DANCE FUSION

DANCE FUSION

Havering College at the Queen's Theatre Hornchurch

08.06.15

A stunning showcase for Havering College's performing arts faculty, with dozens of talented students taking over the Hornchurch stage and their friends, families and supporters filling the auditorium.

So much inventive work to enjoy, performed with professional polish by these enthusiastic young people.

Sousa with tutus in Stars and Stripes, a classy hybrid Tuxedo Junction, a sinister, stylish Thriller.

Classical ballet – an impressive Sleeping Beauty with lifts and disciplined corps de ballet. Sophisticated show dancing in the opening number, Burn the Floor, a blink-and-you-miss-it literal interpretation of Movies were Movies, and terrific tap in Cabin Pressure, where Karen Hardy followed hard on the heels of Catch Me If You Can.

Vocal delights, too – Tosca, a confident jazz idiom in Every Time We Say Goodbye, and, a rare treat, Judy Garland's delicious Carnegie Hall, with tutor Simon Gray tongue-in-cheek at the concert grand.

THE ARABIAN NIGHTS

THE ARABIAN NIGHTS

Horizons Performance Company at Brentwood Theatre

28.04.15

Dominic Cooke's stage adaptation of the 1001 nights was an excellent choice for the young performers of Horizons, blending story-telling with acting in role.

All fourteen actors played multiple parts. Especially successful in switching between narration and depiction were Charlie Bailey, as Ali Baba and others, Luke Edmunds as greedy Kaseem, and Liam O'Connell as Sinbad and the beggar boy. Shahrazad, whose bedtime tales save countless lives, was played by Songul Gilgil, with Kavneet Padam as her attentive sister. But this was very much an ensemble show, with everyone playing a crucial part in the six stories and the big set pieces.

Julia Stallard's production, though its pace was sometimes sluggish, was full of ingenious creativity. The horsemen and the umbrellas turning to gold inside the Sesame cave, the great auk, the beautiful island, the dogs and the wedding arches. Some impressive puppetry, notably for Sinbad, and lovely ombres chinoises. And there was a magical moment near the end, when snatches of stories past travelled through the mist to the ear of the king [Joe Nutter].

Good to see Brentwood Theatre packed to support these young performing arts students, and watch them acquiring key language and movement skills in such an entertaining context.

A DANCE DOUBLE BILL

A DANCE DOUBLE BILL

Havering College at Brentwood Theatre

11.03.2014

Havering College, with an established reputation for Dance and Drama, showcased two student pieces for a Brentwood audience.

First, Distraction Leads To Destruction, staged by the Horizons Group. A kaleidoscope of styles here, starting in Africa, and moving through a crowded tube train [nicely observed] to the women's movement, cyber-bullying and office wage-slaves. An impressive duo danced to “Ain't Nobody”, and a trio of red dresses performed to “Save You Tonight”. Other inspirational tracks included Mr Zip's “Where Me Phone” and Bill Withers' “Lonely Town”.

Behind Closed Doors, from the Interaction Performance Company, was a witty whodunnit set in the Diamond Hotel. The victim is diva Anna Star [Anna Dunk] - “when she's inoxicated she's actually very good”. Lots of lively character work: the feisty receptionist [Vicky Dordoy], the chambermaid [Della Smith]. Ryan Claydon was the token bloke – a very famous footballer. He made a good stab at a rather clichéd confessional monologue. A cleverly devised showcase for the varied talents of this A-level group.

LIGHT UP THE STAGE

LIGHT UP THE STAGE

Horizons and Interactions Dance Companies at the Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch

24.06.13

An amazingly impressive showcase of song and [mostly] dance from these talented, confident young performers.

Two dozen numbers, constantly surprising and delighting the vociferously appreciative audience at the Queen's.

The ensemble burst onto the stage, in sparkly scarlet and black, for Swing City, a jazzy, jivey display of boundless energy, choreographed by Sandra Broxton. Elaine O'Connor was responsible for the classical Can You/Will You Stay, danced by two couples, a lovely piece to Ella's Black Coffee, with a beautifully judged ending, and an outstanding solo for Aston Joshua to end the first half.

Jess O'Shea's The Pride Boys was a potent blend of Street Dance and Lion King, while Sarah Woodroof's Speak Easy began with traditional charleston tap routines before developing into something much darker and edgier. The same choreographer's K.O. was an incredibly inventive, highly original take on tap – two American boxers in the ring, spurred on by their armies of fans. Still can't quite believe how good this was … Joshua in one corner, Lee Howard in the other. There was Romantic ballet [Emeralds] Chorus Line [One] and Martha Graham [Arc of Light] and to finish, a stage full of painted faces for the Celebration finale.

Vocally, we heard an accomplished beat-box chorale – Mash-Up – and several confident soloists.

Havering College must be very proud of its students – this spectacular show was a superb example of work which managed to be both disciplined and spontaneous: two hours of pure pleasure.

photograph from the 2012 show