It was at her studio next to the Eastern Mediterranean University in Famagusta that I visited Gönül Ismail this August. Her dance school has been approved by the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and it is the only one affiliated to an English Dance Exams Board; as she offers ISTD Modern Theatre, Tap and Imperial Ballet. Passionate to offer more to her students, Gönül is keen to add ISTD Dancesport to her repertoire.
We spent four fabulous days exploring the Disco Freestyle Associate syllabus and looking at the new Street Dance and Commercial Hip Hop range of amateur exams that Gönü will introduce into her class programme.
Gönül was born in England and her early dance was with Joyce Briggs and Tereza Theodoridou in Imperial Ballet, Modern Theatre and Tap. Later she embarked on professional career path, taking training with Elizabeth Harrison as her teacher and mentor.
For fourteen years she ran the very successful City Dance Academy in Islington and she trained many students who progressed into teaching careers, one of whom continues as principal of the academy today. Other students benefiting from the quality of Gönül’s teaching and motivation and who have moved on to find fame are Leona Lewis, a previous winner of X Factor and Bonnie Wright, who stars as in the Harry Potter films.
Gradually, Gönül found the pull of her roots becoming stronger and in 2006, together with her son Biltay, she moved to North Cyprus. Four years of hard work and dedication have created the Cyprus Dance Education Centre that has a purpose built venue in Famagusta and successful classes in North Nicosia.
One of Gönül’s current students, Umut Özddaloglu plans to audition at UK dance colleges during 2010/2011 and a previous student; Semra Hoca is currently at Westminster Kingsway College of Further Education studying for her BTech in Dance studies.
Gönül, who through her enthusiasm for learning and passion for dance, sees investment in CPD as the cornerstone to her success, will soon begin her professional training in ISTD Latin American and Modern Ballroom.
With a state of the art Dancesport studio planned for 2011 that will offer social and higher level technical teaching with a programme of dance nights offering fun and entertainment, I am sure her students are sure to love learning and dancing with her.
Accompanying Marion and her UK teachers to this year’s congress were four young Greek teachers who were presenting their first lectures.
With Conrad from India making up the party, there was plenty of lively chat about the dance scene in everyone’s respective countries together with a sharing of ideas.
The Saturday evening dance gave everyone the chance to enjoy themselves and a very special dinner at a local restaurant provided us all with a special night to remember.
Ching-Hui travelled from Taiwan to England during June to prepare for Latin American examinations. She made her first trip in 2009, when she trained with Marion for her Bronze Medals, gaining these with Highly Commended results.
This year she made the return trip to take the same examinations in the opposite role, once again achieving very high marks at Highly Commended level.
Whilst here Ching-Hui spent time watching other lessons and classes taking place at Lane Dance Centres, gaining insight into the methods our teachers use and how students learn, and she hopes to put what she has seen in to practice as she assists at her local school.
Not all of her time was spent dancing however as she found time with her mother, to take in some sightseeing and shopping with their friend Sho-Jen, who lives in Cambridgeshire, with her family. Ching-Hui has now returned to Kaohsiung province, where she is continuing to prepare for her Associate qualification that she hopes to take in the spring of 2011.
Claire Thompson and Ronnie Walford, both teachers at the Lane Dance Centres were invited to present their first lectures at the ISTD Spring Congress held earlier this year.
The Sequence Faculty Committee asked Claire to provide an 8 bar Classical Sequence script and Ronnie to provide the same in Latin Sequence. The girls selected Classical Waltz and Rumba as their rhythms and both lectures were very well received by all the teachers present. Presenting a lecture to Congress is at once both exciting and daunting, however both Ronnie and Claire rose to the challenge with great success.
Conrad, from Mumbai in India, travelled to the UK during March of this year to study with Marion for his Student Teacher examinations in ISTD Latin American and Modern Ballroom.
This was Conrad’s first visit to England and one that he hopes to repeat in the future. Now back in Mumbai he is fully involved in his dance school and working towards his Associate qualifications. With a marketing Degree to his credit, Conrad is keen to promote the training he has received and the ISTD generally in India.
The prestigious Phyllis Haylor Scholarship is awarded annually by the Dancesport Faculties of the ISTD Dance Examinations Board. All newly qualified teachers who gain their Associate qualifications at Highly Commended levels are eligible to enter for the Scholarship and each entrant is invited to give a presentation on a subject of their choice to the panel. The winner of the Scholarship is awarded a financial grant to continue their professional training.
Claire has trained with Marion since she was five years old and knew from a young age that she wanted to become a teacher. After leaving school she took up her dance studies full time, soon gaining her Associate qualifications in Disco Freestyle, Rock ‘n’ Roll and Latin American dancing. She has now completed her Modern Ballroom Associate and is preparing for the same level of qualification in Classical Sequence. Claire is also actively engaged on her FDI studies and is looking forward to the CDE. She runs two areas of the Lane Dance Centres; in Royston and Newmarket and regularly enters pupils for examinations and competitions.
Claire is not the first of Marion’s professional students to be awarded the Phyllis Haylor Scholarship. Marion’s daughter, Vanessa Pesci was the recipient in 1992 and she now runs the very successful Lane Academy, which offers training in Classical Ballet, Modern Theatre, Contemporary, Drama and Singing as well as GCSE Dance.
Mary Deville was jointly awarded the Phyllis Haylor Scholarship in 2000 with Sarah Peters who was trained by Vanessa. Mary began her training with Marion at an early age, continuing her training to Associate level before opening her own school.
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