T H E DANCERWhat every dancer needs to know The Dangers of Dance Lord of The Do you really know what goes on behind the curtain wings? Dance A review of the popular stage show by Michael Flatley PLUS More of your embarrassing performance stories Has Reality TV got us in the mood for dancing? April 2012 £3.75 Dancing into your Golden Years 2 Welcome toT H E Hello and welcome to the first edi- In this issue we will be exploring the at Cambridge University. We also DANCERtion of The Dancer Magazine. cost of sustaining your favourite hob- examine how dancing can appeal to This magazine aims to bring together by or dance career by asking ‘how everyone, no matter what age you the best types of dancing out there to much does your costume cost’? are. inspire everyone to get their dancing We have an exclusive interview with For all this and much more keep on shoes on. We aim to bring you the up and coming ballroom star Joseph reading The Dancer. I’m sure you best in dance, bit it news, reviews, Roffey to see why dancing has meant will love it. opinions, interviews and features. so much to him while he studies Thérèse Wynn-Davies Contents Regulars 5 3 Dance News What’s going on in the dance scene in the UK that you need to know about? 10 Dance Comment Is dancing on a game like the real thing? And, what has happened to your local dance shop? 14 Real Dancer This week it’s Emma Ewens a Belly dancer from Southampton who tells us about her unusual array of costumes 12 International Dance News 14 Recent dance news from abroad 15 Dance Reviews Find out what’s good and what’s not and dance events that are coming up. 4 Confessions You tell us your embarrassing performance stories. Features 13 How much does your costume cost? We look at four very different dance styles to see how much they cost you. 7 The Dangers of Dance 12 We examine the risks of the dance industry by talking to those that have experienced issues first hand. 5 Feature on a dancer We speak to Joseph Roffey about his new found love with ballroom dancing whilst at University. 11 Dancing into your Golden Years What does dancing mean to the older generations? 9 Dance on TV Has the nation fallen in love with dancing? 3 4 DANCE NEWS You are ‘Free Tattooed Royal Ballet Principle Quits The Show Must Go On! The Ukrainian born dancer was trained at Confessions the State Ballet School in Kiev, before attaining to Dance’ a scholarship with the Royal Ballet School aged 13. In a previous interview he told The Vicky Frayard has just completed a BA (Hons) Guardian: “I would have liked to behave degree in Dance at Roehampton University badly, to play football. I loved sport. But all and is now a Dance Teacher and Choreogra- my family were working for me to succeed. pher at Harlequins Rugby League. But if that My mother had moved to Kiev to be with me No matter how many times you wasn’t enough she is now a project manager Front: Ben, Second, Vicky and the rest of the team. – we lived in one room together. There was for a charity, this is not just any charity- it is a Sergei Polunin (pictured), often described as practise, something can always go no chance of me failing.” Behind the scenes dancing one. 5 organisa- the new Rudolph Nureyev, has shocked the wrong. the English National Ballet has offered him This year ‘Dance Britain’ will be staging the tions who are ballet world by quitting his role at the Royal the chance to train with them to keep up his UK’s first ever continuous dance marathon dedicated Ballet. The 22 year old principle dancer is said fitness. from John O’Groats to Lands End over the to making to have found the prestigious Covent Garden You tell us your cringe-worthy Wayne Eagling, artistic director and a summer. The director of the charity will be a better ballet company too restrictive and wanted, performance accidents that have former dance partner of Margot Fonteyn of dancing the entire journey! Burma: instead, to work as a tattoo artist. He co-owns the ENB has been working to throw Polunin happened while you were on stage. The director, Ben Hammond, a teacher ‘Amnesty a tattoo parlour in north London. However a lifeline. He says: “We don’t have the Royal from London, started this campaign after International’, ‘Burma upon his departure from the Royal Ballet Ballet’s high salaries, but we have a different spending a year teaching in a refugee camp on Campaign UK’, ‘Learn Burma’, ‘Partner’s Re- his work permit for the UK was revoked. A Falling Head over Heels lief and Development’ and ‘Prospect Burma.’ spokesperson for the Royal Ballet confirmed philosophy. My dancers realise I treat them the Thai-Burma border. He could not believe “A beautiful costume had been made for me How can you dance a marathon? Danc- the news: “Having resigned, Sergei no longer not as employees but as equals. I don’t treat all the freedoms some people had but others for my contemporary solo. It was a long, blue ing is officially classified as the rhythmic has the right to work in the UK.” them as a commodity, rather as artists.” didn’t. He says “the more I thought about it, dress made of lycra. My first move of the dance movement of feet to music. As such dancing the more I realised that the feeling of freedom was to step on stage and kick my leg straight a marathon means anything from walking I got from dancing was a great symbol of up near my head. Somehow on the way up I along to the beat all the way up to skipping, the freedom we in the UK have but those in managed to get my toes completely stuck on jumping & freestyling the route. You must be Burma traditionally lack. So one day I set off Paralysed dancer walks again the inside hem of the dress and could not get 18 to take part and sign up for the newslet- around the country to see if Britain was free them out! I hopped about for a bit until the ter online to catch up with all their news and to dance with me in the name of freedom for dress came loose from my foot but everyone activities. 19-year-old Jack Widdowson thanked the Burma” Since then he has started this charity had already seen. Mortified.” It is interesting how all this dancing can University Hospital of Wales after he was and has already broken the world record for Rebecca, 21, dance student, Essex. saved from paralysis after an attack in Cardiff the longest continuous dance. He kept on help the country Burma. People in Burma that left him with a potentially paralysing dancing for a staggering 136 hours! to date haven’t always enjoyed the freedoms spinal cord injury. All tied up ‘Dance Britain’ is affiliated with the others have. Using dance as a symbol of these Widdowson, one of the youngest member “My dance group and I had a really incredible successful charity ‘Free to Dance’ in which freedoms, Ben is trying to raise awareness of of the Bern:Ballet company in Switzerland, dance where we used some really long ribbons dancers across the UK work tirelessly to raise the situation there, engage young people in was visiting his brother in Cardiff when he that matched our outfits and looked incred- awareness and funds for situations in Burma. its story, and raise vital funds the first signs of was attacked. ible on stage. I was doing really well with mine The charity also has some celebrity supporters hope and change are starting to show in the He thanked Paul Davies, the surgeon who when somehow I stood on it. As I tried to click such as Ricky Gervais (pictured) and some of country. saved his life, and said nurses at the specialist the ribbon over my head, I ended up chucking the Strictly Come Dancing professional per- To see some great dancing and to see how ward were fantastic. younger brother. He is now undergoing regu- the stick the ribbon was attached to. formers. The funds and donations that they you can get involved, check out the website at: Jack is now back on his feet just months lar physiotherapy and hydrotherapy in order If that wasn’t enough, my immediate receive during this marathon will go towards www.dancebritain.com after being told he might not walk again and to get “back on track”, and eventually hopes to reaction was to swear loudly. Everyone For more is living back at home with his parents and take up dancing once more. heard, but at least it put smiles on faces hilarious howlers go to of the rest of my dance group!” www.dancemag.co.uk Phoebe, 18, college student, Brighton. Dancing at the Too much on show “I had a very tight costume for a competition Gentlemen in tutus? and didn’t really think through what under- 2012 Olympics ing a playful, entertaining view of traditional, wear I should be wearing, so I settled for some tottered on stage. I blame the adrenaline and dance had been going well and we were nearly and this was my downfall. As the dance began classical ballet in parody form.” skin-coloured knickers thinking that not much nerves for not letting me notice that I had a finished I noticed this buzzing around my I was in a spotlight- the straps broke and I was It is a once in a lifetime a first audition where we were They have continued to this date to give an could go wrong.