Abigail Lascelles is in her final year studying BA (Hons) Professional Dance at Dance City. She came to balletLORENT for a two week placement programme to learn about working within the dance industry and she was an absolute joy! She was very pro-active and hardworking and we hope to see more of her in the future. Abigail wrote a short blog for us about what she got up to whilst she was here.
During my two-week placement I never expected to be involved in all areas of work within the company. The balletLORENT team allowed me to have first-hand experience in all their morning classes as well as classes they offer out to the public. I was able to see and take part in their After Dark rehearsals, filling in for absent dancers by learning the material as well as helping organise their many costumes, which I found extremely amusing at times. Attending and helping deliver school workshops was another area I was able to take part in, which was an absolute delight to see how well they responded to all the tasks given for The Lost Happy Endings. I found archiving extremely interesting as it meant I got to delve into and organise all their past works that have been produced over the last 25 years. It gave me a much clearer insight into the aims and how the company likes to work. I was also given the privilege to not only watch but to participate in the company’s male audition process for The Lost Happy Endings which was an amazing opportunity and overwhelming at times being in a room with so much talent.
Every aspect came with its challenges, but it meant I was able to get a taste of how the inside of a company works, which has been one of the most helpful, fascinating and inspiring experiences within my dance training. To work alongside such a welcoming, hardworking and talented team helped drive my passion and appreciation not just for performing but for every area behind the scenes within a company that not everyone sees.
I am grateful to Liv Lorent for offering me this opportunity and to the balletLORENT team for guiding me and teaching me a great amount throughout my placement. This experience has opened my eyes to so many different career routes which I’m extremely thankful for, and I cannot wait to see the future awe-inspiring productions they create.
