Student Placement Case Study

Details

Evie Currie-Mullan

Middlesex University

Placement dates: October 2019 - February 2020, totalling 50 hours or 7 days (inc performance)

Activities

5 days shadowing the RMDC Education Manager, learning about various aspects of production management, during the touring phase of Silent Lines at Sadler’s Wells, London.

2.5 days working with the Education Manager during educational activity, including taking class with Grace Jabbari (RMDC dancer) alongside students from Rambert School, Trinity Laban and Canterbury Christ Church University.

Meeting with all other members of the RMDC organisational team, including General Manager, Executive Producer, Development Director and other Education staff to learn about alternative roles in dance. 

Participating in workshops on how RMDC delivers education work.

Observing rehearsals of maliphantworks3 at The Coronet Theatre, London.

Own reflection time.

Feedback

What were your main reasons for requesting a placement with RMDC?

I was really interested in getting an insider’s view to a professional touring dance company and I thought Russell Maliphant would be a good option as the team is small scale and so it would be easier to learn about the different departments and to get more of an intimate experience.

What learning will you take forward with you from observing dress rehearsal?

Nice insight into the creation, with minor tweaks still happening throughout. Since watching Silence Lines dress rehearsal, I was thinking about the comparison and it was interesting to see Russell going from giving instructions through the Mic to being on stage himself. The process seemed similar in the fact that the small details were still very much concentrated on, and corrections were talked through in a very calm manor. You could tell that he was just as much invested in the movement, whether it be on himself or other dancers.

What learning will you take forward with you from meeting staff and learning about their role/s?

A really good reminder of everything that is dance without the dance. It made me feel safer for the future knowing there is so many opportunities out there that don’t include performing. Also just so interesting that there’s so much that goes on behind the scenes and I think from now on I will always consider these people when watching other companies etc.

On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being the most positive) how useful to your placement requirements was this placement as a whole?

10. I think I’ve managed to get a really good insight and learn a lot. The class really topped it off!