Feedback from the DUETS project

We recently had some wonderful feedback from a parent of one of our DUETS scholarship children:

A massive thank you for your continued hard work with my daughter, and for giving her such an amazing opportunity to work with yourselves as part of both the ballet and street scholarship, we will always be grateful.       

My daughter used to get embarrassed when dancing and was either laughed at or pushed out of groups in school due to her feeling embarrassed.

Since being with Rubicon scholarship her confidence and self-esteem has grown massively and she has started to be accepted by her peers, being listened to when having ideas about routines and also being allowed to lead sometimes.             

My daughter dances in the street, shop mirrors, windows where she can see herself and all around the house. She just cannot fit enough dancing in to her day anymore.  

The scholarship has really given my daughter a completely different outlook on herself and increased her self-esteem massively. The Paul Hamlyn Foundation Scholarship is an extremely magnificent school of dance, and I can never thank you enough for the opportunity and hard dedication of your team and continued support.

Thank you to you all.

DUETS is a joint project between Rubicon and Ballet Cymru, and is funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation.

We are all massively proud of this initiative – many thanks to all involved in the project – to the people it reaches, the work that we all create, and to the legacy that it creates.  You will be hearing more about how we intend to continue the work shortly…..

Apprenticeship Report

Rhian Lowe is the community dance apprentice with Artis Community as part of the Wales Wide training programme.  What follows is a selection from her second term’s report.

 My role had developed during the second term in comparison to the first. My additional roles were to lead parts of the sessions, work alongside the leaders, engage with themes and begin to experience non-practical duties such as, liaising with the Artis team at the office. On the office side I was given tasks and projects to assist with such as marketing, sharing ideas and learning ways to advertise classes and pull in new clients. This was exciting for me as this was an unfamiliar area of which I found a positive and motivating challenge.

It was extremely noticeable which groups I had worked with during the first term as I had already established a working relationship with those particular groups. This meant that the second term with them felt like a natural development. Though the new groups took a while to get into, as the relationships were not established I found myself having to continue with the development of the apprentice scheme whilst also establishing the connection with the group.

Within these classes I was able to begin to practice my management skills particularly classroom management and time management. As with all new encounters the first few weeks were a struggle, I had to think of my own teaching style, how the groups were familiar with their leaders teaching methods and how to infuse the two together. Once I had connected the two, I was able to focus on managing tasks to fit the individuals within the group.

As with the previous term the post feedback sessions continued after each session or as close to the session as possible. However this term the feedback had more detail and depth to it, as I was being observed over a greater scale of areas. I found the feedback of great use, the majority of feedback I had already noted myself based upon my own reflection.

I have discovered that there is a significant skill to teaching various ages. I do not feel that there will be a point where I would stop learning this skill; I feel that through practice and series of trial and error will allow me to develop more knowledge and, a greater understanding of classroom management.

We’d like congratulate Rhian on her work so far.  We are rightly proud of the Wales Wide training programme, and would like to thank all involved for the support.

 

 

 

Rubicon’s Full Time Course

In 1986, Rubicon’s Full Time Preliminary Dance Training Course was launched in response to demand from dancers who wanted to eplore the art form more fully.  The course grew, as did the demand, and has now become a fully accredited two year course, providing for many a bedrock for vocational training and dance related careers.

We place importance on health and well-being, in maximising expectation, opportunity and achievement, inspiring individuals to reach their full potential.

This is the only course of its kind in Wales. It is a stepping stone for students of different ages, abilities and experiences to develop their skills and technique. It’s a challenge, where training is about nurture; developing good quality and integrity in dance practice. It’s an opportunity to discover your talent.

You will see how dance transforms and engages people by participating in sessions and supporting our youth provision, education and school work, people with disabilities, adult over 50’s groups in community centres in Cardiff and Newport. But most importantly, it’s an opportunity to learn how to support each other, in an environment where you can reach your full, creative potential.

The course works to instil respect for learners themselves, their fellow colleagues and staff and to support and embrace the working ethos of this professional community hub. Learners accepted onto the course become part of the day to day life of Rubicon, both within the centre and as part of the development (outreach) programme, in addition to their own specifically tailored development plan. This course is uniquely devised with strong focus on practical provision that encourages and enhances physical awareness, technical ability and creative skills. Rubicon provides additional support and resources by enabling free and open access for all learners to attend classes on a weekly basis, as part of the centre programme and in a range of diverse styles.

There is the opportunity to gain further experience by contributing to Rubicon’s educational and community work and to support the development programme. You can also become involved in the volunteer scheme, which is essential to supporting the development of a charitable organisation working in the heart of the community.

Many students go on to full-time vocational training, foundation or full dance degree or HND courses. These students then progress to becoming performers, teachers or community dance practitioners; and often a combination of all these practices. However, some use the course simply to enhance their skills and increase their enjoyment and experience of dance. At Rubicon we support all chosen career paths equally and will help you find the best route forward for you as an individual. Some learners accessing the Rubicon course are mature students who are specialised in other vocational disciplines or careers such as photography, fashion, drama, medicine and engineering and utilise this one year course to enhance their experience, or to diversify within their chosen fields of expertise. Examples of successful progression routes after Rubicon training include: The Place, Rambert, Laban, Northern School of Contemporary Dance, Cardiff Met Dance Degree, Bristol Foundation Degree, Bath, Roehampton, Middlesex, Coventry Universities, London Studio Centre, Urdang and The Centre.

Who can apply?

The minimum age is 16 years. Applications are welcome from students of any age. Previous dance experience is essential, as is motivation, energy and commitment.

Selection process

Applicants are invited to Rubicon for initial assessments in contemporary dance, ballet and creative dance. These sessions are purely to assess potential and require no specific set level of achievement. You are not expected to prepare individual set work, however this is an opportunity for you to use this process to work out if Rubicon is the right place for you.

This is followed by an informal interview, which gives applicants the opportunity to find out more about the course in relation to their specific development needs, and for staff to assess whether the applicant is suitable. Funding possibilities will also be discussed. In the event of uncertainty, you may be invited to access the centre programme activities during the summer term to determine suitability and commitment. You will be assessed during this period and then invited to return for a final recall audition, usually held in July. This ensures that all candidates are given sufficient opportunity in the selection process.

Course Provision

Course provision and accreditation- BTEC is through the Workers’ Educational Association, South Wales (WEA).

Audition Dates for 2015-16

Saturday May 9th 2015
Saturday May 16th 2015
Saturday June 6th 2015

All candidates must complete an application form. Please contact paul@rubicondance.co.uk for an application form, or call 02920 491477.

Working in Education

Rubicon’s work with Willows High School has just been used as a case study for a Welsh Government paper – Using The Pupil Deprivation Grant in support of arts and cultural activity.

Case study 1: Dance changes attitudes at Willows High School
At Willows High School in Cardiff, Joe Sage was teaching PE to a very challenging group of Year 9 teenagers. Almost two-thirds of the learners attending Willows live in the 20 per cent most
deprived areas in Wales. Over 40 per cent of the learners are eFSM. Many of the boys taught by Joe had emotional and social problems.
In order to try to improve the boys’ behaviour and their attitude towards school, Willows joined with other schools in Cardiff to work with Rubicon Dance as part of their Boys’ Dance Project (part of the PESS – PE and School Sports – programme delivered by
Sport Wales).
Rubicon Dance collaborated with Joe to design an eight-week programme tailored to meet the needs of his class. Joe was interested in exploring how dance programmes could benefit his learners, in particular to engage them in PE and improve their behaviour.
The dance organisation worked at the school, introducing the boys to a range of ideas and movements. The boys worked individually and in groups to explore new dance movements such as free running and parkour. These were genres of dance the boys were familiar with as they appeared on films/TV and were widely accepted by boys of all ages.
After several lessons Joe found there was a significant turnaround in attitude and attendance. The boys felt motivated and empowered; they had greater autonomy because the lessons were not too prescriptive, and allowed them to be creative.

Free running encouraged respect for each other, taking turns, being aware of one another while enjoying the freedom of movement that was natural for boys. Boys of all fitness levels and size were able to participate and contribute in the sessions.
The boys said that the sessions with the company were ‘some of the best PE lessons we’ve ever had at school’. Over time Joe noticed an improvement in their behaviour, confidence and communication skills. There was also greater mutual respect so that when boys challenged each other it was done in a constructive way. The boys were much more willing to engage in learning and work together with their peers.

Skills developed through the project included:
•  communication skills (working in pairs, discussing moves, sequences)
•  partner/team work
•  decision making, problem-solving skills.
The boys participating in the project, 95 per cent of whom had never been to a theatre before, also attended a dance performance at a local arts centre.
By the end of the project, all the class were joining in and turning up in kit, and the school reported greater engagement and improved attendance. The impact of participating in the Boys’ Dance Project has led to the school making changes in the boys’ PE curriculum at school – with dance becoming a regular activity, e.g. Year 9
boys now do a term of free-running and Year 7 boys are introduced to the haka.

Further information
Enquiries about this document should be directed to:
Deprivation and Engagement Branch
Support for Learners Division
Department for Education and Skills
Welsh Government
Cathays Park
Cardiff
CF10 3NQ
e-mail: DeprivationandEngagement@wales.gsi.gov.uk

Additional copies
This document can be accessed from the Learning Wales website at
learning.wales.gov.uk