Breathe the Beat will be taking over Spiceal Street by Bullring on Saturday 28 April with an exciting day of dance, where you’ll have the chance to watch, take part and even perform! There will be spectacular free dance performances from some of the UK’s leading street dancers, showcases from local talent, community and professional dance companies, and music from hip hop renaissance man DJ Moyma.
Usually found competing in (and winning) dance contests around the globe, Brooke from 2011 Hip Hop International World Champions Plague Dance Crew, will be performing throughout the tour, alongside other special guests. Brooke is one of the stars of the hit movie, StreetDance 3D, and one of the most versatile streetdancers on the planet with skills across all styles of dance.
Watch Brooke, and special guest Marvel, perform a jaw-dropping routine, as they kicked off the Breathe the Beat tour in Worcester recently:
My IDFB favourite: Artifact by Royal Ballet Flanders (25 & 26 April). I’ve never had a chance to see the work of legendary choreographer William Forsythe, so I’m really looking forward to seeing this. I’m particularly interested to see how the elements of sign language and spoken word are integrated into the balletic style of the company.
While you’re in Birmingham, why not… check out the new exhibition at the Birmingham Museum about children’s lives through the ages. On until 10 June 2012.
Abby Corfan, Marketing & Press Manager
My IDFB favourite: Louise Lecavalier (27 & 28 April). I first saw Louise Lecavalier in Glasgow last year, after a long walk in the rain to find the theatre. But, as soon as the show started, I completely forgot about my wet clothes and was transfixed – she really is a mesmerising dancer with a ridiculous amount of energy and strength! I would say it’s the best piece of contemporary dance I’ve ever seen (and in my job I see quite a lot) and I can’t wait to see her again.
While you’re in Birmingham, why not… pop to The Victoria pub for a pre- or post-show drink. Just a 5-minute walk from Birmingham Hippodrome, you’ll find an excellent selection of beers and spirits. You can also try their delicious menu from Soul Food Project – I recommend the True Blood burger if you like spice!
The rest of the team’s recommendations will be published here soon, but you can read them already in the IDFB magazine!
Having worked with Flatpack Festival to pull together the programme for Light Fantastic, our season of films to accompany International Dance Festival Birmingham 2012, I’ve been feeling inspired. There are so many great dance scenes in movies, and I’ve picked my 12 favourite one’s for you here. If there’s a theme here, it’s that I’m a sucker for dance scenes which make me want to dance. Where the dancers are the coolest people in the room. Incidentally, if you’re wondering why 12, it’s because I couldn’t narrow it down to 10!
1. Nicholas Brothers – Stormy Weather
The Nicholas Brothers are two of my all-time dance heroes, and this is one of those great dance routines which just looks effortless and impressive. They’ve been a massive influence on a host of different dancers from other genres, particularly jazz and breaking. Incidentally, over 50 years after this appearance, in 1989, Harold Nicholas was still dropping some pretty impressive moves, as you can see from this clip from the film Tap.
2. Fred Astaire golf dance from Carefree
Most people would point to a movie like Top Hat for examples of Fred’s killer dance steps. But, this sequence is just so cool and made me want to not only learn how to dance, but also learn how to play golf. He also seems to be able to get a whole big band to play when he blows his harmonica, which is pretty impressive.
3. Prologue scene from West Side Story
Ah, the good old days when gangsters were more likely to throw a little pirouette in your direction, rather than some sort of offensive weapon. I remember seeing this as a slightly geeky, arty youth who didn’t hang out with the cool kids. Suddenly, singing and dancing could be cool, have attitude and get the girls. Love this.
4. Twist and Shout from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
I want my dad to have a Ferrari. I want to borrow it and take a day off and hang out with my friends and pretend to be a sausage millionaire and crash restaurants and get the better of my annoying teacher and most of all, most of all I want to hijack a carnival float and lead everyone in an effortlessly cool version of Twist and Shout.
5. Warehouse scene from Footloose
Another classic. As a young man Kevin Bacon always seemed a little like an unlikely dance hero, which kind of made this all the better. It was a dance of frustration, passion, emotion and about how rubbish adults don’t understand. Recently revived by the Footloose remake, and amusingly parodied by Flight of the Conchords.
6. Step in Time from Mary Poppins
A classic partly for the fantastic cock-er-ney accents, partly for the choreography, but mostly for the man who would later become Dr Sloane in Diagnosis Murder kicking his legs up like a tiller girl. Get ya knees up!
7. Singing in the Rain
A bit of an obvious one perhaps, but there’s a reason why it’s obvious. A classic scene, very simple in a lot of ways but beautifully effective.
8. Jailhouse Rock
Blimey, jail looks like fun. There are not many people over the last century who have created such a distinctive and recognisable dance style. But Elvis, with his jiggly shoulders and his jelly hips was one of them.
9. Kid and Play’s Funky Charleston in House Party
Back in the early 1990s, there was a duo whose teen friendly brand of rap with a New Jack Swing flavour made them stars. And Kid had a ridiculous haircut (a ten inch high top fade), which helped. They also pioneered a dance move called the funky Charleston which, again, was kind of ridiculous, but that didn’t stop me and my teenage mates trying to replicate it at school.
10. You Should Be Dancing scene from Saturday Night Fever
Another slightly obvious one but really, can there be a cooler dancer than John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever?
11. Madison Dance from Bande Á Part
Another one which just oozes cool. Apparently the men hated having to dance, which is perhaps what gives it the great, understated style. The best youtube video I could find uses the music of French band, Nouvelle Vague.
12. Golddiggers of 1935
Now really, this is our Artistic Director, David Massingham’s favourite movie dance sequence, but I agree with him that it is pretty special. Created by Busby Berkeley, master of mass choreography, it’s a Beijing Olympics style lesson in how to choreograph a load of bodies in perfect unison.
