Lots of positive news and updates to share on the Milton Keynes dance front:
First up, a quick reminder that I’ll be teaching the Open University Group dance class for the next few weeks to sandwich Easter (8th, 15th, 29th April and 6th May). The OU group runs every Tuesday from 6-7.30 and is open to anybody – you don’t need to be a student at the OU. You are welcome to drop in to odd classes (which is what I do when I’m not teaching!) or you can commit to a 4/ 5 week block at a time with a different dance artist taking the reins. One of the standout elements of the class is that it is open to adults of all levels and abilities from beginners with an interest in dance right up to professionals – the atmosphere is very supportive and friendly. So if your attention is piqued, please do come down a join us in the Hub Theatre tomorrow night.
Onto the next, this weekend saw the first entire cast rehearsals take place for Rosemary Lee’s ‘Under the Vaulted Sky’ so it’s starting to get very real. It was a chance for everyone to see the scale of how many people are involved and to visit the Cathedral of Trees for the first time. Weekly rehearsals will start proper from May splitting down into smaller groups to create and begin learning journeys through the piece before the entire cast reconvenes to slot back together. I’m going to be working with the youngest members of our cast aged 9-11 years so am sure I’ll be kept on my toes! Watch this space and make sure you’ve got 18th-20th July down as performance dates in your diary.
Talking of dates, if you had previously pencilled MÓTUS in for the 28th/29th June, it is now time to ink it in permanently since all of the funding has been raised. Keep your eyes out in the next few weeks for programme announcements – workshops, masterclasses and performances aplenty!
If you’re aged 13-21 in the area, a chance to perform in MÓTUS has already been announced – local professional Chris Bradley is holding auditions for Initiate Youth Dance Company who will debut with a performance at the festival. The audition is fast approaching (26th April) so be sure to request an application form soon by emailing initiateydc@gmail.com
All in all, lots of exciting developments in the Milton Keynes dance bubble!