News Story
Third-year international student Simone-Maggie – enrolled on the Contemporary Dance Performance BA (Hons) at London Contemporary Dance School – shares her experience of moving from the United States to London to kickstart her dance career.
How did you first discover London Contemporary Dance School?
It’s been an interesting journey! I’m American with a Bahamian family, and I was attending a very good university in the United States, studying dance arts, a double major in Amharic – which is a language from Ethiopia, and a minor in French. But I wanted to do dance more, so I withdrew. Contemporary dance isn’t a very supported genre in the United States, so I was searching internationally for a school that had a foot in the door in terms of dance and connections. I’d known about LCDS for a long time, and when I was ready to consider applying, I started a conversation with the school.
What did you find out about London Contemporary Dance School that made you want to apply?
I liked all the different classes LCDS runs and how you can build on your skills. The school has a conservatory-like structure, spaces in the building where you can practice on your own, and you can choose your own schedule and pathway, which is not something you have in the US. There’s a lot of room to do performances in and out of class. But it’s a big decision to move to a different country. I was thinking: ‘do I want to leave everything to take a chance, and am I even going to get accepted?’ And then when I got accepted, I needed to be really sure I was going to a good curriculum where I’d be able to push myself. This was very clear at LCDS – it comes through in the students, the alumni and the teachers.
Contemporary dance isn’t a very supported genre in the United States, so I was searching internationally for a school that had a foot in the door in terms of dance and connections.
It must be tough comparing dance schools as an international student. How did you do it?
I did a lot of school research online! I looked at the websites, social media, and I’d message students from different schools asking about their experiences. For me, LCDS had a giant leap on other dance schools because of their calibre of creativity and training – it’s through the roof. Trust and believe – I was comparing videos, comparing alumni, comparing everything! I felt there was more training – and support on a human level – at LCDS. There was more focus on the stamina and quality of performance, and more acceptance of learning different techniques. I think it's really interesting that LCDS can take in a whole variety of people – and everyone's going to come out a professional.
What is the Contemporary Dance Performance BA course like?
We spend a lot of time in the studio training, and then we have a couple of classroom-based sessions a week about anything from clinical studies to the science of dance. The schedule is really well planned. There’s a mix of floor work, there’s ballet with a contemporary focus, improvisation, partner work, lifting and strength training. The coursework itself is very hands-on. I’ve been at another university and taken university classes in different places, and at LCDS, I’ve noticed there is a lot more care that goes into each practice. They tell us that if we’re going to become professionals in this, we need to take the breaks when we need to, so we’re able to go all the way when we need to. The safety of it is a big thing for me. I’ve trained in other places where it’s all ‘push, push, push’. And if you get hurt…well, you can’t be hurt. You have to push on anyway, or figure it out yourself.
What kind of support do you get at London Contemporary Dance School?
LCDS has a serious team for supporting your health. You can get physio, massage, use the Pilates machines. You can always talk to someone or have a triage. In other dance settings, this isn’t a normal thing. And then inside the classroom, the teachers are talking about safe practice. It feels like there's a lot more care. It seems like a really small thing, but it has really made a giant difference in my stamina and my performance as a dancer. This is something we talk about often as a class in my year – just how much of a difference it’s made, compared to the training we've come from.
What’s the feeling of being at London Contemporary Dance School?
The London location is amazing. There are so many opportunities to get involved with, both inside and outside the school, and it's so easy to get around. I’m a big fan of the Tube! Every week there's a fresh event that isn't very far away that everyone wants to go to, and we'll just go as a whole group. The community at London Contemporary Dance School is so warm. You walk in and people say: 'we've been waiting for you!' We've all connected really well, and being there just feels really right.
You also took up an opportunity to study at Taipei National University of the Arts (TNUA) in Taiwan for a term. What was that experience like?
It’s another very high level, high quality school, and I was humbled every day I was there. They were very welcoming and I felt like I slotted right in. I wasn’t sure if I was going to apply for the opportunity because I’m already a student abroad. But because it’s an exchange programme, I didn’t have to pay any more for it, and I got to make new connections and learn a different dance environment. As an exchange student, the teachers are excited to see what you bring and what they can add. And it was fun learning a new language, tasting food I’ve always wanted to eat, and buying things I’ve always wanted to buy! You can feel there’s a relationship and connection between LCDS and TNUA – I felt comfortable there. It made me feel like I could definitely work in more places than I thought I could before.
How are your career aspirations being supported at London Contemporary Dance School?
My aspiration is definitely to be in a company. It used to feel a bit out of reach, but LCDS has made me hyper-aware of what I’m capable of. It’s giving me the room, the space and the community to really grow. I can take class, and then I can have a triage and work out. Everyone thinks about whether they’ll get the job they really want straight out of university. But I'm a lot more confident in that now. And being at LCDS is getting me closer to the stamina and the mindset that I need to be in a company. I've never been in a place where – no matter what thing I want to go for – the teachers are getting together to compile a plan for me. I get taken seriously, and my aspirations are respected. I came to LCDS thinking I was just going to take class. And now I feel like I’ll know the staff members for the rest of my life.
