Performing Arts Success Stories
REAL results, REAL success stories
Rhys Soltau
BTEC National Diploma in Dance
For Rhys there is no better feeling than being able to express himself through dance. “I have been dancing and performing since I was young but I only really knew hip hop dance and it was always mainly just a hobby. When I left school I wanted to build my skills and learn about different dance techniques. The BTEC National Diploma at Northampton College was perfect.”
By the end of his first term on the course Rhys had set his sights high. “The course was great and I loved everything about it. We learnt about ballet, tap, jazz, even a bit of singing and acting which was something I’d never done before. I struggled a bit with some aspects of the course – ballet in particular as it is quite a tough style to practice when you’re not used to it but the teachers were fantastic and really supportive. By Christmas of the first year I realised I wanted to get into a top dance school so that I could continue to develop my dance skills and eventually become a backing dancer on a popular TV programme like The X Factor or supporting a big music artist on tour. I am quite ambitious and I believe anything is possible.”
Rhys is now studying at The Centre of Performing Arts having received a full scholarship. “The course at Northampton College gave me a great basis on which to build on. College provided such a nice learning environment and I enjoyed every single day. I have always said it was the best two years of my life not just because of the great teachers but because of the friends I made too. I’d recommend it to anyone."
___________________________________________________________________________
Agnese Pure
BTEC National Diploma in Musical Theatre
Agnese moved to the UK from Latvia in 2009 to follow parents’ theatrical footsteps. Now that she is at the world-renowned Arts Educational School in London (Arts Ed), the West End is in sight!
“My mother is a musician and my father teaches tap dance so you could say that performing is in my blood. I had planned to study in Latvia but there isn’t really a booming theatre industry like there is in the UK and because of the economic crisis my course was at risk there so I started looking elsewhere. My cousin lives in Northamptonshire so I intended to stay with her and get a part-time job to fund my education. The Musical Theatre course at Northampton College sounded perfect as it covered all sorts of areas. I had been learning ballroom for 11 years so I knew I could dance but I wanted to learn different styles and improve my singing skills – the course would teach me all that and more.
“I loved everything about the course, learning tap, jazz, ballet and singing techniques like Estill Voice Craft but my favourite part was the performances and shows. The teaching was brilliant too. Most of the people on the course ended up getting places at top dance and drama schools which goes to show the level of training. College was just the beginning – the West End will hopefully be my next destination.”
___________________________________________________________________________
Alex Bloomer
Alex has always wanted to act and has been involved in youth theatres since he was young. Keen to gain some academic qualifications before starting college, he previously completed A Levels and an Art Foundation course at the University of Northampton. He has just achieved his BTEC National Diploma in Performing Arts and is about to start at the prestigious Mountview Stage School.
‘I always knew I would end up on the stage. I love performing, I always have, so being able to study it at college before progressing on to stage school was brilliant. It’s a really practical course and the teaching is fantastic. I’ve learnt so much as it’s so varied. We covered ballet, tap, jazz, musical theatre, basically every genre and technique you can think of. Experiencing the different routes as part of the course has helped me realise it’s definitely what I want to do.’
Being involved in performances throughout the two-year programme was one of Alex’s favourite elements of the course. ‘Performing to an audience is the best feeling and allows you to test out your new skills – I think it’s great the teachers push you to take part in various shows. For the final end of year show we performed ‘Children of Eden’ which is a meaty musical unlike anything I’ve ever done before. That’s was the best thing – being pushed out of your comfort zone and trying new things.’
Alex is looking forward to three years at Mountview before starting his career.
___________________________________________________________________________
Antony Hewitt
Antony is one of many learners on the Musical Theatre course to get into a top London stage school. With a full scholarship at Arts Ed, he is looking forward to following the footsteps of Julie Andrews, Bonnie Langford and Will Young.
‘I got places at Mountview, Bird and Arts Ed so I was in a lucky position to be able to pick. Drama schools are the best way of getting on in the industry but you need to go through intense auditions to get in. They want to see first hand what you’re capable of. Your CV is important but your skills and techniques are what get you noticed at the audition. The Musical Theatre course prepares you for all that. I don’t think I could have done it without the help of my tutors.’
Antony has always wanted to be a West End performer. In the hope of realising his dream, he completed A Levels in music, drama and psychology at school before enrolling on the Musical Theatre course at college.
‘My A Levels gave me a good academic grounding but the great thing about the college course is that it’s so practical. You’re encouraged to take part in lots of performances so I’ve been able to perfect my singing and acting and work on my dance techniques.’
___________________________________________________________________________
Emma Jamieson
Emma exceeded her expectations on the BTEC in Performing Arts by gaining triple Distinction grades. Her achievements at college didn’t stop there either – she’s since gone onto achieve an overall Distinction on the HND programme.
‘I’d previously completed A Levels at school which were very theory based and involved a lot of written work. I still wanted to gain more practical experience in theatre so college seemed like the perfect progression. Enrolling onto the BTEC before the HND programme was a good stepping stone and gave me a really good understanding of theatre and the performing arts industries. I worked really hard to get good grades and the support you get from the lecturers is great but even I wasn’t expecting triple Ds.’
The HND was a bit more of a challenge for Emma. ‘The HND was definitely a big jump and the workload is a lot more intense across a range of areas but I really enjoyed pushing myself. I am starting a year top up course at the University of Northampton which will give me a BA honours degree qualification on top of my A Levels, BTEC and HND. After that I hope to work in theatrical make up.’