Calling young dancers

Posted on January 4, 2012

The Point, Eastleigh is holding auditions for young dancers to join its Centre for Advanced Training (CAT) Satellite Centre scheme. Candidates should be aged between 10 and 14 years old.

Auditions will be held at The Point in Eastleigh on Saturday, February 11 between 11am and 1pm and between 2pm and 4pm. Visit www.thepointeastleigh.co.uk to download an application form. Forms must be completed and returned by Friday, February 3.

Kim Johnson, The Point’s Dance Development manager, said: “We are looking for around 15 candidates, who will be assessed on their training potential and enthusiasm for dance. I would encourage any young person with an interest in dance, regardless of whether they have had any previous dance training, to apply for the scheme.”

Successful candidates will join a course of contemporary and creative dance classes and workshops at The Point, with the opportunity to attend extra sessions at The Place in London. As part of the course, candidates will work under the direction Lîla Dance, a Chichester-based contemporary dance company that is an associate of The Point. Lîla Dance will work with the young dancers to create a new dance piece, to be performed at The Place in July as part of a summer showcase of emerging talent.

The Point is Hampshire’s CAT satellite centre, and one of only a handful of centres across the UK. Each centre provides the young people of its region with professional dance training and opportunities. Thomson said: “The aim of the scheme is to help identify, and assist, young people with exceptional potential to benefit from world-class specialist training as part of a broad and balanced education, which will enable them, if they choose, to proceed towards careers in dance.” CATs are supported by The Place and the Department for Education through the Music and Dance Scheme.

For more information, contact Jilly Hurden on jilly.hurden@eastleigh.gov.uk or 023 8062 7804. For more information about the national CAT scheme, see http://www.theplace.org.uk/2543/about/cat-satellite-centres.html.

Picture: young dancers of the CAT scheme. Photograph: Pari Naderi.

Zoe Anderson

Zoë was born in Edinburgh, and saw her first dance performances at the Festival there. She is the dance critic of The Independent, and has also written for The Independent on Sunday, The Scotsman and Dancing Times. In 2002, she received her doctorate from the University of York for a thesis on “Nationhood and epic romance: Ariosto, Sidney, Spenser”. She is the author of The Royal Ballet: 75 Years and The Ballet Lover’s Companion.