What is Lotus Youth Dance Company?
It is an area where you can share your abilities and learn new things with other people who are maybe more advanced or less advanced as you are and it’s also an area where you can socialise with people that you probably wouldn’t socialise with in your school. You get to learn new things, with teachers who care about how you present your dance ability to others. And it also gives you confidence.
What can someone coming to the Jamboree expect to see when Lotus perform?
Colleen (dance artist): The piece Headspace is about the challenges young people face whilst dealing with their mental health.
Kiara: Yes. There’s a part where there are two girls and one of them is helping the other one up from where she is on the floor and I think that is kind of showing how your friends can help you in a way, I thought that was really nice, she first froze her leg over her and then she falls and then she helps her up so I don’t know how to explain – maybe someone is pushing her down and then someone is helping her back up? She is acting like two different people.
Colleen: that’s interesting yes. The idea is that you are being pulled in two different direction and you need to choose the best path for you to take. Its interesting you see it like that.
Kiara: There will always be a meaning behind a Lotus dance – its not just people flinging themselves around showing the dance. It’s something that actually means something behind it, perhaps to raise awareness. Even if it’s a small message.
What kind of style would people see?
It would be clean, airy and powerful. It’s a contrast between the two.
Why is being part of a youth dance company important to you?
It helps me learn more styles of dancing instead of just one particular one. I want to be able to explore more things. And I want to be able to be more confident in myself in showing other people what I like to do. I like to come out of my comfort zone.
Have you done any other performance recently?
I’ve done singing acting, and I did dance at school.
What would you say to a young person wondering if they should give dance a try?
I think you should definitely give dance a try even if it’s not something you would normally do as it would give you the freedom when you don’t have it in your workspace – you are always cooped up and sitting down and following instruction. But when you are dancing you are free – you can do anything you want – you can feel the rhythm with the music and you can let everything go for just that one moment.
You can be you when you dance!
See Lotus Youth Dance Company perform Friday June 21 at Spirit of Woolwich and Thursday 27 June at the Greenwich Dance Jamboree at Tudor Barn
PHOTO by Daniel Martin