News

A roundup of alumni news, performances and updates in May.

As lockdown measures continued to ease for many, alumni delighted audiences with live and recorded performances.

Femi Koleoso, Flo Moore, Artie Zaitz and Peter Daley celebrated the music of The Meters in a performance at Kansas Smitty’s, while Laura Jurd’s Dinosaur were livestreamed from Ronnie Scott’s and Emilia Mårtensson performed at the 606 Club.

Moses Boyd was joined by Artie Zaitz and Renato Paris in his NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert, recorded at the Church Studios in North London.  Elliot Galvin performed the premiere of Moss Freed’s Parellells as part of Lancaster Jazz Festival.

John Savournin shared his take on Tom Lehrer’s classic comic song ‘Poisoning Peacocks in the Park’, while Duo Furioso (cellists Helena Švigelj and Urška Horvat) performed in a livestream with Conservatoire Concerts.

Theo Jamieson’s U.ME: The Musical received its critically acclaimed world premier earlier this month and is now available to listen to and watch via BBC Sounds and BBC World Service.

Soumik Datta shared the latest instalment of his Silent Spaces series, which celebrated the resilience and diversity of England’s North East in a piece filmed in Gateshead that showcased local artists.

Evie Demetriou combined personal confession with humour and movement in WHO CARES, performed at Bipod Festival.

Composer and electronic music artist Dan Samsa shared his instrumental writing during a Social Convention ARTPARTY screening, while 2CELLOS released their take on Imagine Dragons’ hit song, ‘Demons’.

Cecilia McDowall’s choral and organ compositions were celebrated in a recording with the Choir of Trinity College Cambridge, as Dai Fujikura’s original music accompanied the world premiere of American Ballet Theatre’s digital duet, Neo.

This month saw alumni collaborate to create new work.

Choreographer Yukiko Samui developed brand new work Dream Deprivation in collaboration with graduating students at The Place, exploring where the dreams we have while sleeping meet the dreams we aspire to while awake.

Director of Barrowland Ballet Natasha Gilmore worked with choreographer Robbie Synge to reimagine rural family life through dance, filming with her children in the outdoors.

As the theatre industry returns to in person shows, new castings were announced this May with Luke Walsh cast alongside Ramin Karimloo and Samantha Barks in new musical film Tomorrow Morning. Zoe Rogers will be joining the cast of the new musical adaptation of Lady Chatterley’s Lover at Shaftesbury Theatre.

Alumni featured in the media this month.

Emily Jenkins talked about the impact of dance on women affected by cancer in Positive News.

Luca Silvestrini discussed making work for the outdoors in Greenwich Dance’s Talking Moves podcast while his company Protein was nominated for Best Modern Choreography for The Little Prince at the 21^st National Dance Awards. Also nominated is fellow alum Oona Doherty, who has been shortlisted for Outstanding Female Modern Performance ,

Coming Up

Taking place on 3 and 4 June, ‘Groundmarks’ is an immersive performance from TL Innovation Award Winner Hannah Wallace. Get tickets.

Malik Nashad Sharpe will perform their distinctive choreography with Brownton Abbey, hosted by the Battersea Arts Centre 18-20 June.

Curated and created by Evie Oldham, ‘The Evening’ will celebrate the art of screendance, music and visual art in collaboration with Deptford Does Art, on 26 June.

The AmserJazzTime Festival 2021 will see Laura Jurd perform with pianist Huw Warren on 5 June.