London Contemporary Dance School
| London Contemporary Dance School | |
|---|---|
| Established | 1966 (Foundation) 1982 (Granted degree-awarding powers) |
| Type | Contemporary dance school |
| Director | Veronica Lewis[1] |
| Students | Approximately 180[2] |
| Location | London, United Kingdom |
| Affiliations | Conservatoire for Dance and Drama University of Kent |
| Website | http://www.theplace.org.uk/lcds |
London Contemporary Dance School (informally LCDS) is a contemporary dance school located in London, United Kingdom. LCDS was founded by Robin Howard in 1966 in order to train new dancers for his company, London Contemporary Dance Theatre.[3]
LCDS is an affiliate of the Conservatoire for Dance and Drama, an organization devoted to promoting excellence in contemporary dance, ballet, acting, circus arts and academia.
LCDS is based at The Place in the Bloomsbury area of Central London. It is located close to London's Theatreland and to the Senate House complex of the University of London, the London Studio Centre, RADA and University College London.
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[edit] History
London Contemporary Dance School and its partner company, London Contemporary Dance Theatre were founded in 1966 under the governance of the Contemporary Dance Trust.[4][5] After receiving support from the Trust’s founder, Robin Howard, in 1969 the Contemporary Dance Trust moved to 17 Duke's Road, which it renamed The Place.[4] In 1978, with assistance from the Arts Council and Linbury Trust, The Place had a major redevelopment, with new studios created for the School on Flaxman Terrace.[4] In 1982, LCDS began offering a BA Honours degree in Contemporary Dance, validated by the University of Kent. In 1994, London Contemporary Dance Theatre was closed and the Richard Alston Dance Company formed.[4] In October 2001 a £7.5 million redevelopment of The Place, including the construction of six new dance studios, was completed.[4][6][7] In the same year LCDS and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA) formed the Conservatoire for Dance and Drama.[4][8] In 2008 a £1.1 million development at The Place added two new further studios.[4]
[edit] Teaching
LCDS teaches a variety of contemporary dance techniques including release-based, Limón, Humphrey and Contact Improvisation, priding themselves on their lengthy history in Graham technique and their current excellence in Cunningham technique. LCDS also encourages pilates, body conditioning, a variety of free electives in Choreology, Anatomy and Scenography. The course also includes an intensive course in ballet studies.
LCDS provides both undergraduate and postgraduate vocational training as well as a research programme in contemporary dance. The School also offers courses in contemporary dance in London for adults and children.
[edit] Notable alumni
LCDS's first year's intake included Richard Alston, Ian Spink and Siobhan Davies who went on to perform with the main company before founding their own. Students of the London Contemporary Dance School have gone on to accept contracts from a variety of prestigious dance companies including Adventure in Motion Picture, Random Dance Company, DV8, CandoCo, Diversions dance and the Rambert Dance Company at the Sadler's Wells.
Other notable alummi of LCDS include:
[edit] References
- ^ "Management team". London Contemporary Dance School. http://www.theplace.org.uk/161/staff/management-team.html. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
- ^ "FAQs". London Contemporary Dance School. http://www.theplace.org.uk/93/faqs/faqs.html. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
- ^ The Hutchinson Factfinder. Helicon. 1999. ISBN 1-85986-000-1.
- ^ a b c d e f g "History". London Contemporary Dance School. http://www.theplace.org.uk/92/history/history.html. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
- ^ "The Place: dreams in a drill hall". The Guardian. 11 May 2010. http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2010/may/11/contemporary-dance-the-place. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
- ^ "Get fell in, you 'orrible dancers". The Guardian. 14 October 2001. http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2001/oct/14/features.review97. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
- ^ "Richard Alston Dance Co, The Place, London". The Independent. 14 October 2001. http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/reviews/richard-alston-dance-co-the-place-london-631470.html. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
- ^ "University guide: Conservatoire for Dance and Drama". The Guardian. 8 June 2010. http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/may/10/university-guide-conservatoire-dance-drama. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
[edit] External links
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