New Adventures continues to find ways to nurture and develop the next generation of dancers and works closely with conservatoires and universities to create opportunities for those studying dance. Leah Fox joined us in December 2017 as an Administrative Intern for a four-month placement and will continue with us until she returns to university in September 2018 as our Projects Assistant. Find out more about Leah’s role and her experiences so far below:
My name is Leah Fox, I’m 20 years old and I’m currently a GSA dance student at the University of Surrey. I have grown up dancing and have always loved going to the theatre, with a particular interest in dance photography.
I was unsure what to study at university, switching from sports science to maths to photography to dance! In the end I really liked what Surrey had to offer and decided that the dance course, which offered a year in the industry, sounded appealing. I completed my first placement at Tavaziva Dance Company and started at New Adventures at the beginning of December last year.
The first ballet I went to was Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker! which I studied at GCSE. It was only in the interval that I turned to my friend and asked if there was going to be any speaking in the performance, but it was from then that I became intrigued by physical theatre and the portrayal of emotion through the body.
Before joining the company, I had seen several of Matthew Bourne’s productions and loved the contemporary spin that his work entails. I am very lucky to be New Adventures’ first intern and to have the incredible opportunity of spending a few months with the company.
I was hesitant on choosing an admin placement as I am an active person, therefore the idea of sitting in an office all day really didn’t appeal to me. However, I have been able to take part in company and professional classes, have been involved in interviews and application processes as well as visiting workshops. It has been fascinating to see how a dance company is run from the administrative and management side. The environment within the company is extremely welcoming and everyone is very passionate about the work they do, with the hard work clearly paying off.
I am very fortunate for the opportunities and experiences that I have had so far, such as attending the Cinderella gala performance. Additionally my contribution to the company’s social media and marketing has helped to stimulate thoughts for my final year dissertation. I have also had the pleasure of talking to a variety of people, which has been insightful as I continue to explore the many different careers within dance. The range of tasks that I am completing is stimulating and I look forward to the upcoming weeks and the ‘new adventures’ that lie ahead!
