Opinion: Youth Dance is better than ‘Professional’ Dance
Last Friday, I had the pleasure of attending Flexus Dance Collective's annual youth dance showcase at Arena Theatre in Wolverhampton. Having worked with Flexus on and off for the past 3 years, I have witnessed their growth & dedication firsthand. Hopefully our relationship will grow and flourish over the coming years, but seeing the show on Friday though made me feel bursting with pride! I’ll explain…. [3 mins read time].
The show, titled "The Pearl," performed by Sterran Touring, their flagship touring youth company, left me in shocked in the best possible way. Words cannot adequately capture the performance, from the exceptional quality and commitment to the captivating storytelling, high standard and sheer professionalism. As someone who has extensive experience in youth dance, I can confidently say that I have never seen a youth company perform at such a high level. I’ve seen alot of youth as well as ‘professional’ dance works - at all scales, in all types of setting, across a variety of styles and located all over the country. From the West End to Edinburgh Fringe, to a rural Primary School that has 50 pupils, to mass participation projects in big cities.
The work is outstanding…
"The Pearl" consisted of a triple bill, with two captivating pieces in the first half followed by the headline work in the second half. The quality and passion displayed by the performers were unparalleled. The work truly excelled in every aspect, creating an experience reminiscent of the highest standard of professional theatre.
It’s not uncommon for artists that work with young people to often face unfair perceptions that their work is not of the same calibre as professional companies. This misconception is both frustrating and unjust. Those who work with young people bring a high standard, probably many years’ worth of training, passion, integrity, sound ethics, and high-quality artistry, expertise, compassion and care to their work. Their work, including process through to performance product is everything that funders seek to support. Flexus and other artists with a solid youth-based practice should be celebrated for their meaningful engagement with young people and for the difference this type of work has on real lives - for many, it is life changing, at the very least for all, it is life-enhancing. Some of those young folks will go on to make a career out of dance, some will not. But, either way, those young lives will be better for having been part of the Flexus family.
So, I want to applaud Flexus for their commitment to nurturing the dance artists of the future. This is an appreciation article as much as it is an opinion piece. I’ve seen ‘professional’ pieces of dance, some by ‘leading’ dance companies not pack a punch and have any heart/guts/soul like The Pearl did. It deserves the recognition and validation of being held on a par with the best the UK has to offer. In my next blog I’ll explore this further - I will probably get back on my soapbox about it because this is a subject I’m really passionate about.
Why do I feel this way?
Well, loads of reasons but not least that elitist perceptions around what constitutes ‘good’ has to change - just because something is labelled as professional does not mean that correlates with good, authentic or a high standard. What even is ‘good’ anyway? Who says so? There’s something about youth dance that punches hard in a way that professional dancers rarely convey - the rawness, the energy, the commitment, the passion…. so, in relation to this opinion piece, I say so based on my experience and based on my ongoing witnessing of the downplayed perception of artists who have a youth or community-informed practice. They are looked down on. Questioned. Have to constantly prove their worth. Which also, used to happen to me by the way, in a former life. Fast forward to now and when I’m working with artists on their ACE funding applications, when we arrive at the ambition and quality section: I ask the same question - through what lens?
Back to Flexus… their dedication to empowering young talent is unrelenting, and goodness me, so very evident there on stage, in front of my eyes. The collaborative efforts of Katy, Jade, Mersadies and the whole creative team have created an environment where young dancers can thrive. Fabulous stage design, epic lighting, the lot. Witnessing the incredible talent showcased last Friday fills me with excitement for the future of the industry. If these artists are the product of Flexus's ongoing hard work, skill and guidance, we can expect a remarkable dance community in the years to come.
A huge congratulations to them on an insane show, and may their work continue to inspire and captivate young people and audiences for a long to come.
Head to the Flexus Dance Collective website and socials to find out more about them.