Student Lauryn Silverwood is preparing to put some young dancers through their paces – with her very own routine.
Lauryn, a Dance Level 5 student at University Centre Leeds, has always had an interest in choreography: how to use it to both explore her own dance style and tell stories.
As part of her teaching module Lauryn has been putting together a dance routine for performance, plus a dance workshop, for young people.
She has now been commissioned to create a short dance piece for the East Riding Youth Dance County Company (ERYDCC) – a group whose members, aged 14 to18, take their dance training seriously.
An empowering step
Working on a routine that has been inspired by the theme of female empowerment, Lauryn has just held the first of three sessions with ERYDCC.
Following the completion of the workshops, the students will then prepare to give their first performance of the piece at a fete in Pocklington on Saturday 31 July.
Lauryn is understandably a little nervous about what is her first assignment as a ‘dance teacher’, but also very excited about where it could lead.
She said:“It’s tricky trying to break into the industry and this will be a good stepping stone and a foot in the door for the future.”
Speaking after leading her first class, she added: “It was refreshing to see the eagerness of the students and how they enjoyed taking part in every task I asked of them.
“I was also able to see a common occurrence between the students and I – the projection of low confidence when training. As the same feeling was shared, I was able to supply them with tools to be able to move forward with more confidence which felt very liberating.”
A confident start
Course Leader for Foundation Dance Degree at University Centre Leeds, Dawn Holgate, says Lauryn is showing a lot of early promise as a fledgling teacher.
Dawn said: “She is working in dance styles she studied on the course and has really connected with the group members.
“Lauryn was able to bring all the teaching skills she had been developing whilst studying Create and Narrate (a dance teaching practice module) at Level 5.
“She brought energy and confidence to the first session and the group members made some very complimentary comments.”
The teaching sessions with ERYDCC, all follow the latest Covid-19 guidance on working with young people.
To find out more about dance courses at University Centre Leeds click here.
More details on the East Riding Youth Dance County Company can be found at www.eryd.co.uk,
on Facebook: @eastridingyouthdance and on Twitter: @ERYouthDance.
Photograph by NCphotography .