Dance Team Promo Video

The Dance Team have just had a fantastic new promo video created which showcases our varied and inspiring dance programme- check it out!

 (created by Electric Egg  electricegg.co.uk)

Taking Dance to New Heights

The artsNK Dance Team have recently launched aerial dance, and exciting new addition to our dance programme.

 

Aerial dance provides you with the opportunity to take your dance to new levels with sessions delivered from the North Kesteven Centre in North Hykeham on our newly erected aerial rig. Aerial dance is an acrobatic dance style involving equipment such as aerial silks and hoops, and is a challenging and stimulating activity which people of all abilities can participate in.

 

 

Those who attended the 2013 Zygote Festival in Sleaford will have had the chance to witness some of the stunning movements that can be achieved using silks when our rig was erected on Eastgate Green during the festival.

 

 



Fancy giving aerial dance a try? Adult classes (16+) run every Wednesday from 7-8.30pm at the North Kesteven Centre at a cost of £6 per week, with classes for young people (10+) held at the centre every Tuesday from 4.30-6pm at a cost of £5 per week.

For more information about aerial dance or to book a place at a session please contact Amy on amy.dalton@litc.org.uk

Integrated Dance – with Louise Katerega

Monday 7^th April 2014 

“In the studio, over time, more and more I have lost that sense of division – disabled versus non-disabled – though I couldn’t run my company, FOOT IN HAND, if I did not acknowledge it in the world beyond. When I am teaching or making now though, 16 years into this stuff, for me, there are now only “a variety of people, their ranges of movement and their different ways of understanding the world” And , for me, they are all valid and all potentially beautiful. I see my job as to listen, to engage, actively make space to discover, to draw out; to connect one dancer with another in a way that compliments both.” – Louise Katerega

This evening Amy D, Amy O, Holly, Emma and James all took part in some Inclusive Dance training with Louise Katerega. Our Inspire Dance Programme is ever expanding and we are hoping to incorporate new journeys regarding inclusive dance.

Louise spoke about the terminology regarding integrated dance (inclusive dance; dance by, for and with disabled people) and the correct terms of impairments, physical, learning or sensory. She stated how every body is able it is just the way in which we incorporate dance into our sessions is what can dis-able that person into struggling with movement, co-ordination and understanding.

We began simple warm-up tasks that incorporated, chair-users, leg-users/standing dancers, acknowledging how small simple instructions using one body part and gradually building up to a phrase can be shown and demonstrated to anyone, no matter their impairment.

We discussed about creating a neutral language between tutor and participants and questioning

• ·         What is the basic essence or CORE PRINCIPLE of the movement/task you are giving / watching?
• ·         What body parts do we have in common? What kind of energy or feeling should the movement have?

For instance, STAND UP “everyone upright; find a place where you are balanced; prepare to move”

WALK/RUN AROUND THE ROOM “travel around the room”

JUMP  “send the energy up; elevated”

TURN  “rotate, change direction”

Louise has worked in the inclusive dance field for over 16 years and through her many years of experience teaching a variety of dancers and their impairments, had created herself a concise set of principles from which to work by when working / planning for integrated dance sessions. 

Teaching / Creative Principles

1. Remember to give yourself time in your sessions and take everything into consideration, whether that be changing, eating, or taking in information
2.  Preparation (giving yourself time to visit the class you are taking before, so you are aware of the participants who will be taking part)
3.   Aim for neutral language
4.   Understand and acknowledge the difference between movement which looks similar (aethsetic similarity) and instigates the same thing for the dancer (functional similarity)
5.    Connect energetically, through dynamics as well as shape
6.     For wheelchair users to offer a clear choice between using the spatial directions OR using the movement vocabulary
7.   Sometimes begin with directionality, for instance letting chair-users lead
8.   Connect through space, time and music
9.   Offer time and find ways for each individual to find increased degree if challenge for him/herself after setting an exercise
10.  Differentiate according to the body parts that are emphasised. Incorporate the skills needed and amount of previous experience, for instance the intensity of the movement or length of a taught phrase
11. Understand and acknowledge who leads/initiates movement. It is a case of process and a change of principle. For instance allowing those who have minimal physical choices to start / lead a phrase and gradually build up to who has the most status in choreographic work.

Fun and creative games were implemented into the training in order for us to try out simple and inventive tasks to assist with specific issues that may occur during a session. For example, contact, timing, choreography, energy building and improvisation

As a group we were over-whelmed by how simple creative tasks, using the correct terms and actively supporting, observing and participating can incorporate such a wide range of disabled and non-disabled dancers. We were very grateful to have such a talented and highly respected integrated dance artist, such as Louise, visit us and broaden our knowledge of inclusive dance which we can now integrate into our Inspire Dance Programme and over a wider range of dance sessions.

Amy O'Sullivan - Community and Youth Dance Worker

Easter Aerial Dance Jams

Amy, Holly, Emma and James ran a taster session for people wanting to take part in aerial dance classes this Easter break. There was a two hour taster jam for people with no experience of aerial work, followed by a two hour jam for people with some experience. artsNK have specialist aerial equipment offering people a rare chance to try these exciting and new techniques. The dance team have been training in this art in order to offer these new classes and jams to people at different levels of experience.

The aerial rig consists of two silks, each one splits into two poles to use. Both silks are different; the orange silk is thicker and offers more stretch. The black silk allows for more grip and less material, making it easier to negotiate. The hoop can be attached to the rig or its own apparatus, for the purpose of the taster session it was fixed into its own apparatus allowing for two silks to be used. When the hoop is elevated higher, more positions are accessible and the technique of hoisting yourself onto the hoop can also be taught.

The dance team started the jam with a warm up followed by teaching techniques of how to use the specialised equipment. Participants learnt how to climb the silks and each had a go climbing as high as they felt comfortable to. Two types of climbing techniques were shown to give a variation. The next technique is the single foot lock; this allows you to create positions in the air with the ropes such as the cocoon and the swan. The swan technique is a beautiful position to hold and is created by locking one foot, placing your hands at the front of the ropes and sliding down them and then pointing your foot to your knee. Amy is in this position on the left using the black silk in the photo below.

Later the dance team taught the group how to tie a double foot lock, this position allows for more complex poses like the straddle back. The team taught various more positions using the single and double foot lock for the group to try out. The team then moved on to the hoop and started with the correct seated position and then the man on the moon position where you sit inside the hoop. The beginners jam tried out the mermaid position on the hoop when you hold on with one hand and tilt your pelvis over the hoop locking your ankles together. During the jam for people with some experience, the participants dared to go to the next level and use the hoop to create the stag position. The two photos of the hoops below show daring leg splits. Some of the group also had a go at the wine position and other advanced positions.

As soon as the team had finished teaching the techniques, the groups were invited to have a play on the equipment and practice the new techniques they had just learnt. During the jam for people with some experience, this was a chance for them to try new and complex positions and also practice any they had just been recapped on or taught. The jam sessions ended with a relaxing cool down to stretch out the muscles that had been used. Aerial work takes strength and uses many different muscles. The jam sessions ran successfully and the groups enjoyed their experience of using the aerial rig and hoop.

Today the artsNK dance team are taking part in a full day master class workshop with Viva aerial dance from London! This opportunity will help the team further develop their aerial skills and take them to the next level! Pictured is James with one of Viva’s team members developing aerial skills on the silks. 

Aerial workshops for young people aged 11-18 years old are due to start 22nd April! Why not come along and learn something new! £5 each class and you will have a chance to learn the basic skills of silks and hoops. Don’t miss your chance to dance through the air; classes will be in the squash courts based at North Kesteven Sports Centre in North Hykeham. Classes for adults and master classes are coming soon!

Leonie Harris, artsNK Dance Student Placement.

Early Years Inset Dance Training

Early Years Training – with Oksana Tyminska

Thursday 27^th March 2014

Today Amy, Holly, Emma and James had a visit from Oksana Tyminska from “Turned on its head” Dance company. Oksana specialises in Early Years dance and developed resource packs aimed at teachers, practitioners and community group leaders to support teaching and delivery of creative dance practice.

Small Steps Big Moves, Giant Leaps, Early Years Resource Pack

Is an early years resource pack giving early years practitioners, teachers, artists and parents the skills and confidence to deliver dance.  Over 1000 copies of the resource has been sold, regionally and nationally, and delivered many workshops on the subject, which supported those wanting to use the pack.The ideas in the pack aim to engage the child’s natural curiosity allowing them to explore, express themselves and reflect on their world and experiences.

Along with the pack Oksana brought many props and crafts with her to help create fun and inventive structures for a dance workshop for young children. We all discovered how dance can be incorporated within youngsters learning and how dance sessions can incorporate small and simple props to help encourage creativity within sessions.

 As a group we looked at the development of children, and how child play can encourage creativity, movement, and an understanding of the body from head to toe.

‘Play is the work of children’

'Children's play should be 50% on the floor, 50% in loving arms' - Jasmine Pasch, Jabadao

Sponges, feathers, ribbons, music, stories, books, lycra, elastic, cardboard boxes were just some of the simple, yet effective, items that the dance team explored , who knew dance training could be so much fun? J

Oksana introduced more fun and exciting ways to bring participants into the space, setting them off on fun and creative journeys and using the manipulation of props as a way that can help move the participants.

Example Structure

·         Bringing the children into the space

·         Warming up and physical exploration

·         Introducing a task or idea for the children to discover and develop

·         Sharing and showing experience – performance

·         Cool down and finishing the session 

Floor play, crawling, spinning, push and pull and rolling onto stomachs were just some of the exercises we explored in order to enhance our knowledge of a child’s body awareness, strength building, co-ordination, eye focus and risk assessment of self.

Fun and creative mess was created throughout the day but through this we found a correlation between play and movement development. As result, we gained a broader knowledge of early years dance and the integration of props into our lessons. 

Holly, Alice and James go to out of space!

Monday 10^th March 2014

Holly, Alice and James from the dance team went along to The Mighty Creative’s event in Leicester, Embedding creativity in the Primary Curriculum. We were very excited to find that the venue for the conference was in fact the National Space Centre itself! Amazed as we walked in we were ushered into a theatre where we felt like astronauts straight away, gazing up to the sky in recycling chairs. 

Starting the morning off with keynote speakers such as Emma Trounson – Professional Choral conductor, who taught us to sing and sing in a round as a group. Also, we heard from Jason Wilsher Mills – Bluejayway Digital Arts, Gary Halliday – UK Film School and Liz Macfarlane.

We were then split off into the workshops we had selected for the day. Holly and Alice went along to the new Primary Curriculum. Holly and Alice learnt about the overall changes in the primary curriculum and how there is now more freedom within the framework as to how to deliver it. There is more intention on finding new and interesting ways of delivering it but contacting specialists in different areas to help with this. James went to a workshop based on delivering dance through the PE and Sport Premium funding, where he found more information about the fund and it’s potential. 

After a networking lunch Holly, Alice and James went together to their next workshop Dance in the Curriculum. Alice was shocked to find that the session was actually in fact a practical one. However, she got her moves out and represented the artsNK Dance team very well! Within the workshop we learnt about different ways you can teach the curriculum through the use of dance. We looked into the 3 main core subjects of Maths, English and Science. It gave Holly and James lots of new ideas to try when working in Primary Schools.

For the last workshop of the day Holly, Alice and James explored the space centre! Acting like very excited children the 3 went off to explore. Did you know that if you put the planets into water the only one that would float would be Saturn? Fun fact of the day! Also, they would recommend a ride on the simulator! 

All in all the day was a very productive and successful one, taking away a greater insight into the Primary Curriculum and how we as artists can have our own creative input within the educational setting.

Spring Primary Dance Festival 2014

The spring edition of our Primary Dance Festival, delivered in collaboration with North Kesteven School, saw 160 young people from local primary schools participate – a clear indication of the success of the day!
 

 

A mixture of Year 5 and 6 pupils from Bassingham Primary School, Swinderby All Saints Primary School, Fosse Way Academy, Ling Moor Academy, South Hykeham Primary School and All Saints Waddington Primary School participated in the final showcase on the 13^th February at the Terry O’Toole Theatre, following six weeks of hard work.
 

Working alongside artsNK dance artists, pupils had developed creative dance pieces surrounding the idea of transition from primary to secondary school. Each school drew on elements such as friendship, isolation, discoveries, achievement, team work, support and their journeys to school within their pieces.
 

Throughout the day of the festival young people were able to rehearse their piece within the Terry O’Toole Theatre, providing an opportunity to witness and appreciate the work of other schools. The young people were also able to watch rehearsals from Year 7 and AS Level groups from North Kesteven School, giving them an insight into other dance styles and choreography.

 

 

All schools performed twice in the evening at two sell out shows, with feedback from the young people saying how they thoroughly enjoyed being given the opportunity to perform in a theatre environment!

 

 

This spring project was supported by third year Sport Development and Coaching students from the University of Lincoln. The group helped with all stages of the project, from planning through to hosting the show, as part of one of their modules. The group were mentored by Alice from the artsNK Dance Team, who herself was once student on the Sport Development and Coaching course. Alice worked on the 2013 Spring Primary Dance project in her final year at university so it was an enjoyable experience for her to support the students with this year’s festival.
 

                                 

The Primary Dance Festival is back again in Summer so watch this space for updates and reviews!

 

True Motion is back!

This March, True Motion is back and as exciting as ever! The artsNK dance team in partnership with Dance4 have a brilliant line up of talented performers ready to perform at True Motion 2014. The event will be held at the Lincoln Performing Arts Centre (LPAC), on Saturday 8^th March! 

The groups of young talent will be performing in front of a live judging panel in hope of being selected to represent Lincolnshire in the Midlands Youth (MY) Dance Festival, taking place In Birmingham in April.

 Lincoln University’s first year dancers will be the curtain raiser for the evening as well as DWS Youth Dance Productions performing in the interval in the LPAC café. The groups taking part, hope to be selected to go through to represent Lincolnshire at the next platform. artsNK have four companies within True Motion including Youth Dance Company redXco who have been working with Gina Benjamin on a piece which is based on the riots of 2011. After having an intense three days with the award winning hip hop company, Boy Blue Entertainment, redXco were ready to begin exploring and creating movement.

Our all male Break Dance Company Jumpstart will be performing, they been working with Lee Nugent and James Kitney on a piece called The Nightmare. They have used break dance as a foundation for this piece and have drawn upon creative choreographic devices to help show the idea. They have begun to introduce physical theatre into their new dance piece. Also performing will be Creative Dance performers Descend Youth Dance Company, they have been working with Emma Terzza on a contemporary dance piece which is based on the negative affect that the media can have on individuals. The group have explored ways that the body can be manipulated through dance to show this idea. The last group from artsNK will be our Contemporary Youth Dance Company kNacKer’d.

Alongside the artsNK groups, there shall be performances from Priory City of Lincoln Academy, Lilac Theatre Dance, North Kesteven School, Dance Revolution, RAW Youth Dance Group, LCHS Youth Dance Company,Western, Lincoln College and Lincolnshire Youth Dance Company along with the Dance Factor 2014 Final Winners! 

True Motion 2014 is set to be thrilling this year with a diverse range of dancers and performances! Don’t forget to book your tickets they are selling fast! Book via www.terryotooletheatre.org.uk or call 01522 883311. Start Time: 7.30pm Tickets: £5 Full, £3 Concessions Running Time: 1 hour 40 mins (inc interval).


Posted by Leonie Harris, Student Placement at artsNK Dance.

Dance Factor 2014!

Dance Factor is over for another year, but what a blast it was! On Saturday 8th February, over 100 young people performed at the Lincoln Performing Arts Centre to a sell out crowd.

If you're not familiar with the format of Dance Factor, here is a breakdown of the project.

Dance Factor is a free 10 week street dance project for 11-18yr olds, taking place in venues across NK and the City of Lincoln. It’s designed to teach dance skills, but to also bring people together from different areas and encourage them to work together. Starting several years ago, the project has grown bigger and better and shall only continue to do so.

This year, the groups were treated to a performance from the special guests FFI(Fully Functioning Individuals) from Impact Dance, they also took workshops throughout the day.

Photo: Electric Egg

The winners were Apocalyptic from North Hykeham Youth Centre, they shall now go on to compete in the county U.Dance platform, True Motion. This takes place on Saturday 8th March, again at the LPAC.

Photo: Electric Egg

If you are interested in continuing to dance, check out our Facebook page for our full list of classes, times and costs!

From the Artist: Katie Green

Made By Katie Green have worked with artsNK/Terry O’Toole Theatre on the development of new work for several years now, premiering the full version of Matters of Life and Death at the Terry O’Toole Theatre in October 2011, and our most recent piece, The Imagination Museum, in November 2013.

Both of these productions have gone on to be very successful, and this is due to the support we have been given by artsNK/the Terry O’Toole Theatre in the earliest stages of research and development.
The team we work with at artsNK/the Terry O’Toole Theatre are very experienced, and invest a great deal of time in learning about their audience and their local community. This means that when we begin discussions about a new project, we are able to have an open, constructive dialogue about how we can make our residency work, how we can open up our activity to the local community (e.g. through open classes and sharings of work-in-progress) and how we can develop our audience for example. The team offer support and advice, and in spite of already having a very full workload, they are always incredibly generous with their time.

The Performing Arts team understand the requirements of a small-scale dance company, and they provide in-kind resources that are essential to the rehearsal process, including space and technical time as well as help at the funding application stage and support marketing events. I always enjoy the time I spend in rehearsal in North Hykeham and Sleaford more than anywhere else that we rehearse, as we are made to feel so welcome. We are given freedom to go about our business without any external pressure, whilst also feeling there is someone available to give feedback if we need it.
The Performing Arts team support our interest in engaging new audiences for dance in Lincolnshire. We aim to create accessible performance work, and also to provide opportunities for all individuals to participate in workshops so that they can have an insight into the working process, which we hope gives them more confidence in their own interpretation of a professional dance performance. In spite of this commitment to engaging audiences, which we know is shared by all of the Lincolnshire One Venues, dance, and particularly contemporary dance, continues to be a hard sell in this particular area. artsNK/the Terry O’Toole Theatre are not afraid of this, and they include dance of all kinds as part of their diverse programme of events. I am hugely thankful for the great faith they have shown in my ability, as a Lincolnshire-born choreographer, to create new work, and perhaps in doing so to shift local attitudes to contemporary dance in whatever small ways I can.

Photos from The Imagination Museum in rehearsal at the NK Centre and Terry O’Toole Theatre Theatre and open company class with Lincolnshire-based dance artists.

Dance Factor!

With only 3 weeks to go until the final, the pressure is hotting up! Groups from around NK and Lincoln, have been working tirelessly for the past 7 weeks to create a piece which they shall perform in the Dance Factor final taking place on 8th February.

Groups taking part include....

*Apocalyptic from North Hykeham Youth Centre 

*Clique from Birchwood

*Eclipse from Billinghay

*L.E.D from Sleaford

*Respect Your Elders from Bracebridge

*Rewind from Priory Witham

*Rhythm Beats from Branston

*Rhythmix from Ermine

*Rock Revolution from St Giles

*Xscape from North Kesteven Centre

With it being such a big competition, we needed some top judges. So introducing this years Dance Factor judging panel.

*Gareth Woodward from Nottingham

*Anna Olejnicki from Hype Dance Company,

*Caroline Hoyle from last year's for Dance Factor

*Gareth Chown from Addict Dance Studios!

So we have the groups and judges but what about some special guests? Introducing from Impact Dance we have Fully Functioning Individuals! Fully Functioning Individuals (FFI) is Impact Dance's flagship company. It is a semi-professional dance group made up of young people aged 14-20+. The primary focus is to provide young people with all the tools they require to reach their full potential in life, whilst giving them the opportunity to hone their dance technique and establish outstanding performance skills. The company creates narrative/hip-hop theatre style pieces which are performed throughout London and the UK.

Presenting the show shall be Hakeem Onibudo, who formed Impact Dance. Hakeem is a performer, choreographer/director, mentor, British Council ambassador and professional host who began teaching dance in 1995, forming the company Impact Dance. His vocation has enabled him to work with young people, amateurs, semi-professionals and professionals in projects varying from school workshops, TV performances, film premieres and theatre productions, from London to many global communities.

Among his portfolio of work he counts a number of prestigious organisations he has worked alongside such as the Sony Pictures Entertainment, Warner Bothers, Columbia Pictures, BBC, Nickelodeon, CH4, Endemol, ITV, The Cosmopolitan Show, The Duke of Edinburgh Awards, The Royal Ballet School, The Royal Opera House, Sadler’s Wells, British Council, and Peacock Theatre to name but a few. Hakeem is the artistic director and host of LIVE VIBE, a performance platform created 10 years ago which has been a resident production at Sadler’s Wells, Peacock Theatre and Rich Mix. The concept was taken to Hong Kong in December 2010 and 2013 and created and produced in partnership with the British Council in Zimbabwe February 2012.

Hakeem regularly hosts Red Carpet Movie Premieres and his credits include: Iron Man 3, The Hobbit, Men in Black 3, Rock of Ages, Fast and Furious 6, The Amazing Spider Man, The Dark Knight Rises, Star Trek, Teen Beach Movie, Man of Steel and The Wolverine.

So with the final approaching, there is a lot to get excited about! Tickets are now on sale from your tutors so don't miss out! Tickets cost £3.

Coming up!

Even though it's only the start of 2014, we have lots of exciting things fast approaching!


On the 31st of January, we shall be holding our annual and newly named artsNK Youth Dance Programme Showcase. Taking place at the Terry O' Toole Theatre, artsNK's Youth Groups shall take to the stage to perform pieces which they have been working on. This shall include some very exciting new work from our dance companies redXco, kNacKer'd and all new male company, JumpStart. With performers ranging from 4-18 years old, there shall be a range of styles on show so there is something for everyone! Tickets are selling out extremely fast so book yours now by calling the Terry O Toole Theatre on 01522 883311. Tickets cost £3 and £2 for Children (Under 16s).



Going into February, the Dance Factor final shall be taking place at the Lincoln Performing Arts Centre on 8th. Ten crews from across NK and Lincoln shall come together, battling it out, one of them shall be crowned best dance crew of 2014. With only 4 weeks left working on pieces, the pressure is hotting up!


We shall then be holding our annual Spring Primary Dance Showcase. With two shows in one night, it's set to be hectic but fun! Local primary schools are currently working on creating dance pieces for the showcase. Based on the transition from Primary to Secondary School, the showcase is a celebration and a chance for the children to perform in front of a big audience!

Whilst all that is happening, we are also planning more for the coming months including aerial workshops and other exciting things! It's a busy time for the dance team! To keep up to date with everything that is going on, check out our Facebook page by clicking here and follow us on Twitter at @artsNKDance.

If you also want to see what other team members are up to, we each have our own Twitters @HollyartsNK, @EmmaartsNK, @MichaelaartsNK, @AliceartsNK and welcoming the newest member of our team James, @JamesartsNK.

If you want to find out a bit more about James, click on the 'About Us' tab above.

From the Dancer: Effie-Mae

Effie-Mae is one of our young dancers here at artsNK. Currently she is undertaking Arts Award and as part of the award, Effie Mae has written a number of reviews about shows she has been to watch and classes/workshops she has taken part in.

So why did Effie-Mae want to get involved in Arts Award?

"I am doing the Arts Award because I enjoy coming to the different dance classes at NK and this is a good opportunity for me to learn new things about dance. I can also use the Arts Awards on my CV later on to help me get a place at college or university."

Here Effie-Mae talks about her experience watching The Imagination Museum by Katie Green, which took place at the Terry O' Toole Theatre in November.


On the 7^th of November 2013 I went to see a dance show named The Imagination Museum at the Terry O’Toole Theatre. It was a contemporary dance performance – the art forms that were involved were dance and drama. I hadn’t really seen anything like it before, but I have seen a contemporary performance recently but they weren’t the same at all. This was because the Imagination Museum was interactive and included a lot of audience participation. After the show I spoke to Katie Green who directed and choreographed the piece she explained that usually the show is performed in museums and this was the first time it has been shown in a theatre.

The performers were very funny and got the audience involved all the time such as: at the start when we walked in Harriet (one of the performers) gave me and my friend Annie-Mae a sticker and said you are mammoth one and you are mammoth two. We felt a bit scared that we might have to go on stage in front of everyone when we were given the sticker. We didn’t know why we had the stickers but we soon found out!

As we went into the auditorium to take our seats our seats at the back one of the performers, who was called Henry, called us over to help set up the performance.  We had to move some boxes over to the other side of the stage. Later on in the performance Henry said that the boxes needed to be on the other side of the stage ready to be collected.  He made the audience pass the boxes from one side of the stage to the other, passing them through the audience but once the boxes had been passed all the way through the audience he realised these boxes had just been delivered and he made us pass them all the way back again.  The audience groaned a little as they passed them back again but it also made us laugh because he had got it wrong.

At the very start of the show Mildred called out that all of the mammoths had to hide behind their seats! We did this giggling as it made us laugh; once we had hidden we were allowed to sit back down again. Mildred was another dancer in the performance and she liked everything squeaky clean she made Henry and Harriet tidy everything up. Whilst they were cleaning up Mildred came up to me and Annie-Mae and started cleaning our shoulders. This made me feel happy that she was interacting with us. Throughout the whole performance the dancers were really interacting with the audience which I enjoyed and liked because it made me feel part of the show. I didn’t dislike any part of the performance because I thought that it was all really creative and well performed. It was a bit disappointing because there was hardly anyone in the audience and it was such a great performance! I would definitely recommend this because I think people will enjoy watching it. At one point we had people crawling along the bottom of our legs, this is something which would normally happen during a show and it made us laugh.

I learnt from the show that with a short amount of time you can still create a huge successful performance.  Katie Green was talking to Amy at the end of the performance saying that loads of people dropped out, this meant she had to change the whole performance at short notice.  I still think she did a great job, it was a fun evening and I enjoyed seeing something different.
To read more of Effie-Mae's reviews click here.

kNacKer'd Residency

Before breaking up for Christmas, artsNK’s kNacKer’d undertook an intensive day residency with Chantry Dance Company. Chantry is a contemporary ballet dance company based in Grantham and London, led by co-artistic directors Paul and Rae Piper.

The dancers were very lucky to have the opportunity to work with both Paul and Rae for a full day of contemporary ballet. The dancers started with a warm-up using the ballet barres, which the majority of the group found to be a new and exciting experience. The group also worked on corner work, repertoire from one of Chantry’s pieces and also had a chance to work with different choreographic devices.

kNacKer’d found it a big challenge, as for most of them it was a style completely out of their comfort zone. Holly Arnold (Artistic Director of kNacKer’d Youth Dance Company) told us that “It was very nice to see the dancers trying something new. It is also great to see them challenge themselves to go out of their comfort zones.

It will definitely help with their technique development within class and for performances as well”.   It was a long day but the dancers gained so much from it, and really appreciated the help and support from both Paul and Rae. Holly and kNacKer’d would like to thank Paul and Rae for coming to work with them and hope that they get to work with Chantry again in the future.

InspireDance Expands!

The dance team’s InspireDance education programme is expanding in the New Year with THIRTEEN new schools coming on board! These schools include primary and secondary schools from across the county – meaning high quality dance provision will be spreading right across Lincolnshire! 

The dance team will be working closely with these schools to support them to develop and improve their current dance offer to pupils, offering a bespoke service which will meet each of the school’s individual needs. This support may include providing ideas of how to form cross-curricula links using dance, guidance on enhancing boys engagement in dance, and upskilling teachers through teacher training and mentoring. Whatever support the team provide one thing is for sure, 2014 is going to be an exciting year for dance in education in Lincolnshire!

More Dancing in Schools!  

 

We had to share this fantastic article from the Arts Professional website highlighting reasons why Primary schools should spend their PE funds on dance. Its a must read!

http://www.artsprofessional.co.uk/magazine/267/article/more-dancing?utm_source=Weekly-Good-Reads&utm_medium=email&utm_content=More-dancing&utm_campaign=19th-September-2013

InspireDance

This academic year the artsNK Dance Team are pleased to be able to offer a new dance programme to schools across Lincolnshire. InspireDance is an innovative support package designed to provide schools with the skills and resources they require to enhance, develop or kick-start their dance offer to pupils. The flexible programme aims to meet the requirements of each school and can be tailored to their individual targets, needs and aims.

InspireDance can offer some or all of the following exciting opportunities to develop dance:

·         High Quality Dance Tuition – teaching from specialist dance artists who can deliver lessons using a range of creative dance styles, whilst also bringing new knowledge and refreshed insights into a school’s dance delivery

·         Professional Development for Staff - delivery of the ‘On With the Dance!’ Training course which is designed to improve teaching staff’s understanding of how to deliver dance to meet National Curriculum standards  

·         Mentoring, Advice and Dance Guidance – specialist support to enhance and develop dance provision

·         Talent Identification Pathways – support signposting gifted pupils into advanced level dance groups led by professional dance artists

·         Access to U.Dance (a Youth Dance England initiative) performances at local and county level

·         Access to Arts Award and/or Dance Leadership Qualifications and links with Arts Mark status

·         Support upskilling teaching staff in dance expertise and knowledge including what’s on in the local area, regional and national dance initiatives, performances and exhibitions at Lincolnshire One Venues, and local arts festivals

·         Connectivity to other, sports, visual and performing arts programmes in partnership with other organisations

Want more information on the programme or interested in getting involved? Then contact Alice Carter (Community and Youth Dance Coordinator) on alice.carter@litc.org.uk or 07851810950