Dance performance in full swing
Professional dancers from the prestigious Stephen Petronio Dance Company in New York and London-based Richard Alston Dance Company have been sharing their skills and experience with Foundation Degree Dance students at ncn.
Both companies delivered a special three-day workshop (Richard Alston in October and Stephen Petronio in November), which included seminars and practical training as well as lots of fun exercises. The training ended with a special finale performance which was then adapted by the students to produce a local showcase held at ncn Clarendon Community Theatre at the end of November.
As well as working with the dance companies, the students also worked with local dance artist and former ncn student, Kerryn Wise, to produce a third piece of work - ‘SLICE’. The choreography explored repetition, endurance, manipulation, weight and weightlessness. The performance was enhanced by video projections of slices of the body to create an atmospheric and energetic dance piece.
ncn Dance Lecturer, Nicola Burt, commented: “It has been a great honour and a fantastic opportunity for our students to learn from some of the world’s finest professional dancers, we feel privileged to have had the chance of working with them. The students have gained valuable experience which will no doubt help to further their dance development in the future. Also working with Kerryn was fantastic. It is always nice to see how our past students can develop as practitioners and carve their own mark in the dance world.”
Posted 16 December 2008