On Wednesday 16 March, BTEC Level 3 Dance students participated in the Inspiring Women in Dance event, run by the English National Ballet. At Sadler’s Wells, the students were lucky to have the opportunity to talk to inspirational professionals and learn about the variety of career options in the dance sector, both on and off stage. This included ENB’s Artistic Director and Lead Principal Dancer, Tamara Rojo CBE and Gitta Wigro, Co-Director of Independent Dance as well as choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa. The dance specialists were joined by Miriam González Durántez who is an international lawyer and Inspiring Women champion.
Dance student, Laura Mattock enthused, “I really enjoyed having the chance to speak to women within the dance industry and finding out how they got to where they are. It was interesting to find out that they may not have set out to do the role that they are currently in, but because they took professional risks they developed new skills and one job lead to another. The most important tip that I was left with was to realise that although I may not feel comfortable doing something, I must try it as you never know what it may lead to.”
Helen Patterson, Head of Dance at Coulsdon College hopes that this trip will be an annual event in her Department’s busy timetable. “It was an excellent opportunity to talk to a range of professionals within the industry such as a choreographer, a producer, an archivist, an operating officer at a major art venue, a costume designer and many more. All of the women that they spoke to demonstrated the range of skills within the industry and made it clear that having a passion for dance and movement can be hugely rewarding. Students were impressed with how seriously dance careers are taken and the event left them with a lot to think about.“
Artistic Director of English National Ballet, Tamara Rojo said of the event, “I am thrilled that the Inspiring Women Campaign held its first ever event for dance here at ENB. For these young female students to have access to so many powerful women in dance, from choreographers and artists, to producers and costume designers, was such an incredible opportunity. I hope it has helped them to dream big, and think of our art form, with the range of careers it has to offer, as a real possibility for them.”