A Range of my Past Work

Running a dance school over the years has given me a real springboard to be creative.  During show and festival seasons I have been able to create a range of inspired works.  I have used choreographers such as Bob Fosse, Merce Cunningham and Matthew Bourne to inspire my students to grow their love of dance into a real passion for learning what may be required of them out in the performing world.

I enjoy as a genre fantasy and gothic fiction and have created many a story telling work.  I have won at festivals mime to music sections on several consecutive years with this 'type' of creation.  Stories based on fairy tales (Little Red Riding Hood), films (Silent Hill) and musicals (The Phantom of the Opera).

As a choreographer I do feel I lack the creativity to come up with a completely original idea.  I rely heavily on utilising familiar stories and adapting them to create a darker undertone.  One such piece was a 6 minute adaptation of Alice in Wonderland that was created for a performance in the West End in London.  Modern music was used and the final piece incorporated a range of different dance styles.  However, it was not an original idea.

I like the darker aspects of a story as it serves a number of purposes.  Firstly it challenges the students performance skills and allows them to forget about the typical dance school 'show smile' used in exams and recitals.  Secondly, experience has taught me that dramatic wins at festivals and so I set out to do so.  I am professional in my approach and the students are taught that it is the taking part that counts but it is a real boost in self esteem and confidence when they do win.  Lastly, it's interesting for the audience.  I am aware that not all 'dance school parents' are theatre goers.  Having danced all my life I know that many of my family came to watch me under duress.  By creating a dramatic and eye opening routine it enables those that find dancing 'boring' the opportunity to engage in the arts.

A prime example of this was when I took my husband to see his first ballet.  It was an outing for my birthday so he wanted to join us.  To ensure that it was something he would enjoy, I took him to Sadler's Well's to see Matthew Bourne's Edward Scissorhands.  He loved it! I really felt that this was a turning point for him and we have enjoyed many a production since.  I personally find Matthew Bourne's ability to adapt pre existing stories into alternative ballets a real inspiration and base many of my adaptations around his style.

A sample of my work in pictures can be found on my dance schools Facebook page Star Struck Dance Club. https://www.facebook.com/Star-Struck-Dance-Club-263821330328191/?ref=bookmarks

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