- Apr 23, 2021

Dance Student Update - Ex pupil round up!

We recently caught up with our ex -pupils currently studying dance within tertiary education. Edinburgh, London, Hamburg, Barcelona - from all over the UK and beyond they have a been a busy bunch and working hard despite the challenges of recent times. Have a look below to find out what they've been up to!

Kim Francey

Kim is currently working with choreographers Jamal Callader and Humanhood to create works for her final show at the Institute of the Arts Barcelona on the BA (Hons) Dance programme.

LEFT: 'Koxa' choreographed by Julia Ehrstrand, performed in December 2020.

Photographer: Tania Palomeque.

Rosie Mackley

Rosie is currently studying an MA in Dance Producing and Management with London Studio Centre, although still with aspirations to perform professionally too. Rosie has gained skills in several new aspects of dance through this course such as: audience engagement, online marketing, outreach work, budgeting and finance, fundraising and events management. She is hoping to use these skills to produce some of her own choreographic work. At the moment Rosie is doing her industry placement at Northern Ballet learning about improving equality, diversity and inclusion within all aspects of dance as well as safeguarding and policy writing - all important stuff that often goes unnoticed until it is really needed.

Emma Read

Emma is currently studying for her HND at The Scottish School of Contemporary Dance (The Space). She has recently finished a collaboration project with videographer and multi media producer Graham Read/PhotoGFX, together they created the work “Liberato de Expression”. Being a member of the National Youth Dance Company of Scotland, they are currently working on a new piece with choreographer Anna Kenrick, to either be a “zoom performance” or an outdoor site responsive piece. As a company they are also looking forward to working with Botis Seva during the summer, and have enjoyed guest choreographer weekends and also the National Youth Dance Wales exchange where the two companies have come together regularly to participate in workshops.

Katie McDougall

Katie is currently in her first year studying Dance at MGA Academy of Performing Arts in Edinburgh. Recently she has been taking part in four musicals as part of a filmed outdoor project named ' Beyond Broadway': Little Shop of Horrors (as one of the soloists), Hairspray, Beauty and the Beast, and The Greatest Showman.

Sian Blackhall

Currently in her first year of a three year course in Dance and Performing Arts at Morea Performing Arts College Sian is working toward her DDE Modern teaching qualification. She is also learning choreography for the end of year performance.

Alfie McPherson

Alfie is currently in his first of two years of post graduate training at the Hamburg Ballet School, studying Classical Ballet. He recently worked with choreographer Kristian Lever who is an ex member of the Bundes Jugend Ballet (National Youth Ballet of Hamburg). He created a 20 minute piece for the upper school in which Alfie was cast in multiple parts. Unfortunately, due to COVID restrictions the production of this has been cancelled but they plan to continue to develop the piece into something even bigger and better next year.