Retina Youth Dance Company
Retina launched its Youth Dance Company for a special dance festival in Belgium in October 2008. Young people from age 15 to 19 were selected from a summer audition to work with Filip and the company dancers to create a new work for performance at this prestigious festival, performing alongside established youth companies from Belgium and Holland. It is hoped that the group may continue to meet regularly for classes and rehearsals in order that they can extend their performance repertory and gain skills as the dancers of tomorrow! If you are interested in joining Retina Youth for weekly classes in Nottingham, then please contact .
Participatory programme
Retina views their education programme as an invaluable part of their existence and growth and believes that a fuller understanding and appreciation of dance is encouraged through participation. Retina believes that the individuality of each person should be encouraged and supported through a process of investigation, enjoyment and commitment.
Retina has extensive experience in education, community and professional teaching environments and workshops are specifically tailored to meet the needs of the participant group.
Aims of Retina's education programme
- Skill & confidence building
- Creative development for the individual
- Team work towards a shared goal
- Personal investment in an artistic product
- Fitness and fun
Benefits to the participants
- High artistic values
- Increased understanding of the arts
- Increased dance skills & confidence
- Increased ability to devise and develop choreographic ideas
- Enhanced performance potential and opportunities
Some participant reactions
Thank you to all of Retina for a fabulous two weeks, it flew by! It has been great to meet so many new people and to learn new ways of moving (and being able to perform at the end was an added bonus). I look forward to next year.
Siobhan Kerry – participant
What an experience. Intense. Challenging. Difficult and so rewarding!
Antje Hildebrandt – participant
Thanks for the 8 inspiring days! By just doing again, without thinking and organizing, these days reminded me, why I went abroad to go for my dream:)
Aline Kristin Mohl – participant
A diverse programme
Retina’s education programme has several different strands for
professional dancers, dance students, dance teachers and community. The company dancers are trained in leading workshops to each participant group, in order to maximise the workshop experience. All workshops are
informed by Retina’s trademark style of fast, continuous flow and fun movement, and gives students the chance to develop technical, choreographic and improvisational skills.
In a relaxed environment the participants can feel confident to explore a new style of movement, and enjoy the energy, freedom and excitement that Retina’s approach can bring.
Retina can lead
- One or two hour workshops with a short technique class and creative workshop
- Half or whole day workshops with a technique class, improvisation tasks, creative exploration, taught movement phrases and consolidating ideas into a structured form by the end of the day
- 3 – 5 day residency to create a performance piece for the group
- 2 – 3 week residency to develop improvisation, technique, choreographic and performance skills
- Site specific performance residency to create a performance piece on a group in an unusual space or outdoors
- Mixed art form residencies, working with a visual artist, musician or writer to collaborate on creating a performance piece for a group
