HYDC (Hampshire Youth Dance Company)

Location: The Point, Eastleigh, Hampshire

Dance Style/s: Contemporary

Age Group: 14-21 years

Company Size: 20

Practice Regime: 30 x weekly rehearsals, and 2 x 4-day intensive choreographic commissions with professional choreographers in October and February half-terms, plus performances at approximately 8-10 youth dance platform events across the region.

Entry Requirements: Acceptance through auditions held every July.

Experience and/or Qualifications Offered: 1 year’s place as a company member. This year HYDC are also looking for young people who are able to commit to the company for 2 years to include a summer project in 2009. HYDC is one of the leading county youth dance companies and the Resident Youth Dance Company for The Point.

Dance History:

Performance History 2008,

Hampshire Schools Dance Festival – Wed 6th February,

Cutting Through, Youth Dance England – Sat 23rd February,

Bedales Dance Platform, Hampshire – Sun 2nd March,

Dance for Life , Red Cross Event – Sat 26th April

Jonathon Lunn Reading Rooms Project, at The Point in Eastleigh – Fri 27th and Sat 28th June

Performers:

Alex Rangecroft

My interest in dance began during my intensive gymnastics training where I gained physical training and the experience of competing in many countries. My dance training began with Ballet classes, leading to an interest in contemporary. I now have a BTEC and A-level in dance and will be continuing my training at Northern School of Contemporary Dance.

Sarah Childs

I began my dance training at the age of 4 taking Ballet, Tap, modern, Jazz and contemporary. In the last year I have had many exciting performance opportunities, I was selected to dance with the English youth Ballet Company and have performed at various platforms across the south with Hampshire youth Dance Company.

Jenny Howells

I joined HYDC in 2006 and have enjoyed participating in the commissions. Alongside HYDC I also dance with Feet First Dance Company. And experienced a range of styles including Irish, tap, Ballet and Ballroom. I have a GCSE and an A-level in dance and now take advanced classes in Ballet, contemporary, modern and jazz. I shall be continuing my training at The University of Chichester.

Laura Jane Simpson

My dance training began when I was 6 training at Sandra’s Dance Studio and Yasmin Taylor’s academy of Ballet, Tap and Modern. I joined HYDC in 2006 and have enjoyed learning contemporary dance. I recently performed with English Youth Ballet Company and have successfully auditioned for Laines, Birds and London Studios.

Ben Pomeroy

I am proud to say that I have been in HYDC for 3 years and am the longest running member of the company! I also receive training at The Place on the C A T scheme and, after successfully auditioning at Laines, Birds and Arts Ed, have decided to attend Bird’s College of Dance, Music and Theatre Performance in September 2008.

Melissa Brunsdon

I have been in HYDC for 1 year and have enjoyed the experience of working with professional choreographers and gaining performance experience. I also have been learning Ballet, Modern and Jazz since I was 3 years old. I am currently studying GCSE dance at school.

Brittany Du-Crow

I have danced from the age of 2 taking Ballet and Tap classes. Since then I have also been learning Modern and contemporary dance technique and have studied dance at GCSE and AS-level at school. I still take Ballet, modern and contemporary classes, and have been in HYDC for 2 years now and have really loved it!

Lucie Howells

I have danced since I was 4 years old and have achieved a grade 7 in Ballet, Gold in Jazz and intermediate in Modern. I have a GCSE in Dance and am currently studying A-level dance. I have been in HYDC for 2 years and was awarded a scholarship at The Point Theatre in Eastleigh; this scheme helps me to gain as much dance experience as possible supporting my aspirations for a future in dance.

Chloe Lloyd

I have been a member of HYDC for the last 2 years; this has run alongside my A2 level dance course at college. I would now like to develop my interest in circus moving into Circus and contemporary performance training with the hope of future training at University and eventually a career in the performing arts world.

Rebecca Elkin

I have been dancing since I was 3 and have been in HYDC for the last 2 years, I was also a Checchetti associate for Classical Ballet in London for 4 years and won Ballets competitions held in the south. I have studied GCSE dance and presently take modern and contemporary classes.

Rachel Brown

From a young age I have been interested in dance and, since studying at Thordon Secondary School where I was inspired by the dance teachers, have participated in as many dance experiences as I could including taking my GCSE in dance where I achieved full marks. I have been dancing with HYDC for a year and have loved having the chance to challenge and extend my skills.

Vicky Paynter

I began dancing at a young age and enjoy a range of different dance styles. I attend weekly classes studying classical ballet, modern, jazz, tap, hip-hop and contemporary dance. Being a member of HYDC has given me the opportunity to perform at different venues and take part in workshops that have developed my dance technique both as a solo dancer and as part of a group.

Ben Apsey

I have danced since the age of 7 at the Jane Mackinnon School of Dance in Southampton, attending classes in Tap, Modern and Ballet. I have enjoyed being part of Hampshire Youth Dance Company this year and all the new experiences it has delivered. I hope you enjoy the show.

Sophie Holt

I started dancing at age 9 at my local dance school, On Your Toes, based in Basingstoke. I fell in love with dance and at 14 I decided to audition for HYDC. It has been so rewarding and i love it! I have made the best of friends through dance and it has really helped my confidence. I enjoy anything to do with performance! I really enjoy musical performance as well as dance and drama. HYDC has opened up some great oppurtunitys for me including Youth Dance England. I really hope to take dance on as a career!

Kelly Maskell

I joined HYDC this year and have been enjoying the performance opportunities offered by the company. I am also a member of Feet First dance company and attend a stage school where I experience a variety of dance and performance styles. I have participated in several dance festivals and school musicals as well as dancing in GCSE dance choreographies.

Luke Jackson

I began my dance training 11 years ago developing my Ballet, Jazz and tap technique. Aswell as being a member of HYDC I have also been dancing with Fuzzy Logic for 4 years. I have achieved top grades in GCSE, AS, A2 and BTEC dance. Recently I successfully auditioned for Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance, and The Place; I plan to continue my training at one of these schools in September.

Can you tell us a bit about the philosophy behind your final performance for the NYDF, its style and music?

Our work really varies according to the choreographer that we work with to make each piece of repertoire. Sometimes these have had Asian, or African influences, but always mixed with a strong contemporary technique.
The piece emerged through improvised explorations around the behaviour, atmosphere and relationships of communities awaiting disaster. We wanted the performers to engage with the emotive drive of the work and also use this to inspire their choreogaphic input and the their performance of it.

The beginning of the music creates intrigue, complimenting the tension and suspense generated through the group's stillness and focus. As the dance grows in energy and physicality the music also progresses toward a dynamic surge.

How does your dance group come up with ideas and choreography?

Sometimes the choreographer will set us creative tasks based on an image, a memory or a piece of text, and other times we work very abstractly. Carrie Whitaker, our rehearsal director works hard at helping us to develop our own unique style of movement.

What do you believe are the strengths of your dance group that lead to you being selected out of the 122 dance companies that auditioned?

HYDC has a strong commitment to technique and creativity. The membership of the group remains the same for a full year, allowing them time to grow as a company and enabling to develop their own individual style.

How can young people who are interested in dance go about getting involved in a dance group such as your own?

If people are interested in knowing more about the company they can come and watch them at one of their performances, or they can ask to come and observe the company during a rehearsal. More information about when the company are performing can be found out be calling the Hampshire Dance office on 0238 0652712. Young people who are over 13 years of age on the 1st September and are interested in joining should call the office to request an application form, or download one from the website. www.hampshiredance.org.uk

What do you look for in a dancer hoping to join your dance company?

We are looking for energy, enthusiasm and a willingness to learn. All the members must be committed to the company for a year. People interested in joining the company must first send in an Application Form. Selected candidates are then invited to audition.

How does your dance company support young dancers who would like to go on and make a living out of dance?

The company members are given a good grounding in all aspects of becoming a dancer including developing a strong dance technique, nurturing their performance skills and working with different choreographers and teachers. They also have the opportunity to develop their own creative and choreographic skills, and are also invited to become members of the Youth Committee which helps to guide the company and is intended to enable the young people to have a say in the way the company is run.

HYDC have worked with a range of exciting choreographers during the past 11 years including Keira Martin, Adele Thompson, Detta Howe, Aletta Collins, Colin Poole and Vidya Thiruranayan.

What future projects do you have on the agenda following your performance at the Peacock theatre?

In the week following NYDF the majority of the company members will be re-auditioning for HYDC. Some of the older members will be leaving to start vocational training at centres like Laban and London Contemporary Dance School.

Would you like to recommend any other dance groups that you think are worth checking out?

Check out NoCo, Hampshire Dance’s Youth Hip Hop Company.

How can DanceGround Readers find out more about HYDC?

By logging onto the Hampshire Dance website www.hampshiredance.org.uk and following the links for ‘Youth Dance’.