News Story
Having graduated from London Contemporary Dance School in 2021, Analeise Auguste has already explored a vibrant career spanning dance, dance producing and company management for the West End musical, Hamilton.
Discovering dance at Lewisham College at the age of 16, Analeise Auguste hadn’t considered professional dance training until then. With help from her tutors, she explored different dance schools, until finding London Contemporary Dance School (LCDS).
“During the audition phase, the school I connected with most was LCDS,” Analeise explained. “Dance is about performance, but I didn't feel I had to put on a persona at LCDS. It felt very natural. I really felt this was the place for me. I could be myself, and I didn’t have to do jazz hands!”
Alum Analeise Auguste is the company manager for the West End musical Hamilton
Connections in the corridor
Throughout the three years Analeise spent studying at LCDS, she most valued the variety of the curriculum, the range of external teachers who were brought in and led different parts of the course, and gaining exposure to various aspects of dance that have become helpful in her career so far. She also believes the central London location brought numerous opportunities. “The location means you’re not in so much of a bubble as you might be at other schools, and it allowed me to work while I was still training. I don’t know if I’d have had that experience if I’d gone somewhere else.”
In particular, Analeise met Monique Jonas (Jona Dance) at LCDS, who was there with the Richard Alston Dance Company. Analeise went onto collaborate with and do two filmed pieces with Monique, and they’ve become close friends. Analeise also met Akosua Boakye (AkomaAsa Performing Arts Academy) at LCDS, who works with children auditioning for The Lion King. She went on to work with Akosua for two years at AkomaAsa and teaching at The Lion King auditions. “I met both of them in the corridor at LCDS,” Analeise shared. “What’s great about LCDS is that there are professionals, and people who are aspiring to be professionals. It was inspiring and I think it gave me some vision.”
Bringing together creative skills
Directly after graduating, Analeise joined a dance company, ACE Dance and Music, in Birmingham. She started freelancing when she returned to London, working in hip hop theatre and contemporary dance. She then went into dance producing, joining the Emerging Creative Producers programme with South East Dance in Brighton. After this, she secured a job for a year with Uprise Rebel, after previously completing a placement with the company.
“I’ve moved all over for dance!” Analeise said. “It felt great – I graduated from LCDS, joined a dance company, then started freelancing. I felt like I could do whatever I wanted to do.” Getting injured led Analeise to explore dance producing. “When you're a performer, you do think everything revolves around you,” she said. “Going to the other side of it, you realise how so much goes into it. It gave me a really good appreciation for this too.”
After gaining some experience with South East Dance, Analeise saw a call-out for a Trainee Company Manager for the West End production, Hamilton. “I had no idea what it was,” Analeise said. “But it sounded like my skills were relevant, because I have a dance background, and I understand performing and production. I thought, ‘why not take a risk?’ Three interviews later, they gave me the job.” After completing the traineeship, Analeise was offered the role of Assistant Company Manager of Hamilton, which she has recently accepted.
A creative future ahead
Analeise believes her time at LCDS set her up as being a versatile dance practitioner, which has also given her options when she’s been injured. “LCDS trained me not just to be performer, but in many things surrounding performance,” she explained. “You do have to be versatile in this industry, and I feel like I have a lot of options.”
Some of the teachers became role models to Analeise, showing her how others had made their way in the dance sector. “It really helped having so many people come into LCDS to teach us. Someone would also be a yoga teacher, another person also taught at English National Ballet. I thought: ‘they’re a human being like me, and they make it work, so I probably can too.’ Having teachers with real lives – with dogs and partners too – is really helpful!”
The resources and support available also gave Analeise a good grounding. Finding she was struggling in the first year, LCDS found Analeise a mentor – an alum from LCDS – who helped her navigate the parts she found difficult.
For anyone considering applying, or for those already training at LCDS, Analeise encourages everyone to make the most of the opportunity. “Go out there and explore,” she advised. “Go and see dance. Make the most of the amazing studio spaces. Take risks. Try classes you didn’t think you were interested in. Even just talking to people produces so much opportunity. You don’t have to wait until you graduate to see what the industry is really like.”
LCDS' London location means you’re not in a bubble as you might be at other schools, you are already part of the industry. It allowed me to work while I was still training. I don’t know if I’d have had that experience if I’d gone somewhere else.
