Nat shares this latest update from Ryde Academy. Ed
Ryde Academy Dance Teacher, Hilary Seaton, had the honour of being invited to a lunch in Cardiff to celebrate Rubicon Dance’s 40th birthday.
Matthew Bourne, hailed as the UK’s most popular and successful choreographer and director, was a special guest at the event. He has won the Tony Award for Best Choreographer and Best Director of a Musical. He is also a five-time Olivier Award winner.
Special guest
Hilary was invited as a special guest on behalf of the University of South Wales and was selected due to her contributions to youth dance and dance teaching in education throughout her degree and upon graduating.
She said,
“It was such an inspiration to see Matthew Bourne speak about his amazing career in dance. I have such admiration for him both as a choreographer and role model for aspiring male dancers.”
The source of inspiration
Something that particularly resonated with Hilary was the fact that he pins his success on the opportunities that were provided for him in his local community to perform. He identifies Rubicon Dance and similar organisations as being the source of inspiration for many young people to pursue a career in dance and stresses their importance in developing the next generation of performers and choreographers.
As a dance teacher, Hilary is always trying to maximise the range of opportunities that she can provide for her dancers on the mainland and is proud to say that dance has firmly become part of the Academy’s identity.
Ryde Academy: Some of the country’s best dancers
In just over a year her dancers have performed all over the South Coast including London, Woking, Bracknell, Portsmouth and Bournemouth. Matthew Gough, senior lecturer at the University of South Wales said that students he has seen perform from the Academy are among some of the best dancers that he has seen in a secondary school setting; A real credit to the Academy.
Principal, Joy Ballard, said
“Hilary is an extraordinary teacher of dance. We are so very proud that she was chosen to participate in this prestigious event.”
Hilary was honored to be invited to join this group of prestigious people from the dance world and looks forward to visiting the new BA (Hons) course dancers at the University of South Wales, hopefully with her elite team in the near future.
Ryde Academy dancers at Origins 2016, shot by Year 11 student, Jack Millward.
https://youtu.be/Y2grePZJ61A?list=PLQRyOnyxCSPlgaN1-F3eLHWzlxWQLFSFI
Image: Hilary is kneeling on the left
