Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures Workshop Summary- Cinderella – by Amber Turner Year 12
Members of Matthew Bourne’s prestigious New Adventures Dance Compnay have been working with students from year 8 – 13 from the Faculty of Creative Arts at Tavistock College. The recent workshop was based on the New Adventures’ production of Cinderella, which students then went to see at the Theatre Royal Plymouth.
After a fun energetic warm up, swing style, the interactive workshop taught students a piece of repertoire from the show based on an air raid. In true Matthew Bourne style which they were then able to combine this movement work with their acting skills to create a full scene. This was a dance routine that was highly enjoyable and fun to perform, yet rather challenging. The instructors taught the routine at a very fast pace – allowing students to ultimately gain an insight into how a professional dance company runs. In the question and answer session that took place after the workshop, students further learned that ability to pick up material quickly and sustain long rehearsals was essential as a New Adventures production typically is up and performing within 3 weeks.
Students said one of the most enjoyable moments in the workshop was when they all collectively recreated a scene from the show – based at the Cafe de Paris – which portrayed each character slowly coming back to life. The instructors explained that the motifs they created were inspired by the bombing of the Cafe de Paris in 1941, so students used this as a stimulus (in combination with our own creativity) to add their own take on the material, creating an altogether mesmerizing scene with a “slow motion” effect.
The highly practical and hands-on workshop was an thoroughly enjoyable experience for anyone with a passion for dance, regardless of their ability. The instructors were very informative, answering any and every one of our questions along the way. Overall, they gave a highly detailed and critical insight into both their own dance journeys and what life is like as part of a professional dance company. Students left the workshop feeling inspired and enlightened on what life as a professional dancer is really like.
