On 25 and 26 May, we were delighted to mark our first on-stage artist development workshops since our reopening! We welcomed two groups from Colours of Dance and Bedazzle Arts for inspiring dance sessions led by BalletBoyz.
Like The Arts Theatre Cambridge, BalletBoyz is passionate about creating opportunities for everyone, not only to experience live performance but to engage directly with professional artists. We were incredibly grateful to Rehearsal Director Hannah Rudd for leading these creative workshops alongside dancers Dan Baines, Dylan Jones, Joshua Attwood, and Paris Fitzpatrick who joined in every moment of the spinning, stretching, and beautiful shape-making.
Each workshop began with a gentle warm-up, helping everyone to settle into the space and prepare their bodies for movement. For some participants, simply stepping onto the stage for the first time was an exciting moment in itself. One younger member of Colours of Dance looked out into the auditorium with a big smile on his face and said, “Wow! The red seats!”
After the warmup the groups were encouraged to learn some choreography inspired by Xie Xin’s Ripple (one of the eight pieces performed in BalletBoyz current tour). Everyone embraced the challenge enthusiastically, as Hannah carefully broke down each movement, ensuring everyone could follow along at their own pace. With no prior rehearsal or knowledge of this routine, a beautiful fluid performance came to life.
Dancing makes me feel like I’m a part of a community. Like I can experiment with movement in a way that I would otherwise never get to do.
The workshops ended with an exploration of costumes and a Q&A. This moment gave everyone the opportunity to think about life as a professional dancer, with one member of the Colours of Dance group saying, “My costume is my true love!” The Q&A with Bedazzle Arts reflected on creative careers, as members of the BalletBoyz company shared inspiring personal stories about their journeys into dance and how they got to where they are today.
A huge thank you to the BalletBoyz team, as well as Colours of Dance and Bedazzle Arts, for their fantastic participation and talent!
