Every day we begin with class, most days taken by Bawren or ballet by Denzil Bailey or another company member; each session always a thorough physical workout to start the day pushing you to your limits. The pace of the classes are quick and dynamic and I am learning a lot by observing the company’s level of commitment and strength when approaching Bawrens work. After class we would go straight in to rehearsal as there is much to learn for the apprentices in the ‘Double Take’ piece which is great! As well as class and rehearsal, for the past three weeks Bawren has also set aside a short period of time each day to develop the apprentice dancers. This has already been an extremely beneficial introduction, as the additional personal feedback has helped me to develop and focus on my individual dance quality as well as other areas for improvement.
The company ethos is one that is always striving to develop and to go even further and I have enjoyed being a part of this. The work is physically demanding but the atmosphere in the studio is always enthusiastic and supportive from start to finish, creating an extremely encouraging environment. In addition, the management and artistic team are also very helpful and friendly and it really feels like a small family unit working together to achieve the same artistic goals and I feel welcomed as part of the team!
After three weeks the company travelled to Derby to begin the tour. Soon after arriving we were warming up for the tech rehearsals which were quick and efficient and having not danced in the full lighting states before there was a lot to take in and to remember for the evening’s performance. The company were very helpful guiding the apprentices through the spacing and lighting cues and we ran each half full out with both sound and lights for the first time. Before performing I was very nervous but I could feel everyone in the company willing each other to do well and there was a great energy back stage which made me feel confident.
Petros and I also went back to Derby to teach a workshop to a group of University students. This was a great opportunity to teach what I have learnt with the company so far. We kept the workshop lively and physical and we received a great response from the students particularly when learning the repertoire sections from ‘Double Take’.
My first performance went really well and although there are areas I am aware I need to work on and improve, after a short rehearsal time I’m happy with how things went. The company give off an amazing energy in performance and it was exciting to experience this and to bounce off and I look forward to the rest of the tour and to further my performance along the way!
Ellen Yilma
October 2011
