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After graduating from London Contemporary Dance School in 2017, Lewis Cooke has gone on to tour with various dance companies, as well as teach his own movement practice, RelaxtoErupt.
Lewis discovered his passion for dance after getting involved with the National Youth Dance Company (NYDC) as a teenager. He enjoyed the combination of acting, singing and dancing, and was initially unsure which creative path to pursue. He enrolled on the Centre for Advanced Training (CAT) scheme at London Contemporary Dance School (LCDS), which led to the realisation that he wanted to pursue dance professionally.
Although he applied to a range of dance schools, Lewis chose LCDS and trained at the school from 2014 to 2017. “LCDS has so much going for it as a dance school, and the London location brings lots of extra advantages,” Lewis explained. “It’s a real hub for bringing in outside expertise, which you see through the range of classes, guest teachers and choreographers.”
Alum Lewis Cooke has developed his own movement practice, RelaxtoErupt.
A stepping stone in the dance world
Lewis believes his time at LCDS prepared him well for his career in dance. “The consistency of the training at LCDS really stands out,” Lewis said. “I really enjoyed the ritual of going to classes and doing a range of creative work. But we also did things like audition simulations, where a guest teacher would simulate the process of auditioning for a company. It gave me a great understanding of what it’s like to be in the real world. I think that’s something many people miss in other dance schools. LCDS gave me that stepping stone that allowed me to feel ready and curious about my future artistic career.”
During his time at LCDS, Lewis was also able to work in the industry. This included being an understudy for the Jasmin Vardimon Company, and LCDS was able to support Lewis to take this opportunity without impacting his studies.
Being in London, and studying alongside peers from across the world, is also something Lewis remembers fondly. “It has this brilliant, multicultural vibe,” he said. “It’s a great representation of what it’s like to be in a dance company, because you are often from all over the world.”
Teaching, performing and creating
Since graduating, Lewis has put his dance training into practice in multiple ways. He has delivered workshops in schools and communities across London, and has worked for a range of dance companies, including an outdoor touring show for Southpaw Dance Company across the UK and Europe. Having met Anton Lachky during his time at LCDS, Lewis has more recently moved to Belgium after being offered a contract with the Anton Lachky Company.
Lewis has been interested in teaching since early on in his career, and he now delivers classes, intensives and workshops across Europe on a regular basis. “One piece of good advice I got from the teachers at LCDS is that you don’t necessarily need to build your career as an artist, and then switch to teaching,” he said. “If you have an interest in this, you can incorporate this into your career early on.”
Through his work and practice, Lewis developed his own movement methodology, called RelaxtoErupt. “It’s a fusion of acrobatics, floor work and contemporary,” he explained. It focuses on playfulness, curiosity and pushing the body, helping people to personally develop their movement practice.
A long future career
Reflecting on his career so far, Lewis is proud of the path he’s on. “There’s no sugar coating that it’s hard work in this industry,” he said. “But I’ve realised freelancing really is the dream. I can pick and choose the work I do, and now I’m a little further along in my career, the work is coming to me a lot more. It’s shown me that I’ve pursued what I love, and the rewards have been endless.”
Lewis said that graduating can be a daunting moment. “You’re free…but you’re also free,” he said. “One of the biggest reminders I’d give to anyone graduating is that you already have a huge network when you leave. All the peers, the teachers, all the artists you’ve met during your time at LCDS – that’s your network. Message them, go to their workshops, go to the theatre. Surround yourself with the dance sector and you’ll start to see the opportunities.”
The foundation of training, support and advice Lewis received from LCDS is something he still thinks about today. “The teachers are like mentors – they never just do their jobs and leave,” he said. “They're there to support you and to help you to have a career as much as they can. The friends I trained with are all over the world now, which is great, because it means everybody has been able to successfully pursue their careers.”
“One piece of advice I got from the teachers at LCDS is that you don’t need to build your career as an artist, and then switch to teaching. If you have an interest in teaching, you can incorporate this into your career early on.”
