by what I saw and the dancing I experienced. Even though I was a sportsman as a child, I was always interested in theatre, dance appeared to be the natural and obvious way that both my interests found harmony; it was physically and theatrically exciting.

From there I started joining local youth dance companies and then regional youth companies, eventually I was dancing every day after school with a different group in a different place. Then I decided to pursue it as a career and continued my training at London Contemporary Dance School.

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

There are countless positive experiences that dance brings me every day, and that truly is the joy of following an art form you are passionate about. But if I were to just consider class, which is a different environment to rehearsal let’s say, it would have to be the simple physical satisfaction the movement brings.

Class is evidently a repetitious process that any dancer endures through their career; the satisfaction of movement keeps me curious. I value being able to step into class, and no matter what challenges and dramas you face in the outside world, the class becomes a time for you to leave it all at the door and bask in the enjoyment of movement. Even though a lot of the time classes present their own challenges, it can become almost a meditation allowing the body and mind to physically and artistically release.

3. What is the hardest part about dance for you? [Read more…]

Dance In The UK: “The Place” & Dance Education

November 9, 2011 by 4dancers

Jessica Wilson

by Jessica Wilson

Following the comments made by British Member of Parliament David Willetts, the relationship between dance and education has now been placed under close scrutiny. Dance professionals became increasingly concerned that the position of dance in education was under threat, which consequently sparked the debate. Willetts, Universities and Science Minister, recently remarked that he believed “soft” subjects such as Dance should be of less worth if a student was to apply to attend university. The dance sector strongly rejected this argument. Willetts’s claims were controversially published on the same day in August 2011 as the examination results which precede students’ further studies at university.

At what can only be defined as perfect timing elsewhere in London was the announcement that The Place, the UK’s premier centre for contemporary dance, is to introduce GCSE Dance to their existing teaching schedules. GCSEs are national examinations taken by young people both inside and outside schools; the course offered by The Place is open to students aged 13-18 years old. A parallel to the British school examination system can be observed in the Cecchetti system, used throughout Britain and the United States and enabling students to take exams at different levels and progress to higher grades. GCSE examinations form much of the first preparation for further education and with such promotion by The Place, dance appears to be on the road to recovery. To hear Willetts’s comments on the prospective introduction of this course would be very interesting to say the least. [Read more…]

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