A dedicated Dance student at De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) has earned the coveted chance to work alongside a renowned dance artist, bringing an imaginative performance to audiences across the country.
Louisa (mid-air!) performing with final year Dance student, Libby Fox - photo by Olga Galona
Louisa Robey landed the job after impressing Lucy Suggate, widely-recognised for her engaging solo performances, with the skills and experience she gained from working as a Frontrunner with DMU’s Dance Associate Company, Fuelled Dance Theatre.
Frontrunners gives students the chance to take on jobs around the DMU campus that they can fit around their timetable while being paid the Living Wage.
As Assistant Choreographer, Louisa will be instrumental in supporting dance groups across the country to perform Swarm Sculptures.
Inspired by the large-scale installations of American artist Tara Donovan, Swarm Sculptures creates living sculptures by using human bodies to replicate everyday objects.
The third year Dance student, said: “I’ve already had the pleasure of spending three days shadowing Lucy in preparation for our tour in September and I’m feeling really excited.
“Getting a paid position like this is a real validation of my skills and has been a great boost to my confidence.”
Photo by Rowan Young
Louisa will also be performing a brand new solo piece at Leicester’s Curve theatre in May during Signatures, an exciting platform for emerging dancers and choreographers, as part of the Let’s Dance International Frontiers festival.
Chosen for its innovative and engaging concept, Louisa’s solo explores the notion of hybridity and was inspired by a number of fictional part-creature characters found in classical plays and novels.
She said, “Awakening incorporates specific animalistic movement, exploring a sense of curiosity and discovery of the body’s capabilities. It pushes me to the limit and potential of my own physical abilities.”
Louisa attributes much of her success to the range of opportunities made available to her during her time at DMU.
The 21-year-old said: “The past three years have been the best ever. I’ve had excellent support from my lecturers and their industry contacts, as well as invaluable opportunities to gain paid industry experience.”
Performing with Fuelled Dance Theatre - photo by Matt Cawrey
Last summer, Louisa had the chance to work with world-famous dancer and DMU graduate, Akram Khan.
Through her Frontrunner role at Fuelled Dance Theatre, she also got to work on a performance with Chinese choreographer Rong Tao, premiered at Nottingham Lakeside Arts Centre and recently showcased at Leicester’s Attenborough Art Centre.
Louisa said: “I don’t feel limited in what I can do, despite the challenges of breaking into this sector. Thanks to my time at DMU I feel ready to take on the world.”
Jo Breslin, Senior Lecturer in Dance at DMU, said: “The Frontrunner training combined with academic supervision have given Louisa a lot of professional practice experience, which enabled her to secure Arts Council England funded position with Lucy Suggate.
“Not only has Louisa has been doing amazingly well as an Assistant Manager at Fuelled, but she has also emerged as a performer and maker of her own work.”
Posted on Thursday 14 April 2016