The Live It Academy, located in The Old Dr Bell’s Baths, is to offer a one-year foundation course in Professional Dance Performance from September 2021.
Geared towards 16+ year olds living in Scotland, the school’s foundation course offers a pre-vocational year, which is intended to prepare students for the demands of professional, full-time training. It also aims to provide them with the skills required to audition successfully for the country’s leading dance institutions, companies and agencies.
Live, online auditions for the independent academy —which began last week — will run until 1st July. And one annual scholarship award will entitle the recipient to a year of free tuition. This is to be allocated on the basis of talent demonstrated at audition.
The academy was the brainchild of Founder Kirsty Hamilton (Edinburgh) and Principal Windsor Phillips (South Carolina). The two met in New York when studying at the Broadway Dance Center. And together, they hope to take the Edinburgh dance scene to another level.
The course — which will run over three terms — will have a focus on performance. Its aim is to ensure students receive a strong foundation in a variety of dance styles, including Jazz, Classical Ballet and Contemporary Dance. But there will also be a focus on Choreography, Musical Theatre Performance, Group Singing, Progressing Ballet Technique, Flexibility and Fitness.
The founder, Kirsty Hamilton said: “We have created a commercial academy that takes into consideration the ever-changing industry of dance. I am an enthusiastic and dedicated person whose sole aim is to strengthen the ability of each student and help them develop their own love for dance.”
Windsor Phillips, the Principal added: “I am a passionate enthusiast of the arts that sees endless opportunity for individual growth and expression through dance. My main objective is to effectively translate this to each student by curating a unique experience, while consistently challenging and pushing the boundaries of creativity.”
More information can be found at https://www.theliveitacademy.com
I am an Edinburgh-based freelance writer with a background in teaching. Among my chief interests are biographical writing, education and the arts.
