[Music] hi I'm Gemma hoody and I'm a dancer with boy blue entertainment the first time I worked with boy blue was back in 2009 so a good 11 years ago in rehearsals I try and get the choreography into my body as quickly as possible obviously so I really pay attention to the detail how the choreographer be--it Kenrick or anybody else is breaking down the move how they go from one move to the next really ya dissect in the movement watching them as closely as possible seeing how they are performing it and to try and replicate that as closely as I can I also try and execute any choreography to my fullest as I'm learning it because I do think it's easier to do that at the same time rather than just learning choreography flat and then trying to add on a performance element like expressions and facials if you try and do that as you're learning it you get that energy in the essence of what the choreographer is trying to create yes attention to detail execution and performance as early on as possible in the rehearsal process because you know you can always strip it back also I remember a really good piece of advice that Mikey gave us like preparation is key so the more you'll practice in and preparing yourself like leading up to the performance by the time that moment comes it's just fun it's easy you don't have to think it's in your body you know exactly what you're doing there's no need to be nervous because by then you're like okay I got this It's Showtime [Music] so the big section Genesis is the the creation of your identity your style your movement vocabulary how you want to portray yourself it's a big process it's trial and error you try things you like you learn study you grow in that style and then you really begin to create your identity so yeah that's just a natural process that any dancer and performers finding your style growth and struggle is something that we all go through as humans as people as dancers as artists yeah we've all it's like that thing that method actors use like emotion memory you've all got experiences in your life that you can reflect on and grab from and use to portray like real emotion on stage within dance I know there's a lot of moments where I maybe thought I was ready for an opportunity or a project or a job and then I didn't get it so it's just that moment of realizing ok this isn't for me right now of course it hurts but you're gonna pursue you're gonna persevere you're giving heat trying and then that's that struggle that you eventually overcome and that comes with growth in itself flow and connection again being employed blue and a company like this it's really about making those connections and those bonds and those friendships that are going to take you through your career and and in your life so the support network that you get that you create you know there's it's a community it's a family almost you really see that in the piece where it starts with a duo and then more people come and more people build and the strength in numbers like if we're all on the same page we're gonna be a force to be reckoned with and that's what that's about it's overcoming obstacles and you know just grow in together and so yeah it's just that empowerment stage you've leveled up you've done the raft you've been there and you've excelled to a state of empowerment yo'ii is a minimalistic piece it doesn't have set it doesn't have any props it's a blank canvas now the lighting was used really well in this piece and it created different pools of energy and spaces of play in the on the stage set as well so for example in growth and struggle when there's an eerie almost eerie corridor of light where us of the ensemble we're entering and Theo's the soloists on the stage and is but all this could be perceived as negative imaging coming towards him and that eerie use of light really allowed us to embody that persona it was like we're moving slow motion and that smoke and the lighting really allowed us to have that eerie persona and then in the next breath we're in a light blue pool of light upstage we're behind him it's almost like given the illusion that we're in his head we're part of him now so that's the clever use of lighting it can take you as a performer and as an audience member to different stages of what's going on one stage also the the part and Genesis where the principal dancers are disappearing in and out of spotlights I love that section because it gives this are they there are they not there like how did they do it just takes you it's it's not normal it's it's a very abnormal it's it's really well done it's really clever it's almost like these little superheroes being plot in and offstage like it's it's amazing like what you can do with lighting and nothing else is pretty incredible the stage in as well yeah that's incorporated in that and I remember one another use of staging was during empowerment when we did a full life of a Sujit felt like in 4/8 when we're doing the Chariots of Fire combination yeah we lived it around the whole stage and that really pumps you up because you're doing rigorous moves and really fast-paced get into your next position it's like a power up lap and then you all come together in a static position for the next like game over doubles and by then your Energy's just going to up and up and up through the roof so yeah it's really clever use of staging lighting costume I love because we're very neutral they're all in the same blue t-shirts same jeans same trainers there's no gender there's no age there's no frills it just allows the movement to really speak for itself it's strong it's blue it's our color so it's us you know there's unless you're like right up obviously you can tell if we're a guy or a girl but it's not about that it's just about the movement quality what we're saying as movement artists yeah that's the only vocabulary we have and that's all that's needed like you said it allows the movement to really be showcased there nothing else last one what is it like dancing with boy blue and working with Ken and Mikey oh it's pretty awesome I'm not gonna lie I'm not even being buying this like I believe Ken and Mikey are the best at what they do so if you hear them talk I've never heard people artists talk with so much passion for what they do so much knowledge so much motivation and care for everything they do and I've learned so much from the pair of them like it is really tough it's not easy by any means but you can't be in a company like this like boy blue and take take take you have to bring something to the table so as much as we're expected to put in the rewards we reap are incredible like I've learned so much from boy blue and camera can Mikey like I'm old forever be in debt to them [Music]