Skip to main content

Miss Kate Simmons, Principal and Director of KS Dance has stayed personally in close contact and communicated regularly with the families of our dance students throughout lockdown. Keeping them informed of the colleges plans and safety measures being put into place for whence we can all safely return to the studios.

We have thoroughly enjoyed welcoming some new members to our student cohort during this time and they have all settled in incredibly fast and well. Whether it be on a part time basis or Full time, they have showed up with beaming smiles and it has been a great pleasure to have them join us and watch them settle in and begin their training with us.

Amongst all of the online dance classes in Classical Ballet, Pointework, Contemporary, Jazz Styles: Cabaret, Technical Jazz and Jazz Funk, Tap Dance, DDE Teaching Qualifications, Commercial, Spanish Dance, Strength and Conditioning and Yoga.

The students have been continuing on with their additional curriculum activities which include:

Choreography

Our Dancers got amazingly creative indoors and outdoors during lockdown, with their own exploration of movement, thinking about their environment, costuming, music, make up, filming and editing to choreograph such wonderful new works. These fantastic choreographies caught the attention of Dane Hurst, Multi-Award winning Director | Choreographer | Dancer & Actor with Rambert Dance Company, Phoenix Dance Theatre, Yorke Dance Project and Choreographer and Founder of the Moving  Assembly Project, to name only a small part of his bio.

Some of our students choreographies were then included in the #BeyondBorders – Moving Assembly Project Film. Our Dancers are showcased along with other dancers from all over the globe. A truly amazing film to watch.

Please follow the link  https://youtu.be/xvOYNrpoRXw  to watch and also enjoy some of our students choreographies below.

Casting Workshops and Audition Technique,

KS Dance have welcomed Becky Barrett Management to the college this year. Becky Barrett has worked extensively within the performing industry for almost 20 years. Her clients continue to work in all avenues, from the West End to International Tours, Feature Films, TV & Commercials. Our dancers have received workshops directly from Becky, discussing Audition Techniques, Tips and Tricks and Agency Representation advice. 

Two of our current 3rd Years have secured agency representation Lian Draycott with BB Management and Ella Matthews with YOU Management.

Congratulations ladies, this is fantastic news.

Tutorials and Support

Our Dancers have had year group weekly Tutorials with their Principal, Miss Kate Simmons. The students of KS Dance have always had easy access to speak and approach their Principal whilst in the college, so this is something that has been continued during lockdown. Students have been able to receive the support and information to keep them feeling included, feeling positive, understood and listened to during this very difficult and unprecedented time.

Lectures have also continued to support the dancers educationally in their Level 6 Qualification in Professional Dance and also their DDE Level Teaching Qualifications.

Mental Health Support Sessions,

KS Dance understand that more and more young adults are suffering with anxiety and depression. To support and aid our dancers Mental Health. For those that wish to the students can have private one to one counselling sessions with our Sports Phycologist, Patrick Walro. Patrick’s experience spans a variety of Sports and Settings. In collaboration with Liverpool John Moore’s University Sport Psychology department, our aim is to educate our Dancers in Mental Health Literacy and Performance Psychology

Patrick has created a curriculum, alongside our Head of Health and Wellbeing (Rupert Wiltshire), supporting the Dancers Mental Health, where lectures will be delivered surrounding: Lockdown, Reflective Practise, Goal Setting, Identity, Injury and a variety of other topics.

Chloe Howarth

Strength and Conditioning

Dancers are as athletic as any Elite Sportsperson when training is being provided full time. Our Strength and Conditioning team have delivered regular strength and support programmes adapted to suit the dancers whilst they have been cooped up at home. Dancing at home can bring many hazards and niggle type injuries so our coaches have watched classes carefully and conversed with our students daily to ensure that our dancers remain up on their legs as much as possible.

Guest Artists.

All year groups have thoroughly enjoyed being taught by Special Guest Artists during this ‘Virtual Term’

Dame Darcey Bussell Ex Principal Dancer of Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet, The Royal Ballet Company and Judge on ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ to name but a few highlights of her long career. Darcey hosted a Q&A last month (July) with our students, they were able to ask and receive so much information about dance training, getting into the industry and its transitions, working on certain ballets, dancing with different Choreographers, and Directors and so much more. Thank you Dame Darcey Bussell!

Simon Horrill has been teaching Ballet classes via Zoom, Simon is a regular Guest Artist at our college;  Ex Professional Dancer with The Royal Ballet where Simon was privileged to work with Ninette de Valois, Sir Frederick Ashton and Sir Kenneth MacMillan, plus Scottish Ballet, London City Ballet and starred in the West End Production of Cats the Musical.

Romany Pajdak has taught ballet and pointework classes to our dancers during this time. Romany is a Soloist of The Royal Ballet. She trained at The Royal Ballet School and graduated into the Company in 2004, promoted to First Artist in 2008, and Soloist in 2019

Corrynne Barron hosted a Q&A this month (June) with our dancers. Corryne has danced with Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas, Classically with Friedrichstadtt Palast, Berlin Germany and also with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, worldwide. As you can imagine our students had plenty of question to ask especially with Corryne being one of our Alumni and Graduate of KS Dance.

Boys Dance Too Opportunities and Successes

Yos Clarke, 2nd Year student of KS Dance from the Ivory Coast joined a 4 day online workshop with James Vu Han Pham studying Counter Technique. James Vu Han Pham is a dancer with Akram Khan Dance Company, Royal Ballet of Flanders, Göteborgs Operans Danskompani, Bayerische Staatsoper and Theater Basel. A memorable and valuable experience for Yos.

And Finally, Patrick Gill, 3rd Year and now Graduate of KS Dance was able to begin his Classical Career with Varna Ballet Company in Bulgaria. Patrick was supposed to begin in April with the company however, we are delighted and proud to announce that he has now been reunited with best bud Elliot Adams, dancer of Varna Ballet, who was also in his 3rd year of training and due to graduate this Summer with KS Dance. We wish the two guys the very best success and happiness in their 1st professional contracts. Congratulations!!

To apply for KS Dance and reap the many opportunities that KS Dance brings to its dancers year on year and experience the invaluable training provided by its wonderful resident teachers and connections to the Dance Industry, GET IN TOUCH!

Telephone; 01925 837 693

Email; admin@ksd-online.co.uk

For further information of Funding, Dada Scheme, Course and Qualifications, Destinations please visit

ksd-online.co.uk

Stay safe and well everyone, we shall dance with you soon.