Welcome to the summer 2014 edition of Hootfoot

This quarter ADAD celebrated the graduation of the first two cohorts of the newly revised Trailblazers fellowship scheme with our inaugural ‘Exposure’ event. The professional development scheme is ADAD’s flagship project, we believe it’s greatly important to identify talent and invest in individuals who will go on to be leaders in the field and consider it our most important programme. The project is now delivered in two strands, Starters and Champions. Starters supports first time applicants who demonstrate creative spark, ambition and leadership potential and Champions are nominees from amongst the alumni of the Starters strand who have demonstrated strong entrepreneurial spirit in order to ensure sustained investment in their work. In this edition of Hotfoot we take the opportunity to look back over the last couple of years with these artists and see how it was for them.

Our Champions, Vicky Igbokwe and Denise Rowe provide plenty of food for thought, Vicky’s innovative entrepreneurial spirit contrasts with Denise Rowe’s moving exploration of ancestry and but both are leaders in their fields. Vicky and Denise offer differing visions of what you can achieve if you believe in yourself and your work. What struck me upon interviewing them was that both of them, along with almost all Trailblazers I have ever spoken with, express their surprise and gratitude that ADAD believed in their artistic vision and talk about what a fundamental difference this has made to their practice. The Trailblazers also find common ground in their appreciation of the mentorship relationship which provides so much support and assistance. Any future recipients would do well to heed the advice they give around the careful choice of your mentor.

Other themes that emerged remind one of the unique position dance of African origin holds in Europe in that we are able to celebrate and preserve the spiritual aspect of dance, something that is no longer explicit in the west but which is fundamental in many African traditions.

Most of all, when talking with these six artists, what struck me was the incredible richness of the diverse cultures that the Trailblazers have been exploring and how much knowledge and experience they now embody.

Tweet us your thoughts on this edition @ADAD_Dance!