"I can dance in wet and wind and I can sing at thunder'
This week's blog is from our fabulous show choreographer, Julianne White.
She discusses her role as choreographer, her involvement with ATS over the years, and of course, what it's like to be working with 'Sexy Beast' co-star, Amanda Redman, again.
PS...three weeks to go!! Tickets will be on sale VERY soon (watch this space!)
Also - auditions for next year's adult class on 13th and 14th July...fill in an application form from our website https://www.artiststheatreschool.com/
I met Amanda Redman when we had both been cast in the film Sexy Beast. I of course knew who "she" was and I was a complete risky unknown. I was absolutely terrified beyond terrified. I would then meet Amanda at a costume fitting briefly and then at the airport when we left to film in Spain, along with Ray Winstone and Cavan Kendall.
I do not have the word space to recount the whole of that experience, but to say it was an extreme and very important life experience is hopefully a glimpse or a clue as to what it actually was.
In the course of getting to know Amanda on and off set, I was explaining that I was supposed to be back in London choreographing a school show for my own children’s school - but I couldn’t finish it all as I was called to Spain to film Sexy Beast!
Amanda has always had more faith in me than I will ever have in myself. She is like that. She decides who to believe in, so take note. She is also an incredible friend.
So having been away from ATS for a few years, Amanda asked if I would choreograph Nell Gwynn...a play with music and dance.
I love the show and I love her, so the answer was easy and obvious.
I am not a “current” full time choreographer who knows the current trends, moves and tracks .What I am, is a performer, actor, with dance training and professional experience steeped in Musical Theatre history who can hopefully interpret a piece, while encouraging the students to share their interpretations as well.
Working with ATS means I have spent my time with kids, adults, and students who have never danced at all but who needed to move and be taught choreography for a show. It’s my “thing”!
So I choreograph the piece, based on what it needs and devise the moves to accommodate the willing students of various degrees of experience. The one thing I DO know is that ALL the students at ATS are there willing to learn and practice anything and everything. The students who have never done a dance step in their lives are so enthusiastic, and that’s what the school is about.
Nell Gwynn is a 17th century piece. The really lovely music and catchy tunes from the show are quite interpretative, and I wanted the students to have as much input as possible into the movements for the dance/ensemble numbers. They are all lovely to work with.
It’s an old style of movement/dancing really, because of the century and the lyrics. I have no intention of pretending to reinvent any wheels, but just give the students a vehicle with which to bring the songs to life.
They have all risen to the challenge in a very happy exciting way and I couldn’t be more proud of how hard they have worked and continue to work. It is not easy to dance when you’ve never done it before!!!
They rehearse, rehearse, rehearse, and then I keep “cleaning”. That part is probably the learning curve for them - but no different to the experience they are getting with the acting...Repeat, repeat, repeat and then repeat again...so by now I’m sounding like a broken record at rehearsals, but I promise faithfully, that just like Amanda I will never stop until I know I have squeezed out the best possible performance I can out of all of them!!! After all, that’s why they all wanted to join ATS and be taught and directed by Amanda Redman, and so did I!!
This show is a joy to be a part of because of the students, teachers and contributors. They work so hard and they appreciate every one’s efforts to get the show on. It’s such an enormous team effort. It starts with Amanda and her incredible commitment, plus Freda, Nic, Damian, Allan, Karen, Nigel, Chris and so many more that will be apparent in the coming weeks.
I am very proud to be a small piece in the history of ATS and thrilled to be witnessing the standard of the plays that Amanda is directing and producing.
You will always learn from great teachers, and if you get to be a student at ATS (auditions are July 13th and 14th!!!) and get to be taught by Amanda Redman, then lucky you!
All my Love and commitment for a really excellent production of “Nell Gwynn”!
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She discusses her role as choreographer, her involvement with ATS over the years, and of course, what it's like to be working with 'Sexy Beast' co-star, Amanda Redman, again.
PS...three weeks to go!! Tickets will be on sale VERY soon (watch this space!)
Also - auditions for next year's adult class on 13th and 14th July...fill in an application form from our website https://www.artiststheatreschool.com/
JULIANNE:
"Thank you for asking me to answer some questions with regard to my involvement in the current ATS production of “Nell Gwynn”. I’m afraid it’s impossible for me to answer without reference to my history with ATS, and of course Amanda, so here goes...
I started dancing when I was six years old. I went to an amazing all round dancing school where I learned ballet, jazz, tap, acrobatics and performance. The Honeybrooks School of Dancing in Balmain, Sydney, Australia, would be where from the age of 6-12 I would learn all the most valuable life lessons I have probably ever learnt: work ethic, discipline, respect and so much more.
I then moved to Melbourne and continued my dance training and began my acting training. I went on to be a professional dancer from the age of 15 - 25. My ultimate goal as an Aussie dancer was to perform in the West End in London - and I did just that. After a couple of UK TV gigs as a dancer I was cast in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas at The Theatre Royal Drury Lane (where indeed Nell Gwynn also made her acting debut) in 1981. I then returned to Australia to pursue my acting career...and then returned to London to continue it.
I met Amanda Redman when we had both been cast in the film Sexy Beast. I of course knew who "she" was and I was a complete risky unknown. I was absolutely terrified beyond terrified. I would then meet Amanda at a costume fitting briefly and then at the airport when we left to film in Spain, along with Ray Winstone and Cavan Kendall.
I do not have the word space to recount the whole of that experience, but to say it was an extreme and very important life experience is hopefully a glimpse or a clue as to what it actually was.
In the course of getting to know Amanda on and off set, I was explaining that I was supposed to be back in London choreographing a school show for my own children’s school - but I couldn’t finish it all as I was called to Spain to film Sexy Beast!
Amanda never misses a trick and the next minute I was choreographing a huge ATS production! HELP!!!!! 120 students all singing and dancing together … OMG! So suffice to say I was hooked, and went on to do some other productions for ATS over the years.
I can honestly tell you that when I started teaching at ATS in 2000, I had no idea what SHE had got me into and no idea how rewarding it would be.
Kids and adult students just get to you in a way that you cannot ignore. The rewards always far outweigh the hours you have put into the prep.Amanda has always had more faith in me than I will ever have in myself. She is like that. She decides who to believe in, so take note. She is also an incredible friend.
So having been away from ATS for a few years, Amanda asked if I would choreograph Nell Gwynn...a play with music and dance.
I love the show and I love her, so the answer was easy and obvious.
I am not a “current” full time choreographer who knows the current trends, moves and tracks .What I am, is a performer, actor, with dance training and professional experience steeped in Musical Theatre history who can hopefully interpret a piece, while encouraging the students to share their interpretations as well.
Working with ATS means I have spent my time with kids, adults, and students who have never danced at all but who needed to move and be taught choreography for a show. It’s my “thing”!
So I choreograph the piece, based on what it needs and devise the moves to accommodate the willing students of various degrees of experience. The one thing I DO know is that ALL the students at ATS are there willing to learn and practice anything and everything. The students who have never done a dance step in their lives are so enthusiastic, and that’s what the school is about.
Nell Gwynn is a 17th century piece. The really lovely music and catchy tunes from the show are quite interpretative, and I wanted the students to have as much input as possible into the movements for the dance/ensemble numbers. They are all lovely to work with.
It’s an old style of movement/dancing really, because of the century and the lyrics. I have no intention of pretending to reinvent any wheels, but just give the students a vehicle with which to bring the songs to life.
They have all risen to the challenge in a very happy exciting way and I couldn’t be more proud of how hard they have worked and continue to work. It is not easy to dance when you’ve never done it before!!!
They rehearse, rehearse, rehearse, and then I keep “cleaning”. That part is probably the learning curve for them - but no different to the experience they are getting with the acting...Repeat, repeat, repeat and then repeat again...so by now I’m sounding like a broken record at rehearsals, but I promise faithfully, that just like Amanda I will never stop until I know I have squeezed out the best possible performance I can out of all of them!!! After all, that’s why they all wanted to join ATS and be taught and directed by Amanda Redman, and so did I!!
This show is a joy to be a part of because of the students, teachers and contributors. They work so hard and they appreciate every one’s efforts to get the show on. It’s such an enormous team effort. It starts with Amanda and her incredible commitment, plus Freda, Nic, Damian, Allan, Karen, Nigel, Chris and so many more that will be apparent in the coming weeks.
I am very proud to be a small piece in the history of ATS and thrilled to be witnessing the standard of the plays that Amanda is directing and producing.
You will always learn from great teachers, and if you get to be a student at ATS (auditions are July 13th and 14th!!!) and get to be taught by Amanda Redman, then lucky you!
All my Love and commitment for a really excellent production of “Nell Gwynn”!
Julianne x
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The cast of Nell Gwynn
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