A Merseyside-based choreographer is helping disadvantaged children find their rhythm.
As a child Karl Newsam had to “heavily rely” on community dance groups and after-school clubs in order to be able to live out his passion as his family couldn’t afford to send him to private dance schools. Now, wanting to repay the favour, the 39-year-old, who lives in Huyton, has been building his own school, Melt Dance CIC, over the last five years to “support emerging artists” and help them “find their confidence and ignite their love for musical theatre”.
The former LIPA dance teacher told the ECHO : “As a black dance practitioner in Liverpool, I was aware of the lack of diversity in the dance community and wanted to start a venture that showcased dance artists from different backgrounds whilst showcasing the rich history of jazz theatre dance.
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“Diversity is at the forefront of our practice. The industry shouldn’t be elitist and only available to those that can pay lots of money. It’s amazing being able to offer training and performance opportunities to young people who wouldn’t normally have access to this kind of training. Seeing young dancers progress in confidence and skills lets me know I’m doing the right thing.
Karl’s love of dance began when he was a child and grew from his “obsession with music videos and Janet Jackson”. He practiced “every chance” he could and his dedication paid off as he turned his hobby into a full-time career which saw him work with Alesha Dixon, appear on Nickelodeon and Top of the Pops and feature as an extra on several TV adverts.
He said: “I’m no good at sports and I’m not very arty, so for me, dance was the one thing I felt like I could fully express myself with. It gave me the opportunity to build a career in so many directions as all the skills I learnt were transferable. Melt Dance now allows me to share that passion, experience and skills with the new generation of young performers.”
As of the start of this month, the company launched their weekly training programme, Motivate, where young people can "explore, develop skills" whilst working together towards a range of performances. However, similar to many other businesses that are facing hardship due to the cost of living crisis, Karl has had to make a plea to the public for support and donations in order for him to be able to continue offering classes at the prices he does. Karl added: “If we aren't able to continue our work it would be devastating and would impact the opportunity for our learners to see positive role modals, for example, working with black and brown industry professionals.
"In order to continue to offer more free and low-cost and diverse training, it is imperative that we reach out to the public and ask for their support. Support can be in any form, whether it's to offer their skills in kind in order for the company to grow, funding opportunities or recommending Melt Dance within their social network. We are open to all conversations.”
Melt Dance recently turned into a CIC, something which Karl believes will strengthen the ethos of the company. He added: “This also allows us to raise funds to eventually offer more free training and performance opportunities in Merseyside. We aren’t here to compete with other schools but simply complement what they do and offer diverse training.”
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