Realising Dance Dreams

A whirlwind guide to Summertime

(The following text is reproduced from the Summertime performance programme)

Following on from the success of projects such as the Madam Butterfly Fashion Show and the Tosca New Writing Initiative, Royal Albert Hall Education was keen to develop a project to complement English National Ballet’s performance of Strictly Gershwin.

18 months ago we approached the Department of Learning at English National Ballet and the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing to create a project that would bring dance into the heart of the curriculum.

Photograph by Sheila Burnett

With the wealth of knowledge and experience that the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing has to offer on the whole spectrum of dance genres, and the international reputation of a dance company such as English National Ballet, our three organisations designed a project that would offer schools the opportunity of working alongside a professional Dance Artist.

12 secondary schools were approached from across the London boroughs. Some of the schools had a specialist dance teacher in place, others did not. 10 of the schools are maintained by the local authority and two of the schools are academies. We have an all boys school participating in the project as well as an all girls school. For many of the students English is not their first language and many of those that you will see perform tonight have never danced their specific genre before this project. Also, a large number of the schools represented here are located in areas of high deprivation.

Teachers were invited to a day of workshops held at either the Royal Albert Hall or the studios of English National Ballet. School teachers (not all dance trained) worked alongside their Dance Artist and members of English National Ballet. The response from schools was fantastic – teachers were excited, overwhelmed (and nervous) about their students performing at the Royal Albert Hall and especially dancing the finale, Rhapsody in Blue, to a live orchestra.

Gershwin music was sourced and rearranged specifically for each genre and a reduced version of Rhapsody in Blue was arranged and re-orchestrated by Gavin Sutherland. Jenna Lee, who is a First Artist at English National Ballet, choreographed the finale to be taught to Dance Artists who then taught it to their schools. A Dance Buddy, who is a member of the Strictly Gershwin cast, was assigned to each school and encouraged them throughout the rehearsal process. All Summertime performers will watch their Dance Buddy in action when they attend a performance of Strictly Gershwin later this week.

Photograph by Sheila Burnett

On my visits to all 12 schools, it has been wonderful to see the support and enthusiasm offered to dance groups by other departments in schools: textile departments have made costumes and art departments have created props. The commitment of students who have attended rehearsals after school, on Saturdays and even during school holidays has been magnificent. Teachers, with hectic timetables as it is, have risen to the enormous challenges that come with staging a show at an international venue with an audience capacity of over 5000. All have been incredible in their dedication to Summertime.

What you see tonight is the end result of a very long production process in which students, teachers and Dance Artists have worked hard and at times been disappointed or frustrated, but also determined and constantly enthused by the task ahead. Tonight is their night and hopefully it will be one that they will remember for a long time to come.

Debra Cougill
Education Projects Co-ordinator, Royal Albert Hall

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