Theatre Faculties Worthing Congress 2005

This years Theatre Faculties Congress was held on the 29th and 30th of October in Worthing, West Sussex. As always, the attendees spent an enjoyable two days watching and taking part in lectures covering all the Theatre faculty’s genres.

We were pleased to receive a selection of reports, including some from the younger participants who attended - we hope you find them as interesting and informative as we did.

The Theatre Congress at Worthing once again proved what innovative and inspirational work the ISTD has to offer. Saturday was children's day and it started with the eager buzz of nervous anticipation which soon changed to bubbling enthusiasm. Each lecturer tapped into this atmosphere and worked their magic within each genre to create some interesting and challenging work.

Cathy Stevens's Jazz class got the day off to a roaring start because of her rapport with the students and vibrant manner which was very infectious. Carol Vasko from the Classical Greek Dance faculty used the topical theme of bonfire night to fire up the childrens' imagination whilst the Senior Ballet class was taken by Gillian Hurst. Her complex enchainements were complimented by Roz Jenning's sympathetic and exquisite playing.

Everyone in the room was transfixed by the South Asian lecturer, Pushkala Gopal; aided by her excellent demonstrator, we all learnt about the important role the eyes play in respect of different emotions in this dance style.

After lunch, Tracey Lee raised the floor with her delivery of a fast Senior Tap routine explained with ease and clarity. By way of contrast Thedi Joannou's Junior Ballet class was taught with grace and style. She developed a port de bras into an enchainement effortlessly whilst reminding the children of the 4 Ts of Ballet!

National work is so important for teaching the children to interact with a partner, and simultaneously perform intricate patterns. This was clearly illustrated in Heather Rees' class. Sarah-Jane Bullock taught the Senior Jazz class which re-iterated the importance of quality and dynamics - something that as teachers we sometimes do not give enough time to as we frantically push the syllabus home!

The day culminated in an amazing finale! Jacqui Tapsell's combination of simple steps and good use of rhythmic patterns resulted in a fun, funky, fantastic routine, enjoyed by all.

At the end of what was an exhausting day, one child was overheard to ask what was next? The disappointment on her face when her mother explained they were going home said it all. The day was exceedingly good value for money and thanks to the expertise of the lecturers, participants, parents and teachers all gained in some way.

Having had the luxury of the extra hour on Sunday, we were keen to see what pearls of wisdom we could glean from the teachers and students day, we were not to be disappointed. Sarah Wilson's wobble warm up woke us up, preparing our bodies in such an ingenious way that we relished the clear instructions and short amalgamations suitable for Grades 5 and 6 Modern. Vanessa Palmer was delightful to watch and gave a passionate lecture on the Summer Fairy variation from Cinderella. Once again we were helped to understand the artistry and feeling that she wanted us to portray, thanks to Roz Jenning's beautiful accompaniment. The last lecture before lunch was a treat. We learnt a piece that had been choreographed specifically to mark Sue Passmore's retirement as Executive Artistic Director of Bird College by 2 ex-Bird students. Emma Rogers and Simon Adkins worked well together and showed what talent we can look forward to in the future.

Nicola Gaines brought to life historical dance, setting a stately pace in the afternoon. Her depth of knowledge enthralled the class, despite realising that at the end of such an interesting lecture we had only achieved 2 steps!

Finally Sarah Combes, the ISTD Head of Education & Training, was there to explain how, despite some people feeling anxious and concerned over the changes connected with APL, the benefits that some people stand to gain in the future will prove to be worthwhile.

Our weekend spent at Worthing Congress not only provided extremely useful gems for our classes that we would be returning to after the half-term break but it revived our love of dance which enables us to face the next few weeks with renewed enthusiasm and zest! Thanks also to the committee for the ingenious idea of lucky ‘golden tickets’; this also added a nice twist to the proceedings!

Jane Del Toro, Jean Wise & Cheryl Mehew

What a wonderful experience it was for those who attended Worthing Congress recently. There was something for everyone. The insight and knowledge gained by participants and teachers from such an event is immeasurable and the experience for students to participate in some nine classes, covering several disciplines, is invaluable. It cannot fail to further broaden their knowledge and outlook of dance.

Saturday was dedicated to the children and students and what a great day they had. Cathy Stevens commenced with the Junior Jazz class and they performed their Jazz routine, sporting imaginary 'boots' delightfully.

The children were then able to take part in Classical Greek and South Asian Dance, with illuminating and enlightening classes from Carol Vasko and Pushkala Gopal respectively. Doubtless the children will soon be adding these disciplines to their existing ones.

Gillian Hurst gave an enthralling Senior Ballet Class. The students worked hard to absorb it. My heart warmed to the ‘littler folk’ who, despite not fully grasping the enchainement, were determined to ‘present’ it nevertheless.

Tracey Lee resumed the afternoon session with the Senior Tap Class. There were probably some who regretted having eaten so much lunch, such was the pace and energy of this. Sheer enjoyment prevailed here.

Following on (with, as yet no sign of fatigue from the children) came the Junior Ballet Class given by Thedi Joannou and what a joy this class was and how delicately Thedi Joannou touched on their theoretical knowledge. The class was the piano by the talented ‘Ros’. Thank you ‘Ros’.

‘Come Join the Dance’ said Heather Rees and the floor again taken by these enthusiastic youngsters. Miss Rees had them going hither and thither like a swarm of agitated bees, but what fun they were having, as they weaved and bobbed through their National dance steps and sequences and WHERE does Miss Rees find her energy?

Next came the Senior Jazz class taken by Sarah-Jane Bullock One began to wonder just how much energy the children had left. Plenty, as was demonstrated by the students who performed with great vitality throughout this dynamic class.

The final session of the day was the Junior Tap class given by Jacqui Tapsell. Would the children now begin to flag? Not at all. Back they came for another inspirational class, with choreography bordering on the ‘cheeky’ and danced for us with a sense of mischief, endorsing Jacqui Tapsell's opening statement that ‘we are going to have fun this afternoon’ and boy did they! What a brilliant end to a brilliant day.

The resounding applause that followed not only this final class but the closing announcement was indicative of how successful the day had been. The children were wonderful, a credit to their teachers and parents and must have gone home feeling totally spent but, …WHAT A FEELING as the song goes.

SUNDAY - Student Teacher and Teacher Day

Sarah Wilson commenced the Free Work for Grades 5 and 6 with her 'oscillating’ warm-up - not to be missed! The Teachers who took to the floor demonstrated that they too had just as much energy and zap as the children and performed the step combinations with great vigour and style.

Vanessa Palmer thrilled us with her Ballet class. The class was completely immersed in ‘embracing’ all that Miss Palmer conveyed - though an hour was barely long enough. Congratulations to the teachers and students who performed the selected repertoire piece from Ashton's 'Cinderella' and which was so beautifully accompanied by Ros on the piano (She follows the dancers almost to the last flicker of an eyelash doesn't she?)

The teachers hardly time to draw breath (and were they going to need it) before the Tap class given by Emma Rogers and Simon Adkins. The inspirational class with lightning footwork and superb choreography had everyone's feet tapping and was surely designed to lift one out of one’s seat. I had trouble staying in mine! The teachers were having a ball out there, but it was survival of the fittest - not to mention the youngest.

Next Nicola Gaines' lecture 'A Bouree for the Ballet and a Contretemps for the Class’- a new take on old steps" had us tripping the light fantastic, with a few ‘unscheduled contretemps' It was an informative and fascinating class and we have an ‘gained’ (if you'll pardon the pun) a greater insight into the "powdered wig and ball gown" brigade as a result.

The last lecture of the day was given by Sarah Combes on A-Z of Education and Training. What a complex subject it is but clarity was hopefully achieved. Thanks must go to Sarah for her efforts with this mammoth project and for allowing us to remain seated throughout!

Finally, one could not close w ithout expressing heartfelt thanks to all who organised this exceptional event. How proud the parents were to see their talent offspring perform and how proud the teachers were of their students - deservedly so. Moreover, how lucky we are to have such a dedicated committee with inspirational examiners to guide us and provide these special occasions.

I, for one, feel privileged to be a tiny part of this very talented family - the ISTD. What a kaleidoscope of memories the children will retain for life.

PS If you missed it, put it in your diary for next year.

Elaine R Hallett

Among some of the younger participants was Anna Boulain, aged 13, who gives us her account of taking part in the classes on the Saturday, and also some informative background on the origins of the different dance genres covered in the lectures.

Junior Jazz Class
Cathy Stevens

Drawing mainly from African rhythms, Jazz came to play during WWI. It played a huge role in the folk culture of North America. Jazz was strongly influenced by the popularity of swing music. These dances were blended together over time and came to form a style of dance known as 'Stage Dancing' , which is now referred to as 'Jazz Ballet’ or ‘Modern Jazz'. It has more recently filtered into the areas of Hip-Hop and Break Dancing.

For this class we were taught 2 dances in which we blended together. We did a dance to 'These Boots' by Jessica Simpson. In this dance we had to pretend that we owned a pair of lovely boots that we were to show off to the people. We then took a bit of that dance to put as a beginning to the next dance we did. I enjoyed this class as it was fun and well taught.

Classical Greek Open Class
Carol Vasko

Dance was very important to the ancient Greeks. They believed that dance improved both physical and emotional health. Rarely did men and women dance together. Some dances were danced by men and others by women. There were more than 200 ancient Greek dances; comic dances, war like dances, dances for athletes and for religious worship, plus dances for weddings, funerals, and celebrations. Dance was accompanied by music played on lyres, flutes, and a wide variety of percussion instruments such as tambourines, cymbals and castanets.

I had never done Classical Greek before and was quite nervous at doing it but I found it enjoyable and would do it again. First we got into partners and were fireworks cascading off one another then we got into groups and from the corner did a sequence of 4 triple runs two flying leaps and two straight leaps. Then we made a human fire which spread out then we would find our partner and do the partner work. Then we went round the room doing our group sequences. Finally we jumped up in the air to represent a firework then collapsed on the floor. I really enjoyed the class as it was fun. I think the teacher explained the moves very well and they were easy to understand.

South Asian Dance
Taught by Pushkala Gopal

Bharatanatyam is the traditional dance, which evolved over many centuries in the temples of southern India. It highlights the beauty of strong lines leading out from the dancer's body and is embellished with intricately expressive hand gestures. Kathak originated as a story telling art form in northern India. It developed in Hindu temples and later in Mogul courts. It is characterised by fluid body movements, complex patterns of footwork, fast turns and sudden stillness. A precise interaction with traditional music characterises both these classical dance genres. In this class we learnt different meaning of words and how to represent them in dance. I enjoyed this class as we got an introduction to South Asian dance.

Senior Tap
Taught by Tracey Lee

The glossary and tap technique were originally compiled by the founder Zelia Raye for what was then known, in 1932, as the Stage Branch. The work was developed and adapted further by Janet Cram and Tom Parry, Marjorie Davies, Gwen Carter and Moyra Gay, whose publications Modern Tap Technique and The Basic Technique of Tap are the standard textbooks. Apart from being an essential skill for the professional dancer, Tap dance is one of the most enjoyable and rhythmic forms of recreational dance. In this class we were taught a dance that was quite hard but I still enjoyed the class.

National
Taught by Heather Rees

The aim of the National Dance Faculty is to bring the joy of European Folk Dance to all age levels. Folk dance develops sense of community and awareness of others. The dancers have the opportunity to study traditional dances, costumes, music and customs. The syllabus is wide in range and choice. It is designed to suit all teaching situations, embracing the National Curriculum, Community Dance, Dance Degrees and Ethnic studies. Folk Dance is important in the present dance scene and all aspects are covered within the National Dance Faculty. I really enjoyed this class, it was so much fun. We did a dance in partners going around the room. We then did sequences of steps in a big circle. Finally we put it all together to make a big dance. It was so funny but Katrina kept stepping on my toe!

Senior Jazz
Sarah-Jane Bullock

In this class we were taught a very good dance and I could actually do it! It was an interesting dance as we mixed different styles of dance to make up one big dance. We used both Modern and Ballet. It was taught well and seemed to be enjoyed by all.

Junior Tap
Taught by Jacqui Tapsell

This was my favourite class. It was the last class of the day and everyone was tired and wanted to go home. However Jacqui brought back all our energy with this fun routine. At the beginning we had attitude crossing our arms, we then bowed like we were saying 'thank you very much' we then started the dance. By the end of the class I could have danced all day long! I really enjoyed myself and am very pleased that I decided to go. I would definitely do it all again!

Anna Boulain - Age 13

The day started with everyone buzzing, even the teachers were excited to see what would taught to all the children. I didn't know what to expect and it was a whole new experience for me, so I went on the dance floor and did my best.

The first class that I did was a Junior Jazz class tought by Cathy Stevens. She taught us a warm up first and then two free Jazz dances. I loved the dance that we did to 'These Boots Are Made For Walking'. Cathy Stephens told us to pretend that we had our favourite shoes on so we could really believe the feel of the song. I imagined that I was wearing my favourite brown yeti boots. My favourite part was the end when we stepped into jazz second, clicked our fingers, crossed our feet over and made a position pointing our fingers at someone.

The next class was the Classical Greek class taught by Carol Vasko. About a couple of years ago Carol Vasko taught Classical Greek at my dancing school ‘Victoria School of Dance’. In the class that she taught at Worthing I had a lot of fun I especially enjoyed the flying skips and the extended skips. With all the steps that we learnt we made a bonfire. At the start of it I was crackling with clicks and claps and the people around me were flames, and slowly we all built up to be flames. After that we danced all around the room as fireworks, spun around like catherine wheels and then exploded and fell to the floor like a big rocket.

I did not do the Senior Ballet class, which was the next class of the day, due to my grade but it looked quite good from were I was sitting and watching.

The next class I did was a South Asian dance class thought by Pushkala Gopal. I enjoyed the experience and found it very different. I also learnt that every move or dance has a meaning like the sea or maybe a biblical story from the Hindu religion.

After that I did a Senior Tap class thought by Tracey Lee. She was very good at teaching us and kept changing the front around, so that everyone who was watching got to see the dance from the front, and all of us got a chance to be near the front. I found some of the steps quite hard but enjoyed the dance lots.

The next class that I did was an Open Ballet class, taught by Thedi Joannou. She was very good with the younger children, and gave advice when we needed it. She made a very nice adage up, which we added our own ending position to. She taught us about the four 'T's of ballet; Teeth, Toes, Tummies and Tails. Which I thought was a good way of remembering those four things.

I really enjoyed the National class with Heather Rees. It was a very lively class and if we made a mistake it didn't matter and we all laughed about it. I thought that it was good to interact with other people. With our partners we made a massive circle around the room, with a basic step to start off with. We did all sorts of different types of dancing, for example some from the USA, some from Czechoslovakia, etc. I had lots of fun in this class moving all around the room, doing different steps.

By the time the Senior Jazz class started I was getting quite tired, but I kept going and had lots of fun in this class. At the start of the class we did a warm up, although lots of us had just done the National class. We learnt a dance, and in the middle of it we learnt a clapping rhythm, that went 1 & 2 3 4 &, using claps on our legs for 1 & and then clapping with out hands for the rest. It was harder to get the steps because I was tired, but I did my best to please Sarah-Jane Bullock, who was teaching this class.

I was dazzled by the Junior Open tap class taught by Jacqui Tapsell, the last class of the day. Everyone was tired after a days work, but in this class it jumped up with a spark when we learnt a dance with attitude. I asked my friend if she would like this dance as her solo, and she thought that would be awesome. At the beginning of this Tap dance, we all sat in the audience with our legs crossed looking at the person next to us as if they were dirt, and then walked into the middle of the floor ready to show attitude at the beginning of the dance. Then we snapped out of it, did a big bow, and walked forward to start our dance. At the end of the dance we did the same bow and finished bent in that position. We got a massive cheer to say that we had worked really hard. At the start of this class I was really worn out, but by the end of it I was full of energy and buzzing again.

Amy Pullen - Age 11

My day at Worthing dance experience was brilliant. I have never been to Worthing before so that was also an experience of a different place. There were lots of different dance classes that were taking place such as Jazz, Tap, Ballet, South Asian and National.

Jazz Class number one
I do not usually do Jazz dancing but I am glad that I decided to take part in it. The teacher was really nice and she taught us a cool dance routine. Because I had never done Jazz before, I was a bit nervous at first but in the end I experienced that it was a fun and enjoyable class.

Jazz class number two
The second Jazz class was really good. The teacher that taught us the dance was really nice. The music that we danced to was a really good song and I really enjoyed it. I wasn’t scared about joining in because I already do Tap dancing so I already had a fair bit of experience. I couldn’t wait to get started.

Jazz Class number three
The next Tap dancing class was the Senior Class. Even though I am only in grade four, I was still determined to get up and have a go. The teacher taught us some really exciting moves. Some of them were quite confusing but I still thought that it was great fun. I was only slightly nervous to begin with but I suddenly learnt that you didn’t need to be experienced to enjoy yourself.

The Greek Class
The Greek dancing class was certainly an experience and a brilliant one at that too. I found it really interesting that I was going to learn a totally different dance that came from the other side of the world. Our teacher that told us the dance was really nice and a good Greek dancer. My favourite part of the lesson was when we had to pretend that we were some flames over a bonfire and then we had to move in all different directions to become all sorts of different fireworks. This was my favourite part of the lesson because we were able to express our feelings in different dance movements.

The South Asian Class
I really enjoyed the Asian dance class because it gave you the chance to learn a different dance from a different culture altogether. It seemed strange at first to be doing all these different dance steps but it was also very interesting because you also learnt what these different dance steps represent. It made me feel a lot more respectful to other cultures.

The National Dance class
The National Dance group was one of my favourite classes all along. Our dance teacher for this class was really nice and she taught us some amazing dance steps. I found it really interesting because we learnt the individual dance steps and then at the end we put them all together and made a fantastic National dance routine. At the end of the day I found the whole day had been an excellent experience and I would like to thank all of the people who have made this possible.

Katrina McNair - Age 12

All photographs by Geoff Wheatley