UCLAN Dance Students Tour Schools And Colleges

Mar, 1 2016

~They have tapped to every beat, pirouetted like a swan, used their ‘jazz hands’ at any given opportunity and street danced in true Justin Timberlake style. Now UCLAN dance students are in their final year and about to take everything they have learnt over the past few years into another academic practice.

In collaboration with professional dance artist Carl Harrison, dance students at Preston’s top University are hitting the road ( in a local sense ) with their dance showcase ‘ MichaelMichaelMarthaMartha’.

The well intentioned dance focuses on the spectrum of gender stereotypes and will hopefully inspire a new generation of dance enthusiasts to take to the stage.

It’s already been performed at Longridge High School in which students were impressed with the dancers technique, rhythm and choreography. Rosie Mullin, one of the final year dance students had the following to say about the joy of connecting with academics and how much she has benefited from working with a highly esteemed dance artist,

 “It’s fantastic to go into local schools to show what we do and how it can be achieved to hopefully really engage the pupils. It’s also been hugely beneficial to work with Carl Harrison because he is so professional and well-connected in the dance industry.

Carl is currently touring with Protein Dance Theatre and has enjoyed working with the students to develop and initiate a unique dance collective. The work explored with Carl has given the students the confidence to perform their innovative piece to the local community be it in schools and colleges.

The UCLAN final year dance students are yet to display their movement to the following five academic institutions:-
1. Hutton Grammar School.
2. Tarleton Academy.
3. Carrhill Secondary School.
4. Darwen Aldridge Community Academy
5. All Hallows Catholic High School.

Dance Course leader Lucy Nicholson expresses the positive impact this scheme has on the lives of the young people involved,

“It’s great for them to run workshops for the schoolchildren to gain additional practical experience in teaching as well as performing.”

A final performance is to be given in early June at the Media Factory at the Preston campus.