Special Edition Dance Newsletter – 2011

Year 10 GCSE – BalletLORENT Experience:

The year 10 GCSE Dance group watched the professional dance company BalletLORENT perform their new piece Blood, Sweat and Tears at The Point on Thursday 10th February. BalletLORENT’s current work, ‘Blood Sweat and

Tears’, addresses the emotional and physical issues involved in the birth of a child. What happens when a baby comes into a family and ideas of love and nurture mixed with sacrifice and frustration are confronted head-on?

“BalletLORENT is known for its cross-generational choreography and this love of working across a wide variety of ages has always been integral their work. The company is passionate about dance and understands the benefits and rewards in supporting and sustaining dance throughout the education system.” Our pupils’ were motivated by the performance and each took their own interpretation of the piece, beginning to understand how movement and

choreography can be used to portray different intentions. The GCSE group participated in a workshop lead by two of the company’s main artists, the following day at Toynbee. This was a fantastic experience, which challenged all abilities and taught some very complicated techniques and contact motifs, which each pair performed at the end of the session.

GCSE DANCE

Year 11 pupils’ are currently working hard to complete all of their practical coursework for their GCSE Dance exam. They are rehearsing two nights a week to complete their own piece of choreography with the help of younger pupils’ in the school who volunteer to give up their time in order to dance for each candidates coursework, even during the half-term, for which I would like to offer my sincere thanks and appreciation. Some pieces of pupils’ coursework can be seen as a taster for the GCSE Showcase in June, at the new combined Performing Arts Evening on the 17th March 2011. This whole evening is a platform for pupils’ to show their, Music, Drama and Dance coursework and is completely organised by The Pupils’ themselves. Dance will be showcasing, year 11 Set Studies: “Find it” and “Impulse”, their performance piece, based on ‘Perfect” by Motionhouse, two choreographies, two solo compositions and the Year 10 GCSE Dance groups performance piece ”Remember the Holocaust”.

KEY STAGE 4 AWARDS EVENING:

Pupils from year 9 have been preparing a piece of dance for their dance foundation course, which will be performed at Barton Peveril College on Thursday 10th March 2011. The girls group have studied the style of Bob Fosse Dance and will be performing "All that Jazz" from Chicago, alongside the Boys who have used their Foundation Dance, based upon rush hour and will be supported by the Boys Dance Project.

BOYS DANCE AND FUZZY LOGIC

More pupils are now performing with Fuzzy Logic and Fuzzy Vision as a number of year 9 pupils were invited to join the company this year. All our ex year 11pupils (Jake Ellis, Alex Evens, Will Hodson, Miles Hodge) are still performing with Fuzzy Logic recently touring their new piece in London and performing at Laban. Oli Gratton , another former pupil is in charge of Fuzzy Vision, teaching our younger pupils’ and new members: Elliot Montgomery, Ed Gratton, Sam Anghelidges, Adam Freeland, Carl Cook, Harry White, Duane Campbell, Ashley Munn, and Dan Page. Both companies will be performing their new pieces, at Headstart on Saturday 5th March at The Point, tickets are on sale now.

An explosive evening of male dance.

The Point’s annual showcase of young male

dance performers returns with groups of all

ages from the local area and across the south

east in an exhilarating programme of new and

adventurous dance pieces also featuring a

live DJ.

The Point is also excited to be working closely with Point associates

FuzzyLogic Dance Company and in its eighth year of HeadStart is pleased to

expand its work with over 150 male dancers in the region’s longest running

boys only dance platform.

Toynbee also has approximately 20 boys from all years, who will be performing a piece from the Boys Dance Project at Headstart on Saturday. This piece showcases some of the contemporary work that pupils have been learning in the new year 9 foundation course this year, as well as other styles form after school, such as street and break-dance taught after school, by a year 10 pupil: Jay Harrison, as part of his Dance Leaders Award.

CONSPIRACY DANCE COMPANY This exciting new company is proving a huge success with over 40 members, regularly attending high quality dance sessions every Thursday evening and learning new techniques, as well as routines. Pupils’ attending the dance classes are from Toynbee school, ex leavers and students from other educational establishments. This term has seen the introduction of some members, who have been selected to join the Hip Hop and / or Contemporary Company, which rehearse for an additional hour each week to prepare pieces of dance perform in the community. The fist preview of both these performances can be seen at The Performing Arts Evening on Thursday 17th March 2011 at Toynbee School.

ROCK CHALLENGE UPDATE – THUNDERBIRDS ARE

NEARLY GO!! Rock Challenge is fast approaching!!!! – Tuesday 26th April 2011!!!! Over 100 pupils’ from years 8-11 have been rehearsing every Friday since September and the dance is coming on well, it is nearly finished, although does need a lot more practice to ensure that it is at the highest standard for the competition. Mr Bartlett has been working hard to find costumes for all the different characters, raising money to fund coaches, costumes, set, make up, etc and Mr French has been working hard with a team of upper school pupils to build the elaborate set this year, but time is running out and we will need to schedule two days rehearsing in the Easter Holidays!!! Mrs Thompson and Mr Bartlett