Our spectacular skating!

Hi!

It's me again. I think some more of our other staff members need to write on here! (hint, hint) I am very excited today as most of the team are getting together for celebrations this evening. As it is Jen and Becky's leaving do, we are wishing them good luck with their newest endeavors by 'nottskating'! Oh yes, we so called dance people will be performing Bambi on Ice this very evening on the Market Square's outdoor ice rink! We will have our very own Anna Mansell judging our performance at this spectacular event...who knows who will be the secret skater. My bets are on Jen - the snow boarding/running Queen.

I am planning on being snap happy and capturing some of the best moments on camera for you to have a good old giggle at. That's if I don't spend most of my time picking myself up off the floor!

So why we are having fun and laughter on the ice, Paul is off working in Brussels. Although, no sympathy and lots of jealousy as he is off to see Les SlovaKs and Kate McIntosh! Hopefully he will fill us in when he gets back.

Have a good weekend and enjoy the ice rink if you're going too!

Kirsten x

Nottingham Contemporary

Hello!

So, I went to see Nottingham Contemporary on Saturday...and...I loved it! The space was so beautifully airy and light. The windows framed the surrounding area of the city so well, and they invite passers by to observe the art, the building and the people inside it. The David Hockney collection of work was brave and bold, but my time was mostly spent observing the work of Frances Stark. I found her work textually fascinating and the detail in her work could keep me interested for hours.

So what else is new?

Well, Sarah and I have now devised a Friday Feeling feature on Dance4's facebook pages, where we will be interviewing one person each week who enters our building. Check it out - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dance4/33998758177#/pages/Dance4/33998758177?v=app_2347471856

As Helen mentioned my time is now being taken up learning numbers! Yes, so far I have had the pleasure of VAT. Something that I'm not usually familiar with, but I think I may be getting there? (slowly!)

And...we also have a new teapot! Courtesy of Miss Becky Bailey (AKA Marasaki for some of us!) Our love of tea goes on. We also had a MASSIVE box of chocolates, however, they seem to have disappeared already..hhmmm...???

The sun is shining in on the Dance4 office and people are looking fresh and sprightly this morning. Everyone is getting to grips with a exciting new programme, and are looking forward to new arrivals in the office very soon.

That's all for now folks.

Keep us updated on what you're up to on our facebook pages!

Kirsten x

So here's a little update on life at Dance4: Becky's trying to be healthy by eating salad and complaining about avocado, the festival team have been evaluating over blueberry pancakes at Paul's and Kirsten's trying to find some joy in the world of VAT!

On a more exciting note, on Tuesday we had our first meeting with the leaders of youth groups performing at episodes10 - our annual youth dance platform for Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. We met at Nottingham Playhouse (where the groups will be performing in February) and had a chance to look around the space before sitting down with a cuppa to talk about the nitty-gritty. It was really exciting to be in such an amazing venue and hearing the group leaders chat about the young people involved and the pieces they'll be creating over the next few months. It's going to be an amazing show, so keep an eye out for more details soon.

And on that note, better sort out some parent consent forms now!

Cheerio

Helen x

Lists!

So...it's Friday...and it's unusually quiet in the office today. I've just enjoyed reading your blog Sarah and I'm sure everyone else will agree what a delight it is to have you in the office! I'm guessing I am in the group of the list obsessors! You must agree, the satisfaction of ticking of something off on your list is one of the greatest, but simplest things in life. Especially when it's the last thing on your list, as it's the end of all your tasks. So, of course, then it's time to make another list! So the list of lists becomes endless! See...OBSESSION.

Kirsten x

PS. I'm sorry, forgive me, it's Friday.

CA - Part One: Before

It’s just over a month and a half since I started at Dance4 as Creative Apprentice. And it’s just over a week since the end of nottdance09. Strange that. So much has happened in my time here that it seems a little bit weird to try and sum it all up in blog entry.

While I’m sure you’d love to hear about my first couple of weeks, and how I majestically learnt how to deal with a stubborn printer, how I ceremoniously used a franking machine by my own accord, or how I (semi-) mastered the art of the tea round (all very impressive, I think you’ll agree), we’ll stick to the good stuff. The meaty stuff. nottdance09.

Right now, the office is pretty still, oddly still; my only real experiences of working in Dance4 are a flurry of new names and faces entering the place, artists from around the world in the studios rehearsing, dates and meetings flung into my (seriously) tiny diary, people in and out delivering props, branded material and the like (umbrellas anyone?).

Some of the most interesting things pre-festival, were simply having the artists around. One of them using the space asked for our musical suggestions for his piece, and after having a sharing, a couple of tracks were definitely recognised (a proud moment for all involved…).

Helping/shadowing the orchestration of other projects and working on licensing were (probably secretly, definitely geekily) enjoyed by yours truly. It was also kind of comforting to know there were other people out there who had my obsession with lists. These things were flying everywhere.

I feel pretty lucky and extremely thankful. Soaking up everything I can, and learning as much as is possible, is why I’m here after all. And I like it.

Your Creative Apprentice,

Sarah X

PS – I apologise for all the brackets. Be prepared for more.