Reinvention and Recollection

Greetings all on this blustery gloomy, rainy, June Friday in London! I hope this finds you well and that you had an enjoyable week of dancing in our classes!


We decided to shift gears here and reinvent ourselves in a broader way to allow for more comments, blogs, and interaction. We have developed ourselves from S & J Talk Ballet, to Ballet4Life Talks Dance! We certainly hope you enjoy reading many more new bloggers' thoughts, tips, and anecdotes!

I'd like to start by saying a big thanks to Susan & Julia for their previous blogs. Happy dancing to all!

Now I wish to talk about dance in schools. We were invited again to work with Nonesuch Orchestra https://nonesuchorchestra.wordpress.com/and the Belmont Primary School, W4 https://www.belmontprimaryschool.org.uk/ on a dance and music fusion project for their arts enrichment weeks. We had only one day to work with over 120 children to teach our choreography of four dance pieces, to rehearse, and then to perform the following day with the live orchestra! What an inspirational time we had!

The children were directly inspired, empowered, and gained confidence and ease during the time we worked together. The Ballet4life staff saw growth and change from one day to the next. Teamwork bonds were formed and musical ears grew and the joy of movement was very evident.

When Nonesuch Orchestra presented their clever and catchy musical games and the sharing of sections of the pieces, the children were fully receptive and curious. Live music has such power and grace and lends a great deal of magnitude.

So, it is completely easy to see that having the children dance in a piece made for them, to live music being played on the same stage, that all could only be positive! and it was!

I was reflecting on how many school dance projects I have been involved with over the decades I have been in the Performing Arts World! Oh dear! Quite a lot! Firstly, at my 10 years formative training at The Enid Knapp Botsford School, In Rochester, NY, we did hundreds of “lecture - demonstrations" at all the local primary schools in Rochester, NY. Then at each professional company I was in as a dancer or as a rehearsal director, we did the same, hundreds in Cleveland, Ohio and in NYC, with Michael Mao Dance. Then I had the pleasure here in London to do with my Ballet4Life Team Alina, Beatrice, Chris and Sonia, all of the Stravinsky's Apollon musagète Ballet4life school workshops!

Each time, at each school, there is always at least one gem, one young person who is touched and given a gift, or a spark is ignited, and that is a very wonderful thing to be part of! There is also a harmony that the children sense, and enlivenment, respect, and a deep sense of accomplishment. I am very grateful, as is my team.

I wish you all a very happy dance and art filled weekend. Please do come see Ballet4Life Character Dance dancers perform with Alina Luts, on Saturday 8th June at 3.45pm at Green Days! This is part of the Bedford Park Festival https://www.bedfordparkfestival.org/which raises funds for many important charities.

Best wishes,
Donna- Founder & Director
www.ballet4life.com