Lord of the Flies - Kent Auditions for Boys

An exciting dance opportunity has arisen with Matthew Bourne's New Adventures‏‏‏  production of Lord of the Flies.

Lord Of The Flies will be with The Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury in September and is looking for up to 30 boys to take part.

The show will give local boys the chance to work with extraordinary dancers, choreographers and designers and to be part of this thrilling retelling of William Golding’s unsettling and revealing story. It's an opportunity open to boys at all levels. including those who have never danced before.

The action is transferred from deserted island to deserted theatre, where a group of schoolboys find themselves abandoned. With no adults around they start to create their own rules and to build their own civilisation. As time passes, the rituals become more disturbing as dark superstitions take hold. Order finally breaks down and blood is spilt as Ralph, Piggy, Jack and the boys grapple with the ‘beast within’ and the story builds to its thrilling climax.

Matthew Bourne has created some of the most iconic dance theatre pieces in the last 20 years, including Edward Scissorhands, Play Without Words, Dorian Gray, Sleeping Beauty and, perhaps the most famous, his Swan Lake with all male swans. Re:Bourne, the charitable arm of New Adventures is invested in giving opportunities for young men to discover and be inspired by dance and this production will provide that.

The audition process will be co-ordinated by two Dance Ambassadors, James Middleton and Chloe Challis. They were recruited earlier this year and have taken part in a week-long bootcamp with New Adventures, including a masterclass with Matthew Bourne, in order to learn the choreography for the production and meet the professional cast.

James and Chloe will be running free scheduled workshops at schools and dance schools for boys aged 10-22. These will be running through May and June.

They will also be delivering drop in sessions at The Marlowe on a Thursday evening from 5pm-7pm on:

29 May
5 June
12 June
26 June

These extra drop in sessions will be for boys who are interested in auditioning to be part of the production. Contact James or Chloe via email.

james_middleton@hotmail.co.uk
chloechallisdance@hotmail.co.uk

Royal Academy of Dance to present The Royal Ballet with the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award

The Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) will award its highest honour – the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award (QEII Award) – to The Royal Ballet, 60 years after the award’s inauguration. The award – presented annually in recognition of outstanding services to the art of ballet by the RAD – was first conferred on The Royal Ballet founder Dame Ninette de Valois, in 1954. To celebrate this benchmark in ballet history, the award will be presented during a gala fundraising dinner for the RAD’s flagship event, the Genée International Ballet Competition (the Genée).

The QEII Award was created in honour of the 1953 coronation of the RAD’s patron, Queen Elizabeth II. The Royal Ballet will become the first ever company to receive the award usually bestowed upon individuals. The gala dinner will be held at Claridge’s in Mayfair, on 4 September 2014, the exact venue where the first QEII Award was held at a lunch on 16 July 1954. It was presented to Dame Ninette de Valois by the then RAD President Dame Adeline Genée in recognition of her outstanding contribution to ballet including her founding of The Royal Ballet in 1931 - the same year in which the Genée was first convened.

The Genée has since proved to be a launch pad for a professional career in dance, and the Academy hopes to fundraise to provide the means for a broader pool of young talent to participate. Since the year 2000, 14 Genée medallists have gone on to dance with The Royal Ballet alone – amongst them current Principal Dancers Lauren Cuthbertson (Silver Medallist, 2001) and Steven McRae (Gold Medallist, 2002). As this presentation of the QEII Award celebrates the shared history between The Royal Ballet and RAD, the gala will aim to fundraise for the next generation of young ballet talent hoping to take part in the Genée in the future.

The gala event will be hosted by RAD President and former Royal Ballet Principal dancer Darcey Bussell CBE, and the QEII Award will be accepted by Kevin O’Hare on behalf of The Royal Ballet. Dancers from The Royal Ballet will dine with the guests and the evening will feature a charity auction, where dance lovers will be able to bid for glamorous and highly sought-after prizes. The proceeds will create means tested bursaries of up to £2,500 for future Genée candidates who cannot afford the costs involved in taking part in the competition, as well to develop the competition itself further.

Kevin O’Hare, Artistic Director of The Royal Ballet, says: ‘On behalf of everyone associated with The Royal Ballet, I would like to say what a great honour it is that the Company has been chosen as recipient of The Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award this year. 2014 marks the sixtieth anniversary of the presentation of the first award to our founder, Dame Ninette de Valois in 1953 and it is particularly appropriate that during the evening funds will be raised for the Genée International Ballet Competition, which does so much to discover and encourage the finest young dancers and potential stars of the future from around the world.’

Luke Rittner, CEO Royal Academy of Dance, says: ‘I am delighted that the Academy is bestowing its highest honour – The Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award - on The Royal Ballet Company. The Royal Academy of Dance and The Royal Ballet have a long tradition of mutual respect and close co-operation, and these bonds of friendship will be further strengthened on 4 September when we join together to celebrate this award and to secure the future of the Genée International Ballet Competition.’

Read all about the organisations involved below:

Royal Academy of Dance

With over 14,000 members spread across 79 countries, the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) is one of the largest and most influential dance education and training organisations in the world. Established in the 1920s, to improve standards and re-invigorate dance training initially within the UK, the Academy helps and encourages its teachers to perfect their teaching skills and pass on this knowledge to their students. There are currently over 1,000 students in full-time or part-time teacher training programmes with the Academy and each year the examination syllabus is taught to thousands of young people worldwide, with around a quarter of a million pupils per year going on to take our exams. http://www.rad.org.uk

The Royal Ballet
Based at the Royal Opera House in London’s Covent Garden, The Royal Ballet, led by Director Kevin O’Hare, is Britain’s largest ballet company.  The Company has a wide-ranging repertory showcasing the great classical ballets, heritage works from Founder Choreographer Frederick Ashton and Principal Choreographer Kenneth MacMillan, works by Resident Choreographer Wayne McGregor and Artistic Associate Christopher Wheeldon, as well as new works by the foremost choreographers of today. Access is a key issue for the Company and its work is seen not just at the Royal Opera House but via televised and cinematic performances, outdoor Big Screen performances, international touring and through the work of the company’s Education Department http://www.roh.org.uk/

The Genée International Ballet Competition
The Genée International Ballet Competition, named after RAD's first president Dame Adeline Genée DBE, is the Academy’s flagship annual event. Also known simply as ‘the Genée’, it is one of the most prestigious ballet competitions in the world, attracting the finest young dancers from around the globe all of whom are students of the RAD syllabus. Candidates receive a unique opportunity to work with renowned choreographers and teachers for five days before performing at the semi-finals, and then at the final, where they compete for a range of medals. The competition has taken place almost every year since 1931, and is now a truly global event. The ChallenGenée Fund provides funding for the annual Genée International Ballet Competition. The Challengenée Fund is a Designated Fund of the Royal Academy of Dance.
http://www.rad.org.uk/genee2014

Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award
The QEII award is the RAD’s most prestigious award, bestowed for the first time 60 years ago in 1954 to Dame Ninette De Valois, at a lunch attended by - amongst others - the presidents of the four Royal Academies (Arts, Music, Dramatic Art and Dance). Since then it has been awarded nearly every year to many personalities in recognition of outstanding services to the art of ballet.
http://www.rad.org.uk/about/about-the-rad/awards-and-nominations

Dance Proms 2014 - Royal Albert Hall

Tickets are now on sale for Dance Proms 2014 at the Royal Albert Hall.

Taking place on Sunday, November 2nd at 6.30pm, this international celebration of dance, dancers and dance teachers will feature selected performances chosen by an esteemed panel of professionals.

Now in its fourth year, the Proms showcases original choreographed pieces from dance troupes and teachers from all over the world. It's a unique and exciting collaboration between three of the world's premier dance examination boards and the prestigious Royal Albert Hall, and began as an on-line virtual dance festival. Find out more about the creation of their legacy here.

Patrons for 2014 include such luminaries as Arlene Philips, Wayne Sleep, Angela Rippon and Matt Flint, with Strictly Come Dancing judges Darcey Bussell and Len Goodman, professional Anton du Beke and former contestants Lisa Riley and Chris Hollins, the Series 7 champion.

To book tickets, visit the Royal Albert Hall website.

Strictly joins Streetdance: Where dance worlds collide!

Following a successful residency in the West End in 2012 where it attracted rave reviews, a brand new production of FLASH MOB will appear in Kent as part of a national tour.

The cast for this latest production includes Kevin Clifton and Karen Hauer from Strictly Come Dancing, Flawless from Britain’s Got Talent, and Dance Critic’s Choice winner and Olivier nominated Tommy Franzen from BBC1’s So You Think You Can Dance. Dubbed the modern day Romeo and Juliet by the media, contemporary duo Alleviate and Irish fusion couple Brosena, both from Sky 1’s Got To Dance, complete the impressive line-up.

If you’re new to dance, this show is the perfect introduction. FLASH MOB enables you to sample many styles from Latin to locking, from Celtic to contemporary and from street to Salsa.

The production climaxes with an exciting finale that is sure to see the entire audience on its feet, as it takes the show title to its literal conclusion when both cast and audience collectively experience the joy of dance through a shared FLASH MOB.

It will be the first theatre production to actively encourage social networking as an integral part of the show. Facebook and Twitter are used as tools to drive the storyline in the first act, so the audience will be invited to switch on their mobile phones and tweet as the show begins. It’s a hugely exciting concept to the many fans who engage with their dance heroes on social media.

Marina Blore, director of World Dance Management explains: “Many dancers work their way through weeks of competitive heats on TV with no public, live platform for their talent at the end of the programme. Whilst they may be offered A-list concert tours or West End shows, the dancers rarely get the chance to perform again in their own right.”

She added: “In this show the dancers have choreographed their own individual performances and with the help of Nick Winston, our artistic director and choreographer, we also show what can be achieved when these different dance genres are fused together. FLASH MOB enables the talent to showcase their work as part of a much bigger production.”

FLASH MOB is a celebration of dance, the art of movement, without the need to pigeon-hole or focus on any one genre, or an enforced or indulgent narrative. The intention is simply to celebrate dance as an art form that can “move” the audience emotionally.

Conceived and produced by World Dance Management, the show provides a platform for the amazing talent that has emerged from TV dance reality shows in recent years.

Kent Dates:

Assembly Hall Theatre, Tunbridge Wells – Saturday 21^st June 

Churchill Theatre, Bromley - Sunday, 29^th June 

Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury – Monday 7^th July 

For the rest of the tour dates, please visit http://www.flashmobtour.com/208-2/uk-tour-2014

British Troupe Championships

Entry to the 2014 British Troupe Championships is now open.

A one day event to be held at Glyndwr University in Wales on Sunday, October 19th, the closing date is Sunday, September 14th (or earlier if all the places are taken).

There are four age categories: Junior (under 9s); Intermediate (10-13) Senior (14-25) Adult (25+).

Styles vary across the age bands and range from cabaret, classical, cheer, street, disco, tap, acrobatics, lyrical and contemporary.

Visit the website here or call 01978 661059 for more information.

The Lock In at the Gulbenkian

A clash of dance cultures set in an old English pub with live music by BBC Radio 2 award-winning folk powerhouse The Demon Barbers.

The show sees a group of street dancers arrive at an apparently deserted pub. Local rumour has it that The Fighting Cocks is the place to be after hours but as the regulars arrive a clash of cultures turns into a dance floor stand-off.
 
The skill, speed and athleticism of the dancers on both sides soon wins the others over as the old and new are brought together in an exciting and dynamic dance-off. Sword dances are performed with snooker-cues, pub bouncers dance the Morris and B-boys flirt with clog girls. Meanwhile house band, The Demon Barbers, takes English Folk music on a new journey with friends Hip Hop, House, Funk and Ska and even says hello to Burlesque and Drum & Bass along the way!

Gulbenkian Theatre, Canterbury on Friday, February 14th. 7.30pm.

Dance dates for your diary!

Three big events coming soon:

In March, join the Dance Movement at Olympia, where Move It will once again be moving its collective feet to occupy it over the weekend 7-9 March. Dancing royalty appearing include Darcey Buseell, Sisco Gomez and The Waacktitioners.

The Interview Sofa is back, along with live performances and dance classes. New for this year is a sister show happening alongside Move It, for aspiring and professional performers interested in acting, singing and performance. PERFORM is a must if you're looking for a career in the performing arts industry. Entry is free with all full price tickets to Move It.

Find out more above Move It here and Perform here.

The UK Hip Hop Dance Championships take place in The Great Hall, 327 Mile End Road, London (an old haunt of mine, no less - probably get lost now) on Saturday, April 5th. Prelims at 3pm; Finals 7.30pm - not an awful lot of other info on the website - and the ticket site showed as as a bit dodgy, so take care on that.

A Sadler's Wells project, the Breakin' Convention kicks off its festival dates at the London theatre on Saturday, May 3rd through to the 5th. A full list of other dates and further info can be found here.

And finally, fancy a holiday but can't afford/don't have time for a two week break? Remember those soul weekenders we used to love? They've evolved - try the Summer Salsa Weekender! It's being held at the Wigana Casa de la Musica - that's the Britannia Wigan Hotel to you 'n' me - on 4th to 6th July (that's got to beat freezing on the Norfolk coast in April and October, yes?) with over 50 hours of Latin loveliness. Full details and booking links can be found here.

Priestfield to host TalentFestUK

Gillingham FC's Great Hall at Priestfield will be the venue for the London and South of England round of TalentFestUK over the weekend 26/27 April 2014.

Chase the Stage events are bringing together experts in vocals, dance and musical theatre to give feedback to up and coming performers on how to improve their skills and further their careers.

Categories include solos, duos and groups in musical theatre, dance and vocals, and also includes an open performance slot for comedians and cheerleaders, amongst others. There are additional prizes up for grabs, in the form of Super Special Awards, such as Family Heroes - recognising the commitment parents make to their child's ambition.

For full details, visit the website here.

People Dancing International Event 2014

The Foundation for Community Dance is holding the largest specialist event held for community and participatory dance in over ten years.

This inaugural international dance event will be held in Cardiff, at The Millenium Centre and other venues across the city between 13 - 15 November 2014.

The delegate packages will be available view and purchase this month, and the call for contributor submissions is open until February 19th.

Experts from all fields of dance will come together to discuss and share best practices through a programme of workshops, presentations and performances.

For more information or to sign up to the Community Dance newsletter, visit the website here.

Latin Dance Fusion - on line!

Latin Dance Fusion is a newly launched social media site aimed at connecting people who love Latin dance in all its forms.

If you'd love the chance to attend live shows, blog about Latin dance or simply connect up with like minded others via forums, this is the place for you.

It's free to join and you can share your favourite Latin music, videos and upload pictures. You can also share your own events, classes and parties, and even recommend your top-rated restaurants, clubs and dance venues.

For any and everything about Latin Dance, check out the community here.

A fairy tale beauty, re-awakened: Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty

An age old tale of magic and wonder, retold darkly and sensually - Disney this ain't! Matthew Bourne's Gothic Romance re-imagining of Sleeping Beauty won my heart.

Sumptuous was the word repeatedly popping into my head: sets, costumes and of course, the incredible score by Tchaikovsky, beautifully interpreted. Add to that the divine dancing, with Matthew's trademark capacity to interchange genres: contemporary ballet gave way to flashes of Paso Doble and balletic Argentine Tango in the palace of the bad vamps; devilish costumes in traditional Flamenco red and black intensified the passion and impending aggression. If the trailer doesn't make you wish you'd been there, I don't know what will:
 

Depending on if you believe the official Twitter or the official website, Tom Jackson Greaves or Adam Maskell (my money is on him for last night, at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury - but I was in the Upper Circle, so I could be wrong!), is the most charismatic of baddies as Caradoc, son of Carabosse (also played by him), in this most moving vampire love story since Buffy met Angel.

The decision to show Aurora first as a playful baby by way of animated puppetry was inspired; her transformation into a coquettish 16 year old - a captivating Hannah Vassallo - continued the playfulness; charming to all, innocent yet knowing.

There were audible gasps from the audience when good fairy Count Lilac 'turned' Aurora's young lover - for how else would he survive to awake her with a kiss? Those of us who'd seen the Imagine documentary of course, just nodded sagely. "Be careful, though, with those racquets!"

All ended as it should (after an awakening, subtle, but maybe a little too adult for under 11s) happily ever after, with every aspect of the whole production simply stunning. If you get the chance to see Sleeping Beauty or any of Matthew Bourne's New Adventures there's no decision to be made, just do it.

Follow Matthew on Twitter @New_Adventures and keep up to date on the website. News already there is that Swan Lake returns in the winter!

Snippets: DWTS (Katherine's trouser trouble) Ex-Strictly champs; aspiring theatre stars

Katherine Jenkins and Mark Ballas made it through to the semi final of Dancing With The Stars - despite the best efforts of a wardrobe malfunction!

A beautifully swirly and romantic Viennese Waltz netted them 26 points - I must admit the getting in and out of the floor lift detracted a bit for me too - but it was still a lovely VW with plenty of movement.

They then took on the challenge of a feisty triple cha cha with an interloper - starting in a suit which made way for the normal fringy number, one of the trouser legs wrapped itself around Kath's pin and refused to let go! How she managed to keep on the beat was brilliant and she picked her moment to kick it away perfectly. The judges scored them a  near perfect 29, excellent technique and sassiness, a cool head too.

Tom Chambers received the blessing of Fred Astaire's daughter, Ava, in his West End show Top Hat.

Kara and Artem will be taking part in the Jubilee Family Festival in London.

West End Kids will be running the WEK: Summer Intensive this summer, in London from 31st July -5th August, for young musical theatre performers in the UK, aspiring for professional careers within Musical Theatre, Dance and the performing arts.

The West End Kids reflect individual talent, hard work, training, athleticism, teamwork, dedication and dazzling performance skills to young performers aged 10-21 years.

Register now for Auditions in Manchester on Wednesday 6th June and in London on Thursday 7th June.

For further info call 020 8123 2025 or send an email to: auditions@westendkids.co.uk

Purestar Productions Summer Workshop: Learn to dance like the stars of MTV with a workshop on Saturday, 25th August that will end in a showcase!

Open to all dancers: 7-10 yrs, 11-15 yrs and 16+.

Times: 9.30am to 6pm. Cost for day: £35.

Venue: Barrington Theatre, Ferndown, Dorset.

Features the Purestar Dance Team who have worked with artists such as Kylie Minogue, Madonna, Usher and Justin Timberlake.

For more info send an email to : timnoble@purestarproductions.com or call 07886 969 713.

Dance cards - no, not those sort!

Like I said, not your traditional dance cards, but greetings cards for those addicted dance fans out there!

Ballroom Cards.com via Dancing in the UK, is an exclusive online store for dance greetings cards, celebrating the beauty of dance. And if you order online by 3pm it's same day despatch for all cards in stock! They stock all styles of dance cards, including Latin, Tango and Ballet as well as traditional ballroom.

As an added bonus, they will actually produce cards for artists and photographers, so if you've some great dance images and think they would sell well as a card, get in contact with them and see if you can work something out!

Dirty Dancing Stars Voted Top By LoveFilmers

Dazzling and delighting fans of all ages with their spectacular final routine in Dirty Dancing, Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey have been voted king and queen of the movie dance floor.

To celebrate the launch of dance re-make Footloose on Friday, the couple came out on top in a poll by LOVEFiLM - Europe's largest subscription service streaming movies and TV episodes over the internet and sending DVDs by post - having the time of their lives with 20 per cent of the votes.

John Travolta and Uma Thurman's twisting turn in Pulp Fiction wiggled into second place in the poll with 15 per cent of the vote. We knew that Travolta could dance, but this scene at Jack Rabbit Slims was a welcome reminder of his skills on the floor and Uma made the perfect partner. Splashing into third place is Gene Kelly in the iconic scene from Singin' In The Rain (14 per cent), which includes some steps that will be replicated for years to come.

In fourth place is the infamous stage scene from 2004's Napoleon Dynamite (10 per cent) in which Jon Heder's estranged and nerdy high school youth blew us away with some unconventional shapes from side shuffle to classic jazz hands. Snake-hipped John Travolta strikes again in fifth place (eight per cent), this time hand-jiving up the list with his slick solo routine from Saturday Night Fever.

Following closely in sixth place (seven per cent) is Kevin Bacon with those highly-charged moves from the original Footloose. These steps won the hearts of most teenage girls in the 80s, and Bacon's fight for the right to move his feet is very firmly in the top ten. Taking joint seventh place (both with five per cent) are Mike Myers, with his cat-like cavorting in that unforgettable scene in The Spy Who Shagged Me, and Jennifer Beals, who changed our perception of a bucket of water forever with her heated dance display in Flashdance.

In eighth place (four per cent) are Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan in Step Up, an urban dance classic with a thrilling final scene. The fancy footwork was only helped by the tension between the two leads, and we watched every step wondering whether they would get together. Taking ninth place are the lads from The Full Monty, with a routine that you simply could not forget even if you tried (three per cent). Finally, creeping into tenth place are Michael Cera and Jonah Hill with their Superbad routine (two per cent): a few very retro and awkward steps delivered with the style and humour that only the Superbad boys could manage.

Helen Cowley, Editor of LOVEFiLM, commented: "Whilst it is clear that dance films are quickly becoming a guilty pleasure that we are happy to admit to, it is interesting that the classic Dirty Dancing moves have been revealed as the ultimate favourites. Neither the sheer coolness of Pulp Fiction or the comedic genius of Austin Powers could compete with this film's romance - illustrated perfectly in that famous lift.

"LOVEFiLM's streaming service makes it easy to compare a huge variety of dance moves from thousands of films at the click of a mouse - and perhaps even learn a few. With even more titles available on DVD, the dance action can be brought straight to your front door so that you don't miss a trick."

From Scarborough to Hollywood ...

The early dancing years of Matt Flint! You have to admit, it takes some guts to turn down a role in a West End show, to be at the mercy of the British public in a reality show!

Anyone else riveted by the Secrets of a Pop Song: Ballad on BBC2 on Saturday night? Professional song writer Guy Chambers (Angels and more) teamed up with Rufus Wainwright to write Rufus' love song entry to mainstream pop, World War Three. And from the opening melody I was hooked, the song was beautiful; soaring, anthemic - exactly what you'd expect a top single to be, whether the stripped back acoustic version or the full on 1812 overture crescendo! I wasn't too familiar with Rufus' work, but he has the most amazing pure vocal, it's truly gorgeous.

The other interesting aspect was the different approaches of Guy and fellow hit songmaker, Diane Warren. Guy has very strict rules: Not over 4 minutes and very structured in terms of what you can and can't do. Whereas Diane was very much - do what feels right, make it up as you go along. Which proves the case for all creative writing - there are no wrong or right ways, you just need to find your audience.

Catch the episode on i-Player if you missed it, and tune in next week to see Guy tackle a 'breakthrough' song (think Amy Winehouse and Rehab). Saturday, BBC2 9.45pm, if it's on the same time as before - do check!

Keep your ears open for a new Teena Marie album! Ralph Tee on Jazzfm played a couple of tracks on Sunday's Luxury Soul and they were straight out of Wild and Peaceful/Lady T territory, produced or co-written, I think, with Ronnie Macnair.

Swarovski Elements Dancesport Competition

Swarovski Elements teamed up with USA Dance, Inc. to sponsor and bedazzle ten couples at April’s USA Dance 2011 National DanceSport Championships in Baltimore.

The ten couples, including Valentin Chmerkovskiy & Daria Chesnokova and Patryk Ploszaj & Anna Kaczmarski, were dressed in costumes and accessories made with Swarovski Elements to interpret the latest trends in ballroom fashion.

Swarovski Elements wants to know what their fans think of these amazing costumes and is hosting a voting platform on their Facebook page. Anyone can view the videos and vote for their favourite couple and costume!

Click on this link to find out a little more about each couple and to vote.

Salsa dancers win Barclays Live in Croydon

London may be famed for its thriving street dance scene, but salsa duo dancers Marosh and Kristina have emerged victorious after picking up over 40,000 online votes in the nationwide dance competition.

Ten local acts took to the stage at Barclays Live Croydon on 16 April outside the Whitgift Centre where a large crowd packed the street to see the hottest dance acts in town battle it out for the chance to win £1,000. Five finalists were then selected by the judges, which included Strictly Come Dancing’s Brendan Cole, to go through to an online vote at http://www.barclayslive.co.uk/.

Croydon champions Marosh and Kristina have been dancing together for nearly seven years and are aiming to become UK Salsa Champions. The duo will use the prize money to invest in costumes for themselves and the students they teach.

Speaking after hearing they’d won, Marosh said: “We feel very lucky to have taken part in Barclays Live as it was a great day, so winning feels absolutely unbelievable. Thank you to everybody who voted for us and liked our performance.”

Strictly Come Dancing star and Barclays Live judge Brendan Cole said, “Picking the finalists was incredibly difficult as Croydon is bursting at the seams with dance talent. Marosh and Kristina were really special as they captivated the audience and the judges with their colourful performance.”

The Barclays Live competition celebrates continued investment in Barclays branches across the country and will pull up at a host of regions in 2011. In addition to the events sweeping the nation, Barclays Live has also teamed up with StreetDance 3D star Brooke Milliner to create Your Name in Dance, an interactive dance tool showing a users name in choreographed dance form. Check it out at www.barclayslive.co.uk/interactive.php.

For all the latest news and upcoming events, ‘like’ Barclays Live on Facebook www.facebook.com/BarclaysLive and follow @BarclaysLive on Twitter or visit http://www.barclayslive.co.uk/.

UCA to award honorary degree to Pineapple's Debbie Moore OBE

The University for the Creative Arts (UCA) will present the founder of Pineapple Dance Studios, Debbie Moore OBE, with an honorary Master of Arts at their graduation ceremony on 13 July at Rochester Cathedral.

In 1979 former model Debbie turned the old pineapple warehouse in Covent Garden into a dance studio with the aim of making dance accessible to everyone. Shortly afterwards she launched Pineapple Dancewear in response to the increased demand for fashionable dance clothing.

The company was a huge success, and in 1982 Debbie became the first woman to float her company on the London Stock Exchange.

Pineapple Dance Studios was recently chosen for a fly-on-the-wall documentary for Sky One, attracting high viewing figures and making a star out of flamboyant tutor Louie Spence. It also allowed viewers to have an insight into Debbie’s life and her work at Pineapple.

Professor Elaine Thomas, Vice-Chancellor at the University, said: “This award recognises Debbie’s contribution to the fashion industry. She based her company on her passion and created an internationally recognised brand. She is a true inspiration to our students.”

The University for the Creative Arts has 7,000 students, studying at campuses in Canterbury, Epsom, Farnham, Maidstone and Rochester. This year it will also be offering honorary degrees to menswear designer Ozwald Boateng, graphic designer Vaughan Oliver, animator Darren Walsh, fine artist Paula Rego, art director Jeff Potter and marketing specialist Kate Robertson.

Picture courtesy of UCA. Find out more about Debbie and Pineapple on their website.

Extreme Heavy Metal to Mellow ElectroTango ... in six-ish short-ish, staccato steps!

Let me introduce you to Sean A. McGee, musician. As a composer he has worked for independent film & TV projects and, until a short time ago, was also the long haired 'Extreme Metal' lead guitarist with successful British band, 'Thirteenth Sign'.

Then one Saturday evening a few years ago, he decided to switch on the BBC's 'Strictly Come Dancing' show. It just happened to be the one that featured an Argentine Tango demonstration by Vincent Simone & Flavia Cacace. And Sean was transfixed. Mesmerised. The dancers! The music!So excited was he by the sheer “heart to heart and depth of soul connection” that this Tango could bring, it brought into question his whole involvement and reason for working within the heavy metal scene.

“There was a real honesty and beauty in the music and dance that I didn't have playing heavy metal every week. And as I'd already worked with film I understood how the music and emotion connection worked perfectly well. Dance was a new and exciting world to me and to be completely honest, I wanted 'in'.”

So he quit the band!!!!! And managed to track down a local Argentine Tango class for himself and fiancée Linzi where, from the very first bar, they found themselves hooked!

“Being musical I've obviously found something really exciting in the music we've been dancing to, especially that of the ElectroTango of bands such as Gotan Project, BajaFondo and Tanghetto.We've since continued regular classes and milongas and are now taking IDTA medals.”

Then last February, Sean booked tickets to see his idols, Vincent & Flavia, in a local show at St Ives, Cambridgeshire and was fortunate enough to chat with them afterwards, asking if anyone had ever written bespoke music for them before. He’d had a vague idea of writing fresh new music alongside new choreography for quite a while and wanted to gauge their interest in such an idea.To his pleasure and surprise they loved it but were so tied up with 'Strictly Come Dancing' that they couldn’t do anything at that moment, but advised him to stay in touch – they’d been looking for someone to offer such a service three years earlier without success!

“It was this specific comment and my slightly 'blue' reaction to it that led me to write my very first ElectroTango track! 'Three Years Too Late?' was to be the first of many!”

Sean took the tune to his Argentine Dance class and the reaction from the both instructors and participants, demanding an album, gave him the courage to sell the heavy metal band equipment and invest in the equipment needed to make the best ElectroTango album possible. Four months later, by the summer of 2010, the album was complete.

'NEBULOSA' was born!

“It was whilst finalising all the artwork that I decided I'd like Vincent & Flavia to hear the album, as If it hadn't been for the conversation we'd all had back in the February, this project would not exist. I was hoping they might be able to give me a brief testimonial as to the quality of my work. Several weeks passed and I continued with the artwork. Then, the Thursday before I was to send the album off for pressing I got THE email that has changed my life! Vincent & Flavia absolutely LOVED the album!! In fact, they loved it so much that they wanted to join forces with me and to appear on the cover, sell on their website and market/merchandise the CD in the media as a whole!! MY IDOLS LOVED AND BELIEVED IN ME!!!!!”

After many excited emails flew back and forth, the album was released in September and by Christmas had covered all the production costs, selling well in the UK as well as to the USA & Australia.

An equally proud moment for Sean was Flavia naming the first completed track, 'Pensiero' (Italian for 'thought'). With features in local BBC and independent radio stations, national press and the BBC website, and an open invitation to play the RiverTango festival in London, Sean is now concentrating on writing his second album, with the Tango passion still coursing through his veins!

“I'm looking to find a record company to work with this time and the plan for this year is to complete the new album and put together a line up of top musicians to take the 'UK ElectroTango' on the road.”

Sean A McGee: Dancer. Musician (transformed!) Check out a sample of his music here.

Move It 2011 Showcases New Dance Moves!

The Move It Exhibition comes to Olympia on March 10th to 13th, showcasing the latest fitness dance trends to get you moving to the groove! Among those being featured are:

Indie Ballet: This shock new ballet style is all about the music - classic ballet pirouettes, pique and twirls blended with rocky indie tunes to make a totally unique style of dance, movement and entertainment. Professional dancers and public alike will be merging jaw-dropping splits to music from the likes of Razorlight, The Futureheads, Franz Ferdinand, and Gomez.

Waacking: Originating from the US, the Waacking phenomenon will be sweeping our nation due to its cool new funk style. Inspired by Madonna’s ‘Vogueing’, this underground street dance movement is much faster and packs even more attitude, style and passion.

Heyday Dance: Rewind the clock - 1920’s, 30’s, 40’s, 50’s – the choice is yours. End of war celebrations were the heydays, now this retro dance style is destined to be the top trend for next year. Heavily Influenced by vintage fashion, think old skool dance halls, flappers, tea dances and Fred Astaire, it’s a classic with a twist for 2011.

Iconic 1980s: The Flashdance era is back! Big hair, loud clothes, leg warmers and dramatic movements form the basis of this iconic 80’s dance movement.

Cheerleading: Give me a M, O, V, E I, T !! Cheerleading? Bring It On! With Glee hitting our screens to mass popularity and recent visits from the amazing NFL and NBA dance troupes, American cheering will be infiltrating dance studios across the country.

Creative Director, George Harper commented “The top trends this year really reflect the fact that people want to have fun and inject their workout with a new twist. If it is ballet, add a new soundtrack. Aerobics? Add an 80’s dance twist. Also people love dressing up so the vintage styles like Charleston and Lindy Hop really allow you to work a look while you workout. Cheerleading is my biggest tip – this is already a massive scene in the UK that few people know about. It will be THE craze in 2011 and it’s not just for girls – boys are getting in on the action too!”

Check out MOVE IT to see some of these new dance crazes in action – you can even test out your own skills at their taster session classes. With live performances, dance classes, top exhibitors, freestyle stages, competitions, masterclasses, auditions and interviews there’s something for everyone at this year’s show. Whether it’s ballroom, ballet, hip hop or cha cha – MOVE IT offers you the chance to create your ideal day of dance. Perfect for beginners or professionals, students, fitness enthusiasts or just simply for an awe inspiring day out, MOVE IT is the only show for all things dance!

To purchase tickets, book classes or for more information, visit http://www.moveitdance.co.uk/