Learning
ACE dance and music have developed an outstanding reputation for delivering excellent education and participatory work. We deliver a wide range of teaching and training projects to people of all ages and abilities including groups with additional needs.
Our workshops range from one-hour taster sessions to week-long residencies and our projects include intergenerational workshops and peer mentoring projects. We specialise in tailoring work to meet your needs.
Arts Awards
ACE dance and music are an accredited Arts Award Centre that deliver Arts Award to young people from as young as 5 years old.
Arts Award is a range of qualifications with five different levels, that supports young people up to the age of 25 years, to develop their arts practice and arts leadership skills. ACE dance and music engage young people in Arts Award through their summer school and international exchange weeks, which provide young people with the opportunity to broaden their arts experience and to explore themes and inspire each other through teaching and celebrating their individuality.
Throughout the delivery of Arts Award, the young people complete log books that record their findings and experiences through text, images and video. On completion and having gained successfully moderated logbooks, young people are awarded with a recognised Arts Award qualification.
African and Caribbean Taster Sessions
Taster Sessions
Our taster sessions focus on expanding African and Caribbean dance techniques, giving learners the opportunity to widen their movement vocabulary. The session provides each participant with the underlying knowledge of the skills needed to progress in movement, creation and performance within the Afro-fusion technique. We combine these methods with contemporary choreographic methods and to experience the ACE dance and music style.
Choreographic workshops
Using a section of ACE dance and music’s repertoire as a starting point, students will develop and create a small section of their own work using different choreographic methods. Ideal for GCSE or A level students who are creating work for exams.
Curtain raiser / Performance piece
Beginning with a taster session, participants go on to develop their performance skills throughout the residency. Using a section from the current touring production as a starting point, participants will work with company dancers to create a new piece for performance. This can be performed prior to the ACE dance and music touring production on a venue’s main stage.
A-Level Study
Our 2007/8 production ‘Skin’ is currently one of the suggested performances to study on the OCR A-Level Performing Arts syllabus. We offer workshops which develop students and teachers understanding of ‘Skin’ through discussion and practical sessions. We are currently developing the themes that we explored within ‘Skin’ for our new 2019 tour ‘Skin Reimagined’. Our tour will be in Autumn 2019 through to Spring 2020. Watch our website for further details.
To order a resource pack and book a workshop please email education@acedanceandmusic.com
Get Involved
Contact us to book a workshop or to find out more information.
Work Experience
ACE offer the chance for students aged 16+ years to come and experience the day-to-day workings of a professional dance company. We can tailor programmes from one to two weeks depending on the time of year and the touring and class programme cycle. Contact education@acedanceandmusic.com to discuss your requirements.
CPD Opportunities
We are committed to providing a variety of continued professional development opportunities including weekly class with experienced dance practitioners and longer residencies. Details of forthcoming courses will be featured on our website and on our social media channels.
ACE DANCE AND MUSIC PRESENTS
QUDUS ONIKEKU
FREE CPD OPPORTUNITY!
CALL OUT FOR BAME MALE DANCERS
Time: 10am – 5pm
Dates: 22nd – 25th May 2019
Venue: ACE SPACE, 54-57 Floodgate Street,
Bimingham B5 5SL
Birmingham based dance company, ACE dance and music, are seeking male BAME dancers to take part in a collaborative 4-day intensive CPD opportunity with international artist and choreographer Qudus Onikeku.
Onikeku’s style is a fusion of Acro-dance, Hip Hop, Capoeira, Tai Chi, Contemporary dance whilst making his Yoruba traditional philosophy his foundation. Throughout this residency, participants will be working alongside ACE’s professional company.
How to apply
Please note, this is a free opportunity by invitation only and dancers will be expected to attend all 4 days.
If you are interested, please forward your CV, letter of interest and show reel to admin@acedanceandmusic.com by Wednesday 15th May 2019 at 5.00pm. Confirmation of places will be made by Friday 17th May 2019.
ABOUT ONIKEKU
Qudus Onikeku was born in Lagos, Nigeria and at the age of 5 he started to develop some acrobatic skills and later discovered dance at the age of 13. In 2009, he graduated from Ecole Nationale Superieur des arts du cirque with a special interest in acro-dance.
His movement and style is informed by a variety of dance styles which include Hip Hop, Capoeira, Tai Chi and Contemporary whilst keeping his Yoruba traditional philosophy at the heart of everything he does. Onikeku draws his influences from his life experiences and reinforces the stories of others by investigating new dance vocabularies.
He has gone on to form ‘QDance Company’ which creates internationally renowned works and has toured globally over the last decade with company dancers, musicians and Onikeku as the Artistic Director. The company has been commissioned and performed at major international festivals and venues, some of which include: Kalamata Dance Festival (Greece), Correios Em Mouvemente (Brazil), Jomba Dance Festival (South Africa), Nyoba Kan Butoh Festival (Malaysia), as well as touring in over 50 countries around the world.
Click here to see Qudus’ work