JANUARYÂ 2019
TARIK FRIMPONG HOW HE LANDED DEBUT ROLE IN FEATURE FILM 'MARY POPPINS RETURNS'
DANCE WRITER
DANCEWRITER.COM.AU COVER: ANDREW RASEVSKI PHOTOGRAPHY
AMBASSADORS ANNOUNCED
Find Your Fierce First production season 'Taurus' June 7-8 Gasworks Theatre 7:30pm, 2pm, 7:30pm
NOLLY WEEKS INSPIRING FUTURE PROFESSIONAL DANCERS THAT A ‘NO’ MEANS NOTHING By Jessica Poulter
“Growing up, I never thought I was good enough to teach at The Space — that is where professionals teach. This is something I’ve wanted for a very long time,” said Nolly.
31-year-old Nolly Weeks was told that if she had not ‘made it’ as a successful dancer by the time she turned 30, Nolly should quit. Nolly has had a successful career after graduating from full time dance at Spectrum Dance in Melbourne. She went on to land three consecutive contracts with Royal Caribbean cruise lines, danced for Bollywood superstar Salman Khan at a sold-out audience at Rod Laver Arena, and performed in a Pink tribute show along with many more credits. Nolly began dancing at age three in Calisthenics and later ventured into jazz and tap. It was not until she travelled to the United States that she truly fell in love with hip hop and urban styles. When she landed in New York where hip hop originated, she knew she had to pursue this style further and spent three months there working on her craft.
As a physiotherapist, I love exploring the incredible way in which our bodies work. At one point during my full-time dance career, I sustained a stress fracture in my hip, which resulted in many physiotherapy rehabilitation sessions. And I fell totally in love with learning anatomy. The more I understood, the better I became at caring for and respecting my body, especially when injured. Now a dance physiotherapist, I encourage young dancers to learn about their body and how it works. Knowing how to properly use your muscles is essential for all dancers. Each muscle has a specific job; if they are not performing as they are designed to, weakness, overuse and injury can occur. For example, if the big calf muscles that control the ankle and the smaller intrinsic muscles of the foot that control the arch are not working effectively, the deep calf muscles may become overloaded as they try to do not only their job but the roles of the weaker muscles as well. This may result in shin or calf pain, clicking around the ankle, restricted pointe range and possible injury.
Including simple anatomy (muscles, bones, joints, ligaments) and biomechanics (how the body moves) in dance classes empowers students to better understand their bodies. During dance training, I was often given the cue to ‘feel’ my hamstring during grand battement devant. I never felt engaged with this muscle and could not work out how my hamstring could lift my leg to the front. But, once I learned about the muscles involved, I understood that it is not biomechanically possible for the hamstring to lift the leg devant. In reality, the hamstring extends the hip derriere and flexes (bends) the knee—neither of which, are part of a grand battement devant. What my teacher was trying to tell me was not to grip with my quads and hip flexors. By learning how muscles and joints work, teachers can use technique cues appropriate for the movement of the muscles involved. This is helpful to many dancers, especially those who are anatomically inclined. Knowing how the body works empowers both teachers and students to develop a strong understanding of technique, injury prevention and rehabilitation.
ON TOUR WITH 360 ALL STARS By Ruth Letch
UP CLOSE WITH 360 ALLSTARS URBAN CIRCUS
Stage lights dim and a video screens flickers to life. Images of an old-school style computer game appear before the curious, expectant audience. Drum beats roll through the theatre as international beatbox star Beau Monga loops his iconic rhythm and two energetic break dancers flip onto the stage. Amidst the whistles, claps and cheers, a toddler swamped by his oversized 360 ALLSTARS t-shirt, bounces on the knee of his pregnant mum, proudly calling ‘That’s my daddy.’ Breakdance artist Bboy (Peter) Sette is one of the seven stars cast in this vibrant show. Featuring a BMX Flatlander, Basketball Freestyler, Roue Cyr artist, Sette’s partner-in-crime, Bboy Leerok, and a Beatboxer / Loop musician as MC, these international masters have come together to perform in this entertaining ‘urban street circus’. A long-time dream of Creative Director and Percussionist, Gene Peterson, the show has toured Australia and internationally for the past six years, wowing audiences and inspiring a new generation of performers to do what they love.