Feeling honoured to have worked with the Youth Theatre at Leeds Playhouse for a number of sessions accross this past year and every time I enter the rehearsal room I am blown away by the energy that comes booming back towards me.
Yesterday was no exception. We were working on a new remount of ZOETROPE, a Leeds Playhouse (was West Yorkshire Playhouse) Youth Theatre Production directed by Gemma Woffinden and it was easily a solid 27 degrees! Yet our wonderful cast never seemed to lose momentum.
We started by limbering our already (very) warm bodies and focussed on connecting with each other, rebuilding our sense of ensemble and reworking two movement moments of the piece. Through the whole session, I was amazed that the cast didn't not seem to falter in any sense, giving their all to each movement and throwing themselves time and time again into the fun. (I particularly enjoyed creating our Party scene where we built a booming, stirring, sparking social dance.. as in this moment we all started to relax, share our favourite moves and bring our own flavour to the choreography.)
Working with Youth is always such a giving process as you become a sort of Movement Director/Teacher/Mentor hybrid . In one sense you're working for the director and the production to create the movement vision of that moment but you're also working with the young people to access their talent, open up their bodies to new realms of movement possibilities and encourage them to share their vision. It really is wonderful to work with such talented, giving young people. They bring such incredible energy, pitch in with wonderful ideas, and understand how to truly express clarity of intention through movement. So.. Im very delighted to be joining them for two more sessions.
Natasha x
P.s special 'Shout Out' to our Stan.. who fast became 'Dance Captain' amongst the 'Panic Room' Madness for his commitment to the party.