MOVE DANCEWEAR BLOG

Nicolette Whitley Professional dancer, dance teacher and choreographer

I can’t believe how quick the summer has flown by! To say my summer has been busy would be an understatement. I’ve recently returned back to Wales from spending a month up in Edinburgh at The Fringe Festival, where I have been performing in a brand new dance show called FLASH MOB. It was my first time at the Fringe and will definitely not be my last! The whole experience of performing every day with a show you love, living in a new city, being inspired by other shows and performers is something I won’t easily forget. This summer has just been incredible… there was an energetic vibe about the place, buzzing with excitement and people, that’s the best way I can try and describe it. It was also my first visit to Edinburgh and I can honestly say I LOVE that city, it’s just so beautiful. I’ve already arranged to go back and do some Christmas shopping over the winter I would urge anyone to go visit!

Picture: Ian Georgeson Five Stars The Scotsman

I thoroughly enjoyed performing within the show and with such talented yet humble dancers. Flashmob attracted rave reviews:

“For every self-indulgent, esoteric, audience-alienating dance show ever performed, Flash Mob is the antidote. This is a dance mob that?s flash – although for “flash”, read talented, hard-working and completely dedicated to their craft. For those who think commercial dance means leaving your artistry at the door, then the five acts brought together to create this Fringe highlight are ready to prove you wrong.”

“This year “Flash Mob” is on a path to becoming the most talked about dance show of the fringe 2012. Filled with performers from all spheres of the dancing work “Flash Mob” has been causing stirs and now there is an opportunity to see why.The whole piece was inspiring.” Five Stars New Current.

“Any thoughts that we may be in for sustained commercialised tedium were dispelled from the opening performance. The gorgeous Tommy Franzén produced a spot lit solo that had dance purists, gays, mums dads and the kids (I know these groups are not mutually exclusive) cheering for joy. We proceeded through an hour of hip-hop, street, Irish, Latin… you name it, they did it. And they did it well. But it wasn‘t all fun and games; a beautiful and surprisingly dark contemporary piece performed by Alleviate (Nicolette Whitley and Renako McDonald) was just stunning. I urge you to check them out on YouTube if like me, you haven‘t seen the Sky show on which they competed. Of-course the finale brought all the dancers out together for a ‘jam’ (I think that?s the word) and a shambolic, but very funny dance lesson for the audience which had us out of our chairs, shaking like a mutha and trampling over strangers. I loved it.“ Four Stars SGFringe.

For the full reviews please click here : Scotsman, The Current, SGfringe

We were also chosen as ‘The Scotsman Best of The Fest’ which was a nice surprise. One of my favourite parts about doing the show was meeting our audience after we had performed. It was really valuable to hear people’s views and thoughts on the show and of course meet anybody that followed Alleviate. I really am grateful for all the support shown towards us and the show.

For the duration of September I’m going to take some chill time back at home with my family and friends before my next exciting project begins!

Will update soon,

Nicolette -x-