Being A Dancer: Advice from Dancers and Choreographers

Lyndsey Winship

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1848424620 ISBN 13: 9781848424623

Publisher: Nick Hern Books, 2015

Personal, revealing, inspirational advice from: Carlos Acosta, Matthew Bourne, Teneisha Bonner, Darcey Bussell, Lauren Cuthbertson, Maxine Doyle, Tommy Franzén, Adam Garcia, Jonathan Goddard, Matthew Golding, Melissa Hamilton, Wayne McGregor, Steven McRae, Stephen Mear, Cassa Pancho, Seeta Patel, Arlene Phillips, Arthur Pita, Kate Prince, Matthew Rees, Tamara Rojo, Kenrick H2O Sandy, Hofesh Shechter, Aaron Sillis and Marlon Swoosh Wallen.

How do I get a job as a dancer? Where and when should I train? How can I protect my body from injury? How do I become a choreographer?

These and many more such questions asked by young or aspiring dancers are answered in this book - the most revealing and instructive book yet on what it means to be a dancer.

Here is advice from some of the best dancers and choreographers in the world, crossing the fields of ballet, contemporary, South Asian dance and hip hop, and covering subjects both motivational and mundane, from tapping into your own reserves of creativity and resilience, to the surprisingly important matter of when to eat your pre-show banana. Everything you need to know to succeed in the profession.

The twenty-five experts in these pages have performed with the likes of the Royal Ballet, English National Ballet, Rambert, Matthew Bourne's New Adventures and BalletBoyz; they range from stars of the West End stage to TV talent-show successes and Kylie's backing dancers as well as some of Britain's leading choreographers.

Review:

Fascinating, insightful and highly readable, this is a book to add to your collection. --Dancing Times

An invaluable resource for aspiring dancers, and a fascinating read for those of us who simply have an interest in dance. Each of the contributors has such an incredible passion for dance; the enthusiasm seems to leap off the page... An inspiring read. --everything-theatre.co.uk

About the Author:

Lyndsey Winship is an arts journalist and filmmaker who specialises in dance. A former dance editor at Time Out, she is currently dance critic of the Evening Standard and a regular contributor to the Guardian.