Hofesh Shechter selects two dancers from Suffolk for first UK youth dance company
Charlotte Arnold, 16 years old, and Georgia Redgrave, aged 17, both from Suffolk, have been selected to join the first UK-wide youth dance company, the U.Dance Ensemble, which will be formed of 19 dancers from all over the UK.
Internationally acclaimed choreographer Hofesh Shechter who is the artistic director of the company, was in charge of selecting the dancers at a national audition which took place in December 2011 at the Royal Opera House. The final company comprises eight dancers from England, four from Wales, two from Northern Ireland and five from Scotland, with all dancers aged between 16 - 21.
When asked about her selection for the U.Dance Ensemble, Charlotte said: 'Being selected was a real surprise, I wasn’t expecting it! I’m really happy – working with Hofesh’s material at the audition felt really good. I’d worked with two of his dancers before at DanceEast Academy but it’s really good to dance with Hofesh himself now. I’m looking forward to getting to know the other dancers and working together. I’m just really excited about the whole thing, it’s so professional, it’s the first big thing I’ve done!'
This company is the first of its kind to bring together young dancers from all UK countries. When asked about the project, Shechter said: 'It's great that the project is now underway, it was a fascinating experience to see young dancers from throughout the UK during the audition process. I'm looking forward to getting into the studio for the intense creation period, teaching them as much as I can and in turn I'm sure I will be learning from their vibrant energy and humour, of which I've already had a taste over the last months.'
The Ensemble will meet during three main residential rehearsal periods between January and July 2012. During these residencies the U.Dance Ensemble will be led by Hofesh in the creation of a new dance piece of between 12 and 20 minutes in duration. The piece will form a key highlight of Youth Dance England’s U.Dance 2012 festival and will be performed at the event at Southbank Centre in London, as part of a varied programme of exceptional youth dance work from across the UK.
The U.Dance Ensemble is a joint initiative, managed by Youth Dance England in partnership with YDance (Scottish Youth Dance), National Youth Dance Wales, DU Dance (based in Northern Ireland) and Southbank Centre.
Following the premiere on 13 July in the Queen Elizabeth Hall, the Ensemble will also perform their piece on Sunday 15 July in the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall. Subsequent tour dates are being planned in August for performances in Scotland and Wales.
The U.Dance Ensemble is a partnership between:
