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Jan McNulty

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    Vocational schools still shut??

    in Doing Dance

    Posted

    1 hour ago, Peony said:

    Absolutely, but if they have the device, providing a mifi to access the internet is not too expensive. Can’t speak for all schools but being shut and not having to pay cover teachers etc must have reduced running costs for our school this term. 
     

    great to hear how well your local college have done oliviaT


    It is too expensive for anyone who can’t afford it!

    • Like 1

    LIVE FROM COVENT GARDEN

    in Performances seen & general discussions

    Posted

    6 minutes ago, Janite said:

     

    Thank you Janet. I don't think I had seen Brandon Lawrence dance before and this is great.

     

    There are some snippets of Brandon on You Tube.  Last night I found 2 short ones of him rehearsing the reconciliation pdd from The Dream with Melissa Hamilton.  They performed this duet together in Belfast at the back end of last year in a concert-style programme.

    • Like 2

    Dance Links for June 2020

    in Dance Links - reviews, news & features

    Posted

    Links - Tuesday 16 June, 2020

     

     

    Feature - Choreography under lockdown:  Jennifer Homans, New Yorker

     

    Feature - Calvin Royal lll, American Ballet Theatre:  Marina Harss, Dance Magazine

     

    Streaming Review - Royal Ballet, Morgen:  Teresa Guerreiro, Culture Whisper

     

    News - Brandon Lawrence (BRB) hosts choreography challenge to support students during lockdown:  News Desk, Broadway World

     

    News Feature - Arts Sector (in New Zealand) faces uncertain future as it prepares to return to stage:  Ethan Sills, NZ Herald

     

    Streaming News - Dutch National Ballet presents the world premiere The Prometheus Project:  News Desk, Broadway World

     

    Feature - Honouring retiring American dancers:  Various, Pointe Magazine

     

    News - Ballet Hispánico announces watch parties:  News Desk, Broadway World

     

    Feature - Sarah Ricard Orza, Pacific North West Ballet announces her retirement:  Sondra Forsyth, Broadway World

     

    Feature - Heidi Lee, Executive Director Hong Kong Ballet:  Wei Wei & Pomny Chu, Dance Journal HK (scroll down for English translation)

     

    Streaming review - Live from Covent Garden:  Sylvia Unerman, The Upcoming

     

    News Feature - TITAS Dance of Dallas announces 20/21 plans:  Arnold Wayne Jones, Dallas Voice

     

    Video Feature - Dancers perform on empty ball fields (in NY) during Covid-19:  Lauren Glassberg, ABC7 NY

    Lockdown and General Streaming Thread

    in Ballet / Dance news & information

    Posted

    4 hours ago, zxDaveM said:

     

    Well that was stunning! Think I enjoyed seeing again as much, if not more, than at Sadlers Wells. Terrific stuff 🙂

     

     

    Wish I had seen San Francisco Ballet's Bjork Ballet live.  It is absolutely stunning on film!  Some of the imagery is just breath-taking and Pita uses quite a large group of dancers intricately and interestingly.  I thought the costumes were gorgeous and really enhanced the work along with the very effective lighting.

    • Like 1

    Press Release: BRB Principal Brandon Lawrence hosts Choreography Challenge for BBOdance to be judged by Sir David Bintley

    in Doing Dance

    Posted

     

    image012.jpg.f95a4c49ec6900172efe849ec4f3ceee.jpg

    Brandon Lawrence © Johan Persson

     

    Birmingham Royal Ballet Principal,
    Brandon Lawrence
    hosts Choreography Challenge
    to stimulate students' creativity
    during lockdown

     

    Birmingham Royal Ballet Principal, Brandon Lawrence, has launched an online choreography challenge to stimulate students' creativity and support their psychological wellbeing during lockdown.

    The dance community has been especially hit, with dance schools across the world closed and events, exams, and auditions postponed. Despite the proactive attitude of many dance teachers who now deliver online classes, many students report feeling lonely and missing what they call, their 'dance families'.

    The ballet dancer knows this all too well, as BRB has also had to adapt to support the morale of its artists and audience. However, as a performing artist, he also sees a silver lining, as this unprecedented break provides him the time to reflect on his craft and find creative ways to express himself.

    "I felt it was extremely important to connect the bbodance family during this challenging time, especially since Dance Days was postponed. Everyone was looking forward to it. Many professional dancers and companies have been creating dance online; I wanted to make it extra special for bbodance members to be part of their very own piece of original dance. I urge you to let your creativity run wild!"

    This is the challenge that Brandon brings to the students of bbodance, the organisation that trained him, and to whom he has been especially committed since becoming its youngest Patron two years ago. Since then, he has taught students, inspired graduates, and gained the esteem of longstanding bbodance supporters.

    The Online Choreographic Challenge is open to students of bbodance teachers from across the world;     all genres, ages, and abilities are welcome. Students have to express what lockdown means to them by choreographing one of three pieces of music commissioned from the award-winning composer, Andrew Kristy especially for this challenge. Entries close on 3 July.

    Brandon will edit all submissions into a film illustrating the students' collective experience; in addition, there will be a winner for each of the three pieces of music. Winners will receive special prizes delivered in partnership with Dansez,     a sustainable dancewear brand that fights marine pollution.

    Originally from Bradford, Brandon Lawrence was trained by a bbodance teacher and was one of the organisation's top students, a bbodance Scholar, prior to being accepted into     The Royal Ballet School. He was promoted to BRB Principal last year. 

    This creative project comes shortly after bbodance's 90th anniversary, when Patrons, members, and friends from around the world came together for a warm online celebration.
     

    – ENDS –
     

    About bbodance

    Founded 90 years ago by Edouard Espinosa and formerly known as the British Ballet Organization (BBO), bbodance is an international dance awarding organisation with a large membership in the UK and Australasia. bbodance provides Ofqual-recognised syllabi in Musical Theatre, Jazz, Contemporary, Classical Ballet, Modern, and Tap, as well as comprehensive dance teacher training and inspiring events for students and teachers. bbodance Patrons include Strictly Come Dancing Judge, Craig Revel Horwood, former Artistic Director of Rambert, Mark Baldwin OBE, and BRB Principal, Brandon Lawrence, a former bbodance Scholar.
     

    About Brandon Lawrence

    Born in Bradford, Brandon Lawrence started training at age 8 at Nydza School of Dance; due to his exceptional performance, he was accepted into the organisation's elite group of students, the bbodance Scholars. After attending the Yorkshire Ballet Summer School, Brandon auditioned for The Royal Ballet School, where he trained until age 19, when he was offered a contract by Birmingham Royal Ballet Artistic Director, David Bintley CBE. According to an interview, Brandon was keen to accept this offer due to BRB's reputation for being an ideal place to grow as a dancer. Brandon was promoted to Soloist in 2016, Senior Soloist in 2018, and Principal in 2019; he is best known for roles in Frederick Ashton’s The Dream, Peter Wright's Swan Lake, and David Bintley’s The Prince of the Pagodas. Brandon is also involved in BRB's Ballet? What’s That? educational events that aim to introduce people to the art form. Two years ago, Brandon performed at Buckingham Palace for HRH The Prince of Wales.

    Simply Adult Ballet: the progress of one adult dancer who took up ballet later in life

    in Doing Dance

    Posted

    A friend who was in a medical profession said masks are no good when they become damp - as they inevitably will after a certain amount of time, especially if the person wearing one is indulging in something energetic.

     

    I've got a hospital appointment on Wednesday and the lady who rang me to ask if I could go said I had to wear a mask.  How many masks do I need?  I can't drive myself to the hospital because I will be having drops that affect my vision put in my eyes so I will have to get a taxi.  I will probably be wearing a mask for 3-4 hours - is that OK?

     

    It's all very problematic.

    Vocational schools still shut??

    in Doing Dance

    Posted

    You've made some excellent points there.

     

    I take for granted the good internet and mobile service I have where I live in a very urban part of Liverpool.  When I visit my friend, who only lives 15 miles away, the internet and mobile service is a pile of poo!!  Yesterday I was participating in an organised zoom chat with Lachlan Monaghan of Birmingham Royal Ballet and even my usually excellent service started buffering on occasion.  It was noticeable when we were first locked down that the massive increase in requirement for domestic internet services could not be met although many of the issues have now been largely resolved.

     

    I've got a friend who is a primary school teacher with two primary school children herself.  She had no choice but to take her children into school with her when she had to go in to teach essential workers' children and those classed as vulnerable.  Zoom meetings with her have been interesting too as her curious children have wanted to participate.

    • Like 1

    Vocational schools still shut??

    in Doing Dance

    Posted

    57 minutes ago, Peony said:

    They all have a mobile phone Janet, it’s seen as essential, you are an outcast without one.. you can also dial in to webinars through a phone line without needing any internet

     

    I am a parent, I know lots and lots of parents at different schools. This whole attitude of can’t be done, we’ll just settle for doing nothing is infuriating. Please don’t deny my experience. This is having a terrible effect on our children, much worse than on adults. When offices needed to work from home, what happened? They provided mifi devices and laptops. Most schools do actually have a bank of tablets and laptops. Schools could easily accommodate 30% of pupils in school with social distancing. I’m never one to accept that something that isn’t working can’t improve, education is so vitally important and teachers skills in teaching so missed at the moment

     

    And please don't deny the experience of other families.

    • Like 3

    Vocational schools still shut??

    in Doing Dance

    Posted

    20 hours ago, Peony said:

    I disagree that the majority don’t have access to a device. Since lockdown many people have bought them as they’re necessary in a way they weren’t before.

     

    I find that statement outstandingly naive.  How does anybody know who has access to what in their own household and I include teachers in that!

     

    Who knows what goes on behind anybody's closed doors?  Students (or teachers) who have a turbulent life may not want that exposed to their friends/colleagues/fellow students.  To say that children with turbulent home lives should be included in the list of vulnerable children assumes that even young children must be prepared to admit that their homelife is turbulent.

     

    A couple of weeks a go a series of families were interviewed on Breakfast News and they all admitted to difficulties in accessing on line learning facilities for a variety of reasons.  Some people only had internet access through their phones, some only had use of one PC between several people and some stated the currently fashionable trend of open plan living as causing a lack of privacy.

     

    It must also be remembered a very long thread on this forum recently about children not wanting to do online dance classes and losing their drive and commitment.

    • Like 9
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