Ruth Leon recommends… Dance Life – Brent Street Academy
Ruth Leon recommendsDance Life – Brent Street Academy
There’s no way to describe this form of dancing, commercial dancing, without sounding dismissive, which is the last thing I intend. This offshoot of modern dance has no names for its steps or movements, but its beat is paramount. The dance these students are learning and perfecting at Brent Street Academy is what you see when you watch a pop or rock singer. They are the background dancers. They jump, writhe, squirm, twist, pose, turn and contort their bodies in support of the singers. They have their own competitions and showcases, and choreographers who teach by example rather than vocabulary.
And by this, I don’t mean to denigrate them. They are as committed to their discipline as any ballerina. By the end of their training at a special school in Sydney, Australia, they are fully trained dancers equipped to go out into the stage, screen and television worlds and many will make lucrative careers as professional dancers.
This series, Dance Life, tracks the remarkable journey of Brent Street Academy students during their senior year, as they strive to become professional, commercial dancers. From perfectionists to prodigies, underdogs to the entitled, everyone’s journey is unique. I, for one, as a long time observer of dance in all its forms, find this series a revelation.
Comments