Application Guidance Notes
This document relates to the Application Form for East Midlands groups wishing to apply for a county dance platform, elEMents Choreo Lab and
U.Dance 2017.
Deadline for applications: Friday 2 December 2016 12.00 noon.
1. Overview
What is U.Dance?
U.Dance is a national framework that helps improve and inspire dance performance opportunities for children and young people across England, led by One Dance UK.
What does U.Dance involve in the East Midlands?
In the East Midlands Dance4 leads a regional partnership group called the Dance Alliance Group (DAG), made up of dance professionals based in each county. The regional DAG have been collectively planning and developing how best to take U.Dance forward throughout 2017 and beyond and have been working closely with One Dance UK to connect to the national structure. The aim of DAG is to provide high quality opportunities for youth dance groups from across the East Midlands to access performance and choreographic opportunities and with that in mind there are changes to this year’s U.Dance opportunities in the East Midlands.
PLEASE READ ALL THE INFORMATION BELOW CAREFULLY TO ENSURE THAT YOU ARE CLEAR ON THE CHANGES AND NEW STRUCUTRE FOR U.DANCE IN THE EAST MIDLANDS FOR 2017.
What is the new structure for U.Dance in the East Midlands in 2017?
Step 1:
Groups can still apply to one of the 5 county U.Dance platforms in each county area by completing the online application form.
Xzibit Young Choreographers can be applied to through a separate application process, for more information visit: www.garethwoodward.com
Xzibit will be included as the 6th U.Dance event, and therefore the young people’s work that is presented at Xzibit will also be part of selection process for U.Dance going forward.
Step 3:
Groups will be selected following the application deadline on 5 December by a panel of dance professionals to take part in one of the county events. Groups will be notified if they have been selected for one of theses events no later than Friday 23 December. Collective panel feedback will be given via email to group leaders who request it following this selection.
Step 4:
The county events will happen between 28 January2017 and 26 March 2017.
Step 5:
A panel of dance professionals will be present at each county youth dance event. They will watch the work live and assess the work against the criteria set by One Dance UK.
Step 6:
Following all of the 5 county events and Xzibit, the panel of dance professionals, will reconvene to decide which groups will be progressing to the next opportunities outlined below. When the panel reconvene a representative from One Dance UK will also be present and involved in the selection.
The panel will select groups to progress to the following:
elEMENts Choreo Lab
One group from each of the 5 county events and one group from Xzibit will be selected to take part in elEMents Choreo Lab (full details of what this is below), 6 groups in total.
U.Dance 2017
From these 6 groups 2 groups will be selected to progress to U.Dance 2017 national festival. PLEASE NOTE THIS SELECTION HAPPENS WHEN THE PANEL RECONVENES FOLLOWING THE COUNTY EVENTS. THERE IS NO SELECTION PANEL AT elEMents Choreo Lab.
U.Dance 2017 ‘National Choice’
One Dance UK will also be looking to see whether they would like to invite any additional groups that have performed at any of the county events to attend the national festival as part of their ‘national choice’ selection (more information below.)
Step 7:
a) The 6 groups will be notified if they have been selected to attend elEMents Choreo Lab no later than 7 April via email.
b) The two groups that have been selected to progress to U.Dance 2017 will also be informed no later than 7 April via email.
c) Any groups selected by One Dance UK to progress to U.Dance 2017 chosen through the ‘national choice’ will be notified by 26 April.
Step 8:
The 6 selected groups will take part in elEments Choreo Lab on April 30 2017.
Step 9:
All of the 6 groups that have taken part in elEMents Choreo Lab will be given an opportunity in their local county area from May 2017 onwards to perform the piece that they presented at the original county event as a curtain raiser to a professional dance performance in a theatre in their county area. This will be arranged and led by one of the DAG partners.
Step 10:
One group who have taken part in elEMents choreo lab will be chosen by the choreographer to work with them on an additional opportunity connecting to their professional choreographic work to be confirmed.
Step 11:
The two groups that have been select to go to U.Dance 2017 will attend the festival in Birmingham between 13 -16 July 2017.
2. Who is U.Dance open to?
The process outlined above is open to any youth dance company or group that meet the criteria highlighted in the guidance notes below. We welcome applications from groups from any dance genre and sector and would like to particularly encourage inclusive groups and groups that include disabled dancers with physical or Special Educational Needs (SEN) to apply.
We would like to highlight that this opportunity is open to any dance form including - South Asian, African, Urban/Street, Contemporary and Classical styles.
3. Selection Panels
As a region we will ensure that our selection panels include a cross- section of experienced dance professionals with specialist knowledge in a range of dance forms and have worked with a range of young people with different needs. We aim to have panel representatives who have specialist knowledge in inclusive dance and are able to make fair judgements about each work against the set criteria. Panels are tasked to consider each group presented individually against the set selection criteria below. This is to ensure that the broad range of work presented at the county platforms is considered for progression as fairly as possible.
4. Criteria
The selection panels will be looking for dance groups that meet the set criteria below:
1. Demonstrate excellence in performance standards
2. Present interesting and appropriate choreography, where dancers and choreographer(s) have worked together to produce the piece
3. Are willing to give 100% (as demonstrated through the group’s involvement at their county event)
4. Demonstrate respect and consideration to all (as demonstrated through the group’s involvement at the county platform)
5. Reflects the diversity of the youth dance sector in the East Midlands area
Points 1 and 2 will be the main consideration for the panel to assess work at Step 3 of the process above.
Points 1 – 5 will be considered when the panel select at Step 6 above.
5. County Platforms:
The five county platforms will be managed in partnership by Dance4, Déda, artsNK, The Core at Corby Cube, Curve and One Dance UK. The dates for the events are as follows:
Mass Movement (Leicestershire), Saturday January 28 2017, Curve Main House
www.curveonline.co.uk
N.Dance (Northamptonshire), Saturday 25 February 2017, The Core @ Corby Cube www.thecorecorby.com
True Motion (Lincolnshire), Saturday 4 March 2017, Lincoln Performing Arts Centre www.lpac.co.uk
Interface (Derbyshire), Monday6 March 2017,The Pomegranite, Chesterfield
http://www.chesterfieldtheatres.co.uk/
Episodes (Nottinghamshire), Sunday 26 March 2017, Nottingham Lakeside Arts
www.lakesidearts.org.uk
Xzibit curated by Gareth Woodward, Saturday 25 March 2017, Nottingham Lakeside Artswww.garethwoodward.com
Individual young people can apply to Xzibit by visiting: www.garethwoodward.com
6. What is elEMents Chore Lab?
elEMents Choreo Lab is an opportunity for six youth dance groups from around the East Midlands region to come together and explore choreographic ideas and approaches throughout a day of workshops led by a professional choreographer. The day will on 30 April 2017 at Dance4’s International Centre for Choreography (iC4C), Space2, 2 Daykene Street, Nottingham, NG3 2AR.
The aim of this event is to provide an opportunity for young people to develop their own choreography and work alongside their leaders and other young people in workshop enviroments and share their work in a studio setting.
iC4C is an exemplar creative facility and the home of Dance4. It offers three state-of-the-art studios with high quality sprung floors alongside changing, laundry and kitchen facilities, hot-desking and adaptable networking spaces.
iC4C provides a home to Dance4’s Centre for Advanced Training in dance and is a creative industries hub for learning and skills, knowledge exchange and workforce development.
7. U.Dance 2017 National Festival:
One Dance UK will host U.Dance 2017 national festival in Birmingham between 13 – 16 July 2017
Groups will take part in workshops across a range of styles with leading artists and inspirational teachers throughout the three-day residency.
8. Application Process
Groups can apply for:
a) County Platform ONLY
b) County Platform and elEMents Choreo Lab ONLY
c) County Platform, elEMents Choreo Lab and U.Dance 2017
Please note:
· You must take part in a county platform or Xzibit to be part of elEMents or U.Dance 2017
· County platform hosts may invite guest groups to perform.
How to apply
You must complete and submit the following:
1. An online application via the link here: …..
2. Film footage of the piece of work your group intends to perform at the county platform.
Please note:
· Applications will be acknowledged via email within five working days of receiving your application. If you have not had a confirmation email from Dance4 saying we have received your application and can successfully view your film footage you must contact the Dance4 office immediately to chase up your application.
· Dance4 takes no responsibility for lost applications or film footage that is faulty or not of a quality to view by a selection panel by the deadline given.
10. GUIDANCE ON FILMING YOUR DANCE
Do’s / Don’tsDo make sure that your dance piece and group are well lit and so clearly visible. / Don’t film in the dark.
Do make sure that you film the piece in is a clear space (no bags or chairs around the edges). / Don’t distract the panel with clutter in the room - they may be mistaken for props.
Do make sure that your full group are present on the day of filming (or as close to all). / Don’t film a piece that should have 20 dancers with only 2 present.
Do make sure that the music can be heard. / Don’t use a phone to play music out of whilst filming - a sound system/stereo is much better. Don’t have the public chatting in the background.
Do make sure that you film the piece from the front. / Don’t film the piece from the side or back of the dancers.
Do make sure that when played on a PC the footage plays the correct way up and not on its side (you may need to change the orientation that you film it). / Don’t forget to test this – you’d be surprised how many times we watch footage with our heads at a funny angle!
Do try to make sure that the piece is as close to finished as possible. Although we do understand that some dance pieces may be ‘works in progress’ when you apply. / Don’t just submit small clips of the piece on their own- it is hard for the panel to picture what the final piece will look like if they only seen this and have no information about what the finished piece will look like.
Do check that your link of file works before sending / Don’t just send it in without checking it works
Do makes sure that there is a clear start and clear finish / Don’t have the dancers stood chatting casually at the back (unless this is part of your piece)
Do check that we have received your footage and application if you do not hear from us. / Don’t feel like you are pestering us, we would rather make sure that all applications come through successfully.
Do send any passwords that we need to be able to view link / Don’t make your footage so private that our panel cannot watch it
Do call us if you have any questions / Don’t let footage submission get stressful and confusing
11. Group Requirements
In order for a group to be eligible for a place for a county platform, elEMents or U.Dance 20167 you will need to:
· Submit a dance piece with no more than 20 dancers performing in it (we recommend the groups comprise no more than 15 dancers. Groups of 16 dancers or more will need to have three chaperones instead of two).
· Only include dancers aged 11 to 19 years on the 26 July 2017. Disabled dancers up to age 25 years on the 26 July 2017 can apply.
· All dancers must complete a Media Consent Form prior to the county and/or regional platform.
· Length of piece: Performance work submitted for a county should be a minimum of 2 minutes and maximum 7 minutes.
12. New Dimensions
New Dimensions is an opportunity for more established youth dance groups to apply to attend U.Dance 2017 directly. There is a separate application process for this route to the national festival and the applications are assessed directly by One Dance UK. For more information visit: http://www.onedanceuk.org/
Costs:
There is no fee to apply for a place for the county platform and/ or elEMents. However groups will need to cover the cost of:
· transport to and from venues
· food and refreshments
· cost for leaders to be present at the event/s
If your group successfully progresses to U.Dance 2017 national festival a contribution of £110 per person (including Group Leader, Chaperones and all group members) is required. This fee is to cover accommodation and catering throughout the three-day festival and is set by One Dance UK. Full details about fundraising and details about contribution to U.Dance 2017 are available on One Dance UK’s website.
‘Visiting Groups’ who have agreed to attend the U.Dance 2017 for one day only will be charged a nominal fee per person to cover their lunch and dinner on the day they attend the event.
For full details visit: www.onedanceuk.org
11. Briefing Meetings:
Group leaders will be required to come to a compulsory briefing meeting for each event if successful. These dates will be available on the Dance4 website soon.
12. Contact details:
If you have any questions please contact:
Becky Aram or Jim Hendley
Telephone: 0115 9242016
Email: