MAY 2018, ISSUE 4, VOLUME 1
ART & DANCE MAGAZINE
OUR COMMONWEALTH GAMES GIRLS INTERVIEWS WITH GOLD MEDALLIST ALEX EADE, GOLD AND SILVER MEDALLIST GEORGIA SHEEHAN AND BRONZE MEDALLIST ALEX KIROI
MARKETING TIPS FROM BESSIE KAY DANCE IMMERSIVE DOWN UNDER FOUNDER BESSIE KAY REVEALS HOW DANCERS CAN GET EXPOSURE IN AMERICA
ANTARCTICA: THE FIRST DANCE FILMMAKER AND CHOREOGRAPHER COREY BAKER BRINGS BALLET DANCER MADELEINE GRAHAM TO ANTARCTICA
DW: You successfully auditioned to be the dancer featured in Corey Baker’s film, “Antarctica: The First Dance”. Congratulations! How was this project commissioned? MG: Thank you! Corey contacted Antarctica New Zealand a few years ago about this unique project and they were intrigued and excited to be a part of the first dance film down on the continent. Being a Kiwi himself, he came to the Royal New Zealand Ballet looking for a dancer to take with him. DW: You both came to smash four world records: first dancer, first choreographer, first dance performance and first dance creation on Antartica. How does that feel knowing you are the first dancer in the WORLD to do this? MG: The trip was an experience of a lifetime! To see and experience such beauty was incredibly inspiring and really gave me a real purpose behind my work. Just to be there was more than I’d ever dreamed, so to be able to do what I love and share that experience with people is wonderful. DW: What were the living conditions like in Antarctica? MG: I stayed at the New Zealand base while down in Antarctica. We had to go through some survival training while we were there as most of our days were spent out on location. This involved camping out and building snow igloos. Luckily for us, it was summer so it was the warmest time of year. Though, I wouldn’t describe it as ever being warm, especially while dancing outside in minimal layers. The base was at full capacity which was around 80 people. It was great to share meals with everyone staying there and hear about the different projects going on.
DW: What was your journey like to get to Antarctica? How long did it take and did you fly there? MG: We boarded the U.S Air Force C17 which departed from Christchurch and flew us straight onto the ice in Antarctica. Flight time was 5 hours. DW: What was the experience like working with Corey Baker?
CHILLING FIRST DANCE FILM IN ANTARCTICA SMASHES WORLD RECORDS Corey Baker is an award winning New Zealand choreographer who has created the first dance film in Antarctica with Royal New Zealand Ballet principal Madeleine Graham.Dance Writer chats to dancer of the film Madeleine about her experience.
MG: He was great to work with and we had a lot of fun. It's always nice to have a choreographer create something on you because they work with your movement quality and capabilities and adjust things to suit your strengths. Majority of the choreography I learned down in Antarctica as there were so many factors to take into account. He wanted the choreography to be inspired by our surroundings, it was very ‘in the moment’. Each day would be different and would often present with new obstacles from being in a completely different environment.
DW: How did you overcome the obstacle of dancing on a slippery surface? MG: The conditions were far from ideal for a professional ballet dancer. I was in runners, layers of thermals on slippery surfaces trying to make it look easy and effortless. It definitely was a challenge to perform some of the technical skills in those conditions, but I think overall we were able to adapt to our locations. Corey wanted it to be a real as possible for the audience, so I had to slide down the mountains, abseil down crevasses and climb on ropes to get the shots to showcase the beautiful continent. DW: The film was released on Earth Day! What are viewers expecting from watching this film? MG: Corey is known for bringing dance outside of theatres and making it accessible to a wider audience. This project was about trying to bring awareness to climate change in a different way. We were inspired by the location and let that take charge to be the driving force behind the film.
Go to www.dancewriter.com.au to watch the film!
OUR COMMONWEALTH GAMES GIRLS GOLD COAST 2018
AUSTRALIA’S DIVER GEORGIA SHEEHAN DEFIES MOTHER NATURE TO WIN GOLD AND SILVER AT COMMONWEALTH GAMES SYNCHRONISED DIVING GOLD MEDALLIST DUO GEORGIA SHEEHAN AND ESTHER QIN
Australian Commonwealth Games gold and silver medallist Georgia Sheehan reveals how she and her diving partner Esther Qin defied strong winds to claim gold in the synchronised 3m springboard event and a silver in the individual 1m springboard event. Georgia Sheehan, almost 19years-old, has walked away from the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games with gold and silver medals around her neck. The Brisbane diver has been training for this moment since she was 10-years-old. Like any sport in the Commonwealth Games and Olympics, it is never easy to come home with a medal said Georgia. “It is a very technical and slow sport. It takes time and patience to get it right. It is about having the ability to keep an open mind and absorb all the information. Being prepared to land on my back or belly and then be expected to keep going— it is both a really mentally and physically challenging sport,” told Georgia. Overcoming the strong winds in the outdoor diving arena caused much upset to other diving duos, including the second Australian diving pair who both registered a ‘no dive’ in their last attempt. Georgia admitted she undertook specific training in the venue to help deal with strong winds and rain.
“THE MEDALS ARE VERY HEAVY AND SHINY, AND ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!” “It is an outdoor venue so it is an uncontrolled environment, so we had a training camp prior to Commonwealth Games, so we were really prepared as a team. We were ready for anything—wind or rain.” Despite the glorious win, Georgia admits the gold was very unexpected for them and for the team.
“It was a very unexpected win for us, and we were in a lot of shock. You get rushed into a medal ceremony and then media so it didn’t really sink in until after the it all happened.” Synchronised diving has similar roots in dance. Georgia took ballet lessons to gain control and balance while being on the springboard. “It is such a good tool for me to learn core balance and control. I’m sure we will continue to do ballet lessons as part of our training regime.” Georgia’s excitement has not vanished from that monumental moment in April. Performing what she has trained for in front of a home crowd is a memory Georgia will keep forever. She admits to looking inside her medal box every so often just to reflect on that moment. “The medals are very heavy and shiny, and absolutely gorgeous!” “To perform in front of a home crowd with my family and closest friends in the stand was amazing. To have everyone there was really special,” she said. The diver is training for the upcoming Olympics as well as World Cups and Championships. With plenty more years in the tank, Georgia will not be holding back to achieve her golden goals.
CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL DANCE DAY WITH THE GREATEST SHOWMAN DANCE TUTORIAL By celebrating International Dance Day on April 29th alongside The Greatest Showman DVD & Blu-ray™ release on May 2nd, Prince Constantine aka ‘The Tattooed Man’ played by Shannon Holtzapffel offers a step-by-step tutorial of the choreography seen in the film. Dutch-born Australian performing artist Shannon Holtzapffel represented by Jeep Management leads a two-minute dance tutorial to help you strike your greatest pose. Filmed in Sydney, this tutorial is bridging the communication lines between the Australian dancers making it big time in the United States and Australian dancers back home. Shannon is charging the dance arena by bringing fans of all ages the real and exclusive choreography from The Greatest Showman.
“Learn all the moves and if you make a mistake, don’t worry, in the words of the famous P.T. Barnum, the show must go on,” said Shannon. After working on choreography for The Greatest Showman musical numbers, Shannon was confirmed for the role of Prince Constantine ‘The Tattooed Man’. He has danced alongside iconic performers such as Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, JLo and Kylie Minogue.
The box office sensation that has fans singing out loud around the world. Hugh Jackman leads an all-star cast in this bold & original musical filler with infectious show-stopping performances that will bring you to your feet time and time again. This inspirational film also stars Zac Efron, Michelle Williams, Rebecca Ferguson and Zendaya.
Australians are invited to dance along to the DIY tutorial and share their efforts in bringing the spectacle home, tagging both @shannonholtz and @20thcenturyfox_au.
Bring home the award-winning, feel-good movie filled with 2 hours of behind the scenes footage of how your favourite musical came to life. Now you can finally watch at home again and again with the sing-a-long edition and music machine “jukebox” features.
GO TO WWW.DANCEWRITER.COM.AU TO WATCH THE FULL TUTORIAL
Bring home the spectacle on Digital today. Available on Bluray™, and DVD from May 2nd.
SIAN CORRIGAN
THE VALUE OF REST Dancers are seriously hard workers. You know that saying, ‘If you want something done, give it to a busy person?’ I say, if you want something done immaculately, and in no time at all, give it to a dancer. We know discipline from such a young age. Most of us had our first exams at around the age of five! We learn to remember all our ballet exercises, to have our hair and uniform neat, and to practice at home if we want the teacher to like us. This is usually drilled into us all before we even know how to do timetables. Sounds pretty wonderful, right? Well, yes and no, because you should be asking yourself, ‘but at what cost?’ I’m here to tell you unless you know the value of rest, the price you pay can be much higher than you might expect. I’ll be the first to admit that I had to learn the hard way that working hard doesn’t actually get you anywhere, it’s working smart that counts. Throughout your training and professional career you will constantly be conditioned to think, ‘the harder I work, the quicker my dreams will come true.’ To some extent it’s true because a lazy dancer who doesn’t have any drive probably won’t last very long. But at the same time, a dancer who consistently works themselves into the ground, is most definitely going to burn out. If you want a career with longevity, it all starts with learning to be kind to yourself. So how do I start being kinder to yourself? The biggest mistake most dancers make is not listening to their body when it’s telling them they need a break. You know that feeling of being so busy that you’re running from one thing to another but you’re surprisingly not tired? And then the next day when you have less on, you totally crash? Yes, I feel you! That’s because when you finally slow down, you can actually hear your body screaming out to you that it needs a breather. When you're moving too quickly, the adrenaline will drown out any noise your body is making.
So this is where the whole ‘working smart’ thing comes into it, because you have to learn to take breaks before you get to the point of the crash. If I’m being honest, it took me a long time to figure out how to do this. I even tried to beat the system by not stopping ever! (VERY bad idea) It didn’t stop the crash from coming, but it was a full blown explosion when it finally did. I do know that dancers like you and I often find it just plain difficult to rest! Frankly, we’re not used to being told to sit still. Tell me to do sixteen fouettes and I’m your girl, but tell me to watch a movie by myself and I’ll be fidgety. I’ve had to find ways to rest that don’t actually feel like rest, and I want to help you do the same. One of my absolute favourite ways to relax is by reading a book, but I found when I was at my busiest, I struggled to find time to read because I felt like I wasn’t achieving anything.
Of course, now I realise that resting is achieving something, because you are setting yourself up for productivity by not being tired! The only way I was able to read without feeling guilty was to set myself a monthly goal of reading at least one book a month. And being a disciplined dancer, you can bet nothing stops me from reaching that goal…and usually exceeding it. My advice to you is to set a monthly or weekly rest goal. This could be organising to catch up with friends at least once a week, or it could even be watching your favourite show every night…without stretching in front of the tv! Whatever it is that you look forward to, other than dancing, make sure you schedule it in. If you believe the lie that, since you love dance, you don’t need to switch off like other people, then you could be setting yourself up for burn out. Of course, the whole ‘being kind to yourself’ motto, also means that if you don’t stick to your rest goal for a week or two, it’s nothing to worry about and it’s certainly not there to add to your stress of things you need to get done. The aim is for it to be a guideline that makes you aware of how much time you dedicate to yourself, and not just your dreams. As I said earlier, once you slow down it’s much easier to hear whatever it is your body is trying to say to you. The one thing that I tell people over and over again is that, in order to be a happy dancer you have to be a healthy one too. So looking after yourself should really be your number one priority. After all, happy dancers will prove to be the most successful of us all time and time again. Until next time, Happy Dancing! xx
FEEL CONNECTED AND STAY HEALTHY WITH PILIN ANICE AND AFRO FLOW YOGA® By Sandra Kluge Afro Flow Yoga® is not just another wellness trend. Pilin Anice, who has been teaching this unique class since 2011, knows exactly what she is doing as she invites a good 40 New Yorkers to breathe and move to the live drums, vocals, and flute in the sunny studio at Alvin Ailey. Afro Flow Yoga® was developed by Leslie Salmon Jones in 2008. The class marries dances of the African Diaspora with Yoga Vinyasa sequences in a live music setting, creating a truly expansive experience that is both soothing and empowering. Besides being well-versed in African and African Diasporic dances, Pilin Anice is also a certified yoga instructor and nutrition coach. Providing a “job of service, guiding people through these healing movements to tap into their highest self and their joy” is just one of the many things she loves about her job. Dance and yoga were never really separate for her. “Moving your body in a purposeful, intentional way, telling a story, allowing it to be a vehicle of expression,” is transcendental. And if you look closer, there are traces of yoga in Africa: hieroglyphics in Egypt picture people in what looks like yoga poses, such as “Cobra, sphinx… and even though it wasn’t called yoga, it’s still the same kind of understanding [that] moving the body in a certain way opens up energy channels, to create space, opening, awareness to the divine,” Pilin explains. Being an artist in New York City and a mother of two, self-care is incredibly important to Pilin. Her recommendation is to have “some sort of a practice to keep yourself grounded.” She herself wakes up every morning at 5am, no matter what, to do Ayurvedic routines such as tongue scraping, oil pulling, or a gentle Abhyanga massage. Then she sits down for meditation and some movement, to set her intentions, or to journal, “whatever comes up.” It may sound like a lot, but “you can start small, it can be 20 minutes, and that will make a difference in the way the day flows,” she says.
She also carries a veil of rose water with her at all times and sprays it whenever she feels a moment of stress as a simple version when she doesn’t have time for a meditation. “And, of course nourishing the body to have a sustained amount of energy” is a key element in leading a balanced life as well, says the certified nutrition coach. In order to stay healthy and happy, Pilin wants young dancers to reconsider what they think about competition. She does not believe in competition because she shifted her “perspective to one that you have a unique path, a unique journey ahead of you and no-one can take that away from you. So there is no competition, what’s yours is yours.” She advises that while being “very clear about what you want, and just keep doing the work and showing up,” it is equally important to “nourish yourself and take care of yourself so that you don’t go crazy because it can be.” In addition to cultivating a self-care practice, she finds it crucial to “surround yourself with people that support you” and have conversations that are uplifting rather than complaining, comparing or generating destructive energy in any way. This does not only serve you in your own wellbeing but also creates a community of respect and empathy rather than envy or competitiveness. In addition, Pilin emphasizes to stay open and receptive, because your specific purpose may look a little different from what you expected. Fittingly, non-attachment is one of the eight limbs of yoga. “Just have fun! Enjoy it!” If at any point what you are doing does not bring you joy, it is perfectly fine to “take a step back.”
Especially in NYC, the mindset of hustling and grinding is this strange idea that the tighter your grip, the more successful and worthy you are. However, the best things that happened to Pilin in her life and career came in those moments where she “didn’t stress out and hustle, hustle, hustle.” It was in those moments where she “let go fully, not holding on so tightly, releasing, surrendering to the process,” that the magic happened. All these practices of self-inquiry such as meditation, yoga, or journaling are a tool that helps dancers to not listen to their inner critic so much. “As dancers, you are putting yourself out there, always being judged, so you have to be comfortable with who you are inside so that the external does not affect you.” One thing that teaching Afro Flow Yoga® has taught Pilin is “that we are all here to connect to each other.” In this day and age, it can be so easy to feel removed from the people around us, when on the subway and in the streets everyone is glued to their phones, making calls, rushing from one obligation to the next, completely absorbed within their own thought world. It feels reassuring to look up in Pilin’s class, and, while in a heart opener, to catch someone’s eye and simply share the love instead of quickly looking away in shame or stress. “Human beings connecting is so powerful.” By acknowledging each other with respect and openness, we realize that we are more alike than we are different.
ASH KIVEN: FINDING YOUR ARTISTRY By Jessica Poulter
“When dancers just do steps, it’s too perfect. I want dancers to show who they are as individuals, to get a little dirty. It’s about taking risks to find out who you are.” – Mia Michaels. Mia Michaels is an international icon in the dance industry renowned for promoting individuality and selfdiscovery via movement. Most dancers dream of meeting her, but for Aussie’s Ashleigh Kiven it was her reality. After graduating from Patrick Studios Australia (PSA) in both the Dance stream and Musical Theatre stream, Ashleigh Kiven, 27, needed a breath of fresh air. She travelled 16,000km to find her new dose of oxygen—New York City on the upper west side to be exact. With Steps On Broadway dance center at her doorstep and Luigi’s Jazz Centre around the corner, Ashleigh found solace in observing the dancers walk in and out of these buildings—as if she was back in her element at PSA. Ashleigh joined them by glissading into Luigi Jazz Centre with as much jazzhand spirit as you can possibly imagine. Ashleigh was taking classes and auditioning around the clock. On her journey, she had the honour of assisting the legendary Emmy award-winning Mia Michaels, best known from the television hit series So You Think You Can Dance. Mia not only showed Ashleigh how to be a great dancer but guided her to find her own artistry as a performer.