Meet Newcastle’s most exciting young dancers. The balletLORENT Youth Academy, a pilot project from Newcastle contemporary dance theatre stalwarts balletLORENT, strongly believes creativity and potential come in all different shapes and sizes.
The 11 boys and five girls, aged between six and 13, meet weekly at the John Marley Centre in Benwell to practice their craft.
James MacGillivray, education and projects manager, balletLORENT, said: "We’ve been working with schools across the city for several years as part of a community cast programme to talent spot children who could join our professional company on stage.
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"We’d been trying to find a way to work with children formally outside the performances and had already staged ad-hoc summer classes. So the Youth Academy is a push to have a consistent level of training for children who wouldn’t otherwise have an opportunity to develop.
"We’re looking for raw talent and creative energy. We’re not just training children in dance techniques and we don’t work through the grading system. What we’re doing is giving children a platform to explore creativity through dance.
"One of the things that are very different from other dance schools is that it's all free. The Academy also includes chaperoned transport, food, healthy snacks at all sessions, and a sensory zone where children can go to sit, relax, draw and take some time out. It was very important to us to have a space that was welcoming and available for everyone."
Staff at BalletLORENT met young cousins Grace, 8, and Dara, 9, during the Covid lockdowns. During a number of online sessions, James said the pair stood out straight away as highly engaged, emotionally intelligent, and confident to share their ideas. They are both now Youth Academy regulars.
Grace, who lives in West Denton and attends St Paul's Primary School in Elswick, said: "My favourite thing about the Academy is creative dancing. Moving your body a lot makes you feel happy and like you’re really enjoying yourself. My favourite style is freestyle because I get to express myself in my way and it’s all about feeling good.
"I feel more confident now because I’ve done lots of shows for other people so I don’t feel as shy anymore. My friends think I’m very good at ballet and creative dancing and I do shows for them and show the steps. Lots of them want to start dancing now as well. I want to work in the theatre doing dancing, ballet, or singing."
Cousin Dara, a fellow St Paul's student from East Denton, said: "My favourite thing about the Academy is I am able to express myself better and just go with the flow. I feel wonderful because now I am a lot more confident to dance in front of everyone. When I feel unsure, I have an inner voice telling me I can do this.
"My friends think ballet dancing is only for girls but I have tried to explain to them that this is not regular ballet dancing, there is a lot more to it and it involves a lot of creative dancing. I want to work in the theatre as a creative dancer or singer or be an astronaut.
"I want to say thank you to Ballet Lorent for helping me to express myself and challenge myself to become better. Sometimes I think I don’t have good dancing skills, but I think that it’s important to just express yourself however you can".
Among the attendees are children with ADHD, Tourette’s syndrome, and other additional needs, who the company fully support in their creative ambitions. Each of the 16 children was invited onto the programme when balletLORENT held creative workshops in their school and noticed their potential.
The majority come from schools in Newcastle's most deprived neighbourhoods. The company prides itself on spotting creative talent, aptitude, and flair that schools and teachers may miss in the busy classroom environment. In fact, they say teaching staff is often surprised which children the company selects, sometimes pointing them towards 'better behaved' options.
When balletLORENT spots a child who they think would benefit from joining the Academy, they are sent home with a note in their bag. Education and projects manager James MacGillivray then speaks to parents to convince them that this is a genuine opportunity - and that it won't cost them anything.
As well as weekly after-school sessions, balletLORENT also runs school holiday 'intensives', where families are relieved to hear that healthy meals and snacks are provided free of charge throughout the day. Project funding, from Newcastle Culture Investment Fund, Curtin PARP, and the Three Monkies Trust also allows balletLORENT to provide chaperoned transport for families who are unable to either spare the time or meet the cost of travelling to and from sessions.
