September 2008

This month’s issue features ballet, Bollywood, flamenco, swing, salsa, freestyle, ballroom, Latin sequence, and more – a whole range of styles, each of them unique. One woman with unrivalled experience of working with dancers right across the spectrum is physiotherapist Shirley Hancock, who gives a fascinating insight into the mechanics of the dancer’s body in Back to basics (page 45). It seems knowledge is power elsewhere, too – cover stars Ryan Francois and Jenny Thomas have used the skills gathered over many years as performers and teachers to create Clash, a unique fusion of salsa and swing (page 20). Ryan explains how a thorough understanding of social dance history underlies all his work, while partner Jenny’s tap dancing background brings an additional element to the partnership. Also this month, Rachelle Stretch explores freestyle dancing (page 27), showdance champions Nic Dawson and Cherese Mallen reveal an exciting new element in their repertoire (page 39), and sequence dancers Brian and Lynn Marshall – who returned to competition after a break of 38 years – prove that once you’ve caught the dance bug, you’ll never lose it (page 58).
Katie Gregory

In this month's issue    

6 News
From ceilidhs to competitions
9 Letters
Your views and opinions
10 DanceScene
UK Closed Championships; Cheltenham Festival; Leicester’s One Rhythm Dance Festival; BDF Page
20 Strictly swing
Alison Gallagher-Hughes meets Ryan Francois and Jenny Thomas at the premiere of Clash
27 Focus on freestyle
Rachelle Stretch explores the emergence of the style and its rising popularity today
33 New horizons
Kate Worms finds out about dance at UK festivals

39 All for show
Alison Gallagher-Hughes talks to show dance champions Nic Dawson and Cherese Mallen
45 Back to basics
Imogen Walker discusses safe practice with physiotherapist Shirley Hancock
51 Reviews
The Wizard of Oz and Guangdong Acrobatic Troupe’s Swan Lake by Katie Gregory
55 Choreography as a tool for success
Benoit Drolet concludes his two-part article on the key elements of competitive choreography
57 Book reviews Katie Gregory and Lee Knights review the latest book releases for dancers
58 Sequence section
Classique 2008 by Helen Blackburn

60 Saunter Madeira
by John Rainey and Heather Roberts
62 Variations
A simple sparkler in Quickstep by Steven Verrall
63 A simple sparkler in Cha Cha Cha by Pamela McGill
64 Competition diary
September to October
65 Listings
Dance around the UK
74 The Last Dance
Britain’s Beautiful Studios: Phyllis Haylor, plus The Ball-Room Guide

Cover shows Ryan Francois and Jenny Thomas. Photograph by Andy Billington © VitalPhoto.