My Wonderful Work Experience Week at The Place

I am Maya Soden and I have been dancing for as long as I can remember. I am currently a dancer in the Urban Strides senior crew. I have just finished my GCSE’s and next year I am planning to do A-Level dance for sixth form and then continue to go to dance university. When I have left university, I aspire to be a dance performer and choreographer.

I came to the place for a week’s worth of work experience. I came here with the aim of finding out more about the different careers in the dance/arts industry and to understand more about the BA years that the Place offers. I expected to be shadowing different departments throughout my work experience, sit in a few classes of LCDS and to partake in admin tasks.

I went to the Krump sharing on Friday and watched the students perform drills, choreography, and then finally freestyle at the end in a cypher. I learned from this that Krump is a very expressive dance style that requires confidence to make it work. I also got to see the BA students in action which gave me an insight into what their practical work looks like. The most interesting thing about watching the Krump sharing was that even very technical dancers were able to loosen up and really get into the feel of Krump. It was also interesting to see how everyone approached the style differently in their freestyles. A memorable moment was seeing how proud the teacher was of the students when he was watching them, he seemed genuinely joyful to see them expressing themselves in their own unique ways.

On Thursday I took part in an over 60s class. We did some across the floor sequences, a choreography and some drills. I learned from this that there are a wide variety of people that love to dance, which opens many jobs in the industry. I also learned that the age of the class does not determine the level, as I found the choreography challenging which I was not expecting in an over 60s class! I found it interesting to see how people can improve and learn dance in such a short amount of time. I was talking to one of the ladies and she had only been there for three years, yet she is an incredible dancer and has good technique. A memorable moment was watching how the teacher/choreographer was adapting the choreography as the class went on depending on the needs of the class. This really helped me to understand more about what it means to be a dance teacher.

On Wednesday I went to watch a performance by clean break. The group of women performed a choreography that consisted of solos, duets, small groups and big ensemble dances. I learned how important dance can be to connect people and create a community. I also learned how dance can be used as a form of rehabilitation and how important dance is for people’s mental health. I also would have never thought of a job in the dance industry like this, so it also expanded my knowledge of the industry. It was interesting to see women who had never danced before or who never took an interest in dance before coming together and willingly perform in front of people even if they weren’t very confident. A memorable moment was watching the Q&A at the end of the performance as the women were explaining their journeys and how this group has helped them. They also shared what the group meant to them which was very touching to watch.

I have taken away from this experience that it requires a lot of people, time and effort when organising an arts event, I have also taken away that everyone needs dance even the people you least expect. My career ideas of a dance performer and choreographer have stayed the same, although my knowledge of both careers has expanded. For next year's work experience students I would say to just enjoy every minute and try to soak in as much of the environment you’re in as you can. Make the most of your time here and ask loads of questions.

By Maya Soden