Rambert Grades Adds 5 Solos by Top Contemporary Choreographers

Rambert Grades has some new choreography for students to learn. The training organization, which provides syllabi and examinations in contemporary dance worldwide, recently added a collection of solos with a focus on storytelling for dancers to perform in their exams. The pieces come from four top choreographers: Matthew Bourne, known for contemporary takes on classic story ballets; Vidya Patel, who blends classical Indian and contemporary dance; Will Tuckett, who’s worked across ballet, opera, and theater; and choreographer Kate Prince’s ZooNation, which creates full-length narratives that incorporate hip hop and physical theater.

There’s a new work for each level, from Grade 1 through Grade 5 (ages 7-plus). The Grade 1 solo draws on excerpts from ZooNation’s Some Like It Hip Hop, giving students an opportunity to learn about the foundations of hip hop. For Grade 2, Tuckett has created a new solo, to Carnival of the Animals, that teaches students about exploring space and dynamics. In Grade 3, dancers get to express their individuality as a quirky character from Bourne’s The Car Man. Patel’s new creation, Poem Without Words, for Grade 4, asks students to embody natural elements with a mix of kathak and contemporary movement. And the Grade 5 solo is an adapted excerpt from Bourne’s iconic Swan Lake, challenging dancers’ physicality.

With more than 600 teachers using the Rambert Grades syllabi in 38 countries, this addition brings professional-level contemporary choreography to a vast array of young dancers. As Bourne said in a press release, “It’s a unique opportunity for students to connect their training to what they see on world-class stages and truly experience the joy of storytelling through movement.”

The post Rambert Grades Adds 5 Solos by Top Contemporary Choreographers appeared first on Dance Teacher.