May 2015 Newsletter

Dear all,
Hoping that our May newsletter finds you well and enjoying these warmer and longer days.

 
What have we been up to?

We have hit the ground running since my return from my professional development USA trip earlier this year. 

• 'Entwined' was created for Verve '15 and is currently being performed nationally and internationally. It will be performed at The Place and The Linbury Theatre in June. Click here to see a trailer for 'Entwined', beautifully edited by MFMFilms
  
  “'Entwined' is an elegant and eclectic mix of vocabulary where nothing is predicable, where nothing is conventional and every step appears to have weight and meaning”
  Dance Europe
  
  “[Kerry's work] acts as a showcase for the outstanding talents of... students”
  Dance Europe
   
• My artistic directorship position at National Youth Dance Wales is gaining momentum. After working with over one hundred young dancers at audition, I have now created a 14-strong company and can't wait to start devising and creating the work which will tour Wales and culminate with a performance at Sadler's Wells in early September
   
• During March I taught and judged as part of the first International Dance Festival in Malta
   
• Taught company class to Michael Clark and Shobana Jeyasingh companies

• Led mock auditions at London Contemporary Dance School, Northern School of Contemporary Dance and the Royal Ballet School (Upper School and White Lodge)

• Trinity Laban's 'Lewisham Live' project concluded in March with a performance at the Bonnie Bird Theatre. I collaborated with musician Patrick Bailey and the commission 'Navigation with or without numbers' has been invited to be performed again at the Royal Festival Hall in July

• Delivered teachers' development workshops at Take Art, Somerset  

Onwards and big news!

The KND Performance Mentoring Programme symbolises our response to the current UK Dance Training debate and pro-actively aims to support professional dancers. We are thrilled to say that we have received funding from Arts Council England and the Linbury Trust, ensuring that we can deliver the full model of studio-practice and three months of mentoring.
This programme will build from last year's pilot and is shaping up to be a dynamic, vital and inspiring curriculum of work. We will be announcing the high-calibre faculty and course content soon. KND are looking for 15 mid-career dancers who are craving new artistic challenge and possess a curiosity for creative discovery.
The programme was brilliantly presented at the DANCE UK conference in April by Hannes Langolf, who illustrated the need for this work. Click here to watch his presentation.
   
Emili – our Projects Producer – is receiving applications now and will continue to do so until our 26th June closing deadline. At only £200 for the whole four-month programme, don't miss this opportunity to apply - you have five weeks left!

 

Current Activity

I am now preparing for the English National Ballet School 'Choreographic Competition' which will be live-streamed with an audience vote. I will be judging alongside Arlene Philips, CBE and Mark Baldwin on 19th May at 7pm.
I am incredibly proud of the standard of work being shown by the students I have been working with inside this module, and I am impressed by their bravery and passion for choreography, which has increased within the school in recent years. Watch the live stream here.
 
I am excited to be moving into the last stage of mentoring the chosen English National Ballet artists who are creating their own works inspired by the theme of Post War America. 'Choreographics' – English National Ballet's platform for emerging dance makers – will be presented on 19th and 20th June at the Lilian Baylis Studio. Click here for more information. 

This year, 'Choreographics' will be live streamed for the first time, in partnership with ArtStreamingTV. We will be broadcasting live from Sadler’s Wells and you can watch the full programme of performances as well as hear from some of the artists here on Saturday 20th June from 2.15pm.

I am beginning my choreographic commission at London Contemporary Dance School in early June. I am eager to build my cast and start creating their graduation piece with them, which will be performed in early July. I will enjoy not travelling out of the country for five weeks, basing myself in one building and getting attached to another group who are about to spread their wings within the professional sector. Bring on the fun! 
 
 

What next?

I am delighted to have been accepted onto the Guildhall School of Music and Drama coaching programme in conjunction with Linden Learning. I am the first non-musician to participate and hope to gain European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC) accreditation for my work. It will be fantastic to broaden my coaching skill-set and expand my mentoring network.
 
I will be spending two weeks in the autumn at Dance City in Newcastle, working with the BA students, as well as going on two international trips. I will be working with the Ballet National de Marseille company in October, and leading masterclasses for young people and professionals in Milan.

In my capacity as an annual guest lecturer at The Juilliard School, I will return for a residency at the school during Spring 2016. I am currently negotiating other work in New York to extend my visit, in addition to a potential first visit to Phoenix University, Arizona.
 
 

For your interest

Calling all KND Professional Masterclass followers!

We have not forgotten to schedule our annual meeting to share together – our masterclasses have genuinely become a highlight in our KND year and they will go ahead! We hope to programme a series later in the year, so please keep visiting our website and we will give more detail in our next newsletter when all is confirmed. Sit tight!
 
As ever, thank you for your continued KND support as we continue to grow. We sincerely hope to create together again soon.

Warm regards,
Kerry