student spotlight

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: 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: Jamie Sanderson

February 24, 2013 by Rebecca H. Walker

For our Student Spotlight this week, we are pleased to introduce dancer Jamie Sanderson…

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

I first became involved in dance at the age of 14. I was originally involved in amateur productions every year with my local theatre summer project; I then started to look into dance too. I watched a showcase performance by my previous performing arts school and got goose-bumps – I was amazed at what I was watching. I remember thinking to myself, “I want to do that, I want to dance!” – sparking my involvement.

2. What do you find you like best about dance class?
With dance I find that it is really personal. Every movement you do has its own personality: it’s like saying ‘there’s no two people in the world that are identical’ in any single way, because that is impossible. Dance is for you, dance is about you and dance is you. I think the moment you start to dance you find everything you do becomes more expressive and dynamic, and you open yourself up a lot more. It therefore seems that my life is easier now – in some aspects – because I dance.

3. What’s the hardest part about dance for you?
The hardest part of dance is money, however it is a part of dance itself. I think to be involved in dance you need to understand the reality, and if you don’t, you are making more trouble than you need. You need knowledge of the job sector, what is available, and you need to think wisely.

4. What advice would you give to other dancers?
I would say ‘never give up, never stop, just keep dancing’, because to be dancer, you must never stop being involved in dance, in any aspect.

5. How has dance changed your life?
I believe dancing has changed my life as it has allowed me to understand a lot about myself, and others. It has allowed me to express myself and communicate in ways I haven’t learned intuitively. Dance has become an ever-changing life style for me and will continue to be so for a very long time. There is always something new to learn as it is such a hands-on experience, something that I shall never stop striving to grasp.

Jamie is a third year student at Middlesex University studying Dance Studies. He is currently the co-ordinator for MDXdancers – a company enabling dancers to broaden their range of dance styles outside their study programme. Jamie is also part of the MDX Cheer Dance Squad, winning 1^st and 2^nd place respectively at the British Cheerleading Association Nationals in 2012.

Outside of university, Jamie dances with two companies: avoiDance and Kansaze Dance. With avoiDance he has performed two company works at various festivals, and has taught avoiDance company class for students at Middlesex University. Kansaze Dance has seen Jamie perform showcases, and most recently at Resolution! a platform at The Place in London.

Aside from dance experience Jamie has appeared as an extra in the 2009 British film Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging.

Student Spotlight: Kelsie Moreno

February 18, 2013 by Rebecca H. Walker

For today’s Student Spotlight we give a warm welcome to dancer Kelsie Moreno…

541446_10150664405691868_611825027_n — Dancer, Kelsie Moreno

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

My mom put me in gymnastics when I was 5. I did it for 2 years but because I wasn’t very flexible I didn’t really enjoy it after a while. I tried soccer at 8, but it wasn’t for me. My mom put me in ballet just before my 9^th birthday. I did ballet 1 hour a week for 6 months before I also added jazz. I started taking more classes after that and by the time I was 12 I was competing. Even though I had been competing since I was 12, I didn’t really get into dance or discover my passion for it until I was 16. I am so glad and very grateful that I was put into dance.

When I was 17, my old studio closed down and it left me without a place to dance. I went to another studio for a bit but it just wasn’t the right one for me and I started to question my commitment to dance. I found Nuevo School of Contemporary Dance after seeing them at a dance competition. Once I started taking classes at Nuevo, I rediscovered my passion for dance and why I wanted to be a dancer. Being here has given me the right tools to develop into a much better and well-rounded dancer.

2. What do you find you like best about dance class? [Read more…]

Student Spotlight: Ana Porta

February 4, 2013 by 4dancers

This week our student spotlight is Ana Porta from Chicago Ballet Arts…

Can you tell readers how you became involved with dance?

I initially began dancing at my preschool, and I also took classes at a couple studios in the area. That was before my mom found out about Chicago Ballet Arts from one of its current co-directors, Leslie Saunders, who happens to also be a mother of a family in my school district. Nobody else in my family had danced before, so it started out as just a hobby.

What do you find you like best about dance class?

For me, the best part of dance class is at the barre. I love taking the time to see how my body is feeling, what hurts, and what feels good. It is a time to become centered and focused, and it lets you think about what you want to accomplish that day. I love being intricate with my movement, and barre helps me find my core to perform for the rest of class.

What is the hardest part about dance for you?

The hardest part of dance for me is overcoming the physical obstacles that stand in my way. Ballet has never come easy for me; I have always had to work very hard to keep up with my peers. Being born with limited turnout and knee problems has always been a barrier for me, but the rewards that come from hard work are irreplaceable.

What advice would you give to other dancers?

My advice would be to keep working, no matter how difficult it may seem. Dance teaches discipline and grace, which are both qualities that everyone can benefit from. Not everyone is cut out to be a professional dancer, but nothing is more rewarding than having a blast in class and on stage.

How has dance changed your life?

Dance has had a huge impact on my life. When I was going through difficult times, ballet was a haven for me, and an outlet where I could release my anger and sadness, as well as joy and excitement. Ballet has always been there for me, and it has helped shape me into the person I am today. I hope that I continue to learn from dance and grow as a person, and I know that the lessons I have learned in my dance education will stay with me for the rest of my life.

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