INFORMATION ABOUT CURRENT EDUCATION PROJECTS COMING SOON

7: The Dojo

7: The Dojo is the first of many pieces inspired from the Laurence Olivier award winning Pied Piper.

These chronicles explore the very nature of what is the Piper’s skills and introducing and dance technique of what we call ‘Animotion’ (dance styles/ techniques fused with the movement and attitude of an animal).

The Animotions are:

Cobra – Popping and Waving
Eagle – Gymnastics
Scorpion – Breaking/ B boyin
Crane – Locking
Gorilla – Krumpin

Golden Dragon- When all the other animotions fuse together.

7: The Dojo is a piece set in the training grounds where 6 of the Piper’s students are practicising their chosen animotions. We see each of the animotions and the first level of the Gold Dragon.

7 is also the foundation to our newest production which will be out in 2011!

BOY BLUE ENTERTAINMENT EDUCATION

Since its beginnings, the Boy Blue Entertainment programme has been about training to a high standard, creating opportunities for disadvantaged young people from predominantly BME backgrounds, and exploring the potential of Hip Hop culture.

The educational programme will enable a truly youth-led programme. Within this sits a programme of artistic excellence that ensures that the production will be of the highest quality, whilst the participation programme will enable young people to have access to the professional experience.

Education Director Simone “Flex” Wilson will head the team of six experienced dancers and teachers, all of them performers in the Pied Piper production; their biographies are in this section.

London Education Programme: Schools’ Workshops (September – October 2009)

We will spend a whole day in each school. Times are approximate and will be delivered specifically to fit into individual school schedules, including break times and lunch times.

* CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION ON HOW + WHERE TO AUDITION.

PIED PIPER EDUCATION SCHOOL DATES

Week 1

21st Sept- FREE!!
22nd Sept- Kaizen Primary School (Newham)
23rd Sept- Shaftesbury Primary School (Newham)
24th Sept- Scott Wilkie Primary School (Newham)
25th Sept- Burntwood School (Wandsworth)

Week 2

28th Sept- Lawdale School (Barbican)
29th Sept- Morpeth School (Barbican)
30th Sept- Oaklands School (Barbican)
1st Oct- Stoke Newington School (Barbican)
2nd Oct- Swanlea School (Barbican)

Week 3

5th Oct- City of London Islinhgton School (Barbican)
6th Oct- Langdon Secondary School (Newham)
7th Oct- Gable Hall School (Essex)
8th Oct- All Saints School (Barkings and Dagenham)
9th Oct- Barking abbey school (Barking and Dagenham)

Week 4

12th Oct- Cannon Palmer School (Redbridge)
14th Oct- Forest Hill School (Lewisham)
15th Oct- Haling Manor School (Croydon)
16th Oct- Harris Academy South Norwood (Croydon)

Week 5

19th Oct- Acland Burghley School (Camden)
20th Oct- The Grey Coat School (Westminster)
21st Oct- Wanstead High School (Redbridge)
22nd Oct- Norlington Boys School (Waltham Forest)
23rd Oct- Lambeth Academy (Lambeth)

AUDITIONING FOR THE PIED PIPER COMMUNITY CAST

The Pied Piper auditions are open to boys and girls aged 10 to16 years. However, the community cast needs to look between the ages of 10 and 12 years, as they will be portraying the Children of Hamelin.

Boy Blue Entertainment will be looking for 60 young people to train and perform with the company in the production of Pied Piper at the Barbican from 9 December 2009 to 3 January 2010.

The auditions are open to any young person living in London – they don’t need to be connected to one of the schools, nor do they have to have been in the workshop at school.

* CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION ON HOW + WHERE TO AUDITION.

ONGOING HIP HOP TRAINING WITH BOY BLUE

There will unfortunately be young people who are unsuccessful or aren’t yet confident enough to audition for Pied Piper, so Boy Blue will be setting up open regular training classes for young people aged 11 to 19 to train in Hip Hop dance techniques. Please ask us where your pupils can join these sessions.

FOLLOWING THE AUDITION/SELECTION PROCESS…

♣ The 60 young dancers that are selected will be divided into 4 groups.

♣ Each dancer will need to attend a weekly training and weekend sessions, which run from 9 November to 6 December.

♣ Each group will undertake approximately 6 performances of Pied Piper.

♣ Dancers must be committed to the entire training and performance programme.

BOY BLUE ENTERTAINMENT PIED PIPER EDUCATION TEAM

Simone “Flex” Wilson has been teaching for the past eleven years in schools, and is currently teaching Performing Arts BTEC and HNC students at Barking College. Flex is a qualified personal trainer and Sports Massage Therapist, and is currently busy keeping the Pied Piper Company in condition for their gruelling performance schedule. Flex has been teaching and dancing for Boy Blue Entertainment with over seven years, and is part of the creative team of five core dancers and performers. She performed in and assisted with the choreography of Pied Piper. Her performance credits include MTV Base, L’Oreal, Nike, Choice FM, as well as Breakin’ Convention. Flex recently taught in Namibia for a project raising awareness of HIV and AIDS, and choreographed for OYO and UK dancers, which showcased at Ctrl.Alt.Shift at the Peacock Theatre in 2008.

Nadia Sahawon has been dancing for nearly twenty years and still enjoys teaching, performing and choreographing. She has worked with artists such as Mariah Carey, Dizzee Rascal, Jamelia and Mis-teeq. She has also worked on several campaigns and commercials for Sony, Nike, T-Mobile, MTV and MSN. Nadia has been a member of Boy Blue Entertainment since 2003 and has performed with them in Pied Piper, Move it 08 and for Nike, among others. Nadia is also the founder and owner of creative company freeYOURstyle Collective.

Victoria “Skytilz” Mantey has been dancing with Boy Blue Entertainment for over 7 years. As part of the creative team, she teaches and choreographs for the company. Her other dancing credits include performances for George Sampson, MTV, Nike, Reebok, ITV and Dizzee Rascal. She has performed in, and assisted with, the choreography of Pied Piper as well as Breakin’ Convention (2004 – 2008). Victoria recently taught in Namibia for a project promoting HIV and AIDS awareness and choreographed a piece with OYO (Namibia) and UK dancers, which was showcased during Ctrl.Alt.Shift at the Peacock Theatre in 2008.

Kofi “Klik” Mingo has been deeply engaged in Hip Hop theatre for three years, taking part in various productions including Pied Piper, Tag me vs. the City (Sadler’s Wells and Jonzi D Productions) and Loved Up, a bungee and Hip Hop dance collaboration. His own pieces have been showcased in events such as Two’s A Company and Dance Plus (Stratford Circus and ELD). He has also worked on commercial projects for Nike and T-Mobile and supported performers on stage and in videos. He teaches dance to all ages, and is a long-standing member of Boy Blue Entertainment, taking part in festivals such as Breakin’ Convention at Sadler’s Wells.

Bruno “Boom” Perrier has been a member of Boy Blue Entertainment for three years, having trained with Culture Shock UK where he studied techniques in street dance, popping, locking and breakdance. He has performed at prestigious venues, such as the London Palladium, Sadler’s Wells, Peacock Theatre, Southbank Centre, Theatre Royal Stratford East, Glastonbury, Hackney Empire and the Indig02. He has also been involved with projects for Nike, ITV, BBC3, Channel 4 and MTV Base. Other credits include the Shayne Ward UK Arena tour (supporting Anusha), 29th Chapter European tour and George Sampson videos. He teaches Hip Hop workshops throughout the UK and Europe and is an assistant and frequent cover for Kenrick Sandy’s popular H2Ography class at Danceworks. He appears in Pied Piper for the second time.