Earlier this term, we were delighted to welcome Sadé Alleyne and Giorgia Gasparetto from UK-based Alleyne Dance for a busy Artists-in-Residency program with NAISDA Developing and Practising Artists including masterclass workshops in Fitness, Afro Fusion, Dynamics, Rhythm and Texture and Dancefilm.
We had a yarn with Sadé to find out more, and also heard from NAISDA Practising Artist Maddison Fraser about the experience.
Sadé, along with her twin sister, Kristina founded Alleyne Dance in 2014. Since then, the sisters have developed an innovative choreographic aesthetic that reflects their diverse background in athleticism and dance training.
Sadé, tell us a bit about yourself and your career pathway.
I’m Co-Artistic Director of Alleyne Dance, where we choreograph, teach and mentor. Our artistic strengths are in performance, participation and development. Our style is a blend of West African Caribbean, hip hop, circus skills and hatha, all within a contemporary practice. We tend to use true life stories and events and explore them in a delicate but also creative method.
Alleyne Dance was founded by myself and my twin sister – two girls from North London. We chose dance through passion. Passion was the beginning. Before we knew it, we were good at it. We immediately knew we enjoyed dancing, and that became the ethos of the Company – to allow people to understand freedom in the body and freedom in the mind.
Were you always drawn to dance practice?
We were always drawn to movement. Our dad used to be a DJ so there were always a lot of records and underground parties. We used to watch dad play and test out his decks. Growing up, we did a lot of athletics, and in our minds we were moving towards the Olympics. Then we had that crossroads moment when we had to follow either our hearts or our brains. We made the scary decision to dance, not knowing what the future held. We were 16 when we decided to study dance. We were introduced to different styles of movement: lindy hop, jazz, musical theatre, contemporary – everything we could as we just enjoyed movement. It was only later that I realised that contemporary is somewhere I felt that I belonged. I felt my body welcomed the pathway.
Whose idea was it to start the Company?
We always knew we would come together. Because we were quite new to dance, we worked together to train and challenge each other as well as catch up. A lot of people start dancing early – from three years old, so we knew we had a big mountain to climb (and still do). But we also knew we needed to see the world, discover what’s out there and then teach each other. We had a lot of time together during a tour; a lot of free time to explore movement. And once we knew we had something to offer, we started to offer that.
Is this your first artist residency at NAISDA?
This is our first trip to the College, but our first engagement in Australia was in Sydney in 2019 when we worked on a project with Dance Makers Collective and Riverside Theatre in Parramatta as part of FORM Dance Projects annual festival, Dance Bites. We delivered workshops, conversations, and performed our first duet. This is when the connection with NAISDA started as the students travelled to the workshops. There was something about that connection. Even though we’re from different countries, different tribes, there’s still something similar, so we needed to come back and share more of our practice. Not just the work of Alleyne Dance in the sense of the performance, but also in they way of giving room for opportunity.
How has the week been?
We’ve enjoyed three days at NAISDA. The first day was an introduction, a welcoming to the Land I would say. We were invited to Cultural Repertoire where NAISDA students shared cultural technique, movement and practice. For us to be a guest in this space was wonderful! We gained more understanding of who we were exchanging with, so it became a nicer moment on the second day to share our practice. I think that’s important for Alleyne Dance – not just come in and teach, but to establish connections with those we meet. It isn’t a cut and paste experience.
What do you hope NAISDA Developing and Practising Artists gained from the experience?
If I’m honest, I just hope the experience opens doors. It’s not necessarily about achieving something concrete. I want them to know there are methods and ways to achieve their goals. A residency program like this which includes international artists will help them recognise the similarities of what’s happening in Australia to around the world.
What role do you think arts training organisations such as NAISDA play in developing artists and their practice?
It’s very relevant, especially in this modern world. Technology has gone so far. I would say current generations have moved further from their origins. As the years progress there is less connection to the past. To have a space like NAISDA where you recognise and share stories; where you train and there’s always room to discover; where people in the space have similar stories to you. That’s really beautiful. When my sister and I started, there was no one like us. Especially in contemporary dance, no one looked like us. I wish there were more places like NAISDA internationally.
What advice do you have for Developing and Practising Artists pursuing careers in dance?
Follow what you enjoy, not what you think you should do. You’re always going to work hard when you’re passionate about something. If you do something to just do it, you won’t have enough fuel to keep it burning. Dance is a very hard industry but it’s also very rewarding. And if you’re passionate about it you can create a legacy.
Thank you so much Sadé.
Maddie, as a NAISDA Practising Artist, what have gained from the residency experience?
Sadé has such an open range of skills that I felt I was being challenged in just about every area. I loved that Sadé incorporated every skill she has learnt, including Afro fusion, within her practice. It was very inspiring because that’s something I look to do as a First Nations person. I want to bring all the different cultures into my practice. Having her energy in the space was very motivating. She embodies the full space with her movement.
I can’t believe she was only with us for a few days, it felt we gained a month’s worth of knowledge from the residency! Listening about her career and how she’s made a name for herself by choosing what she enjoys the most was also an important message. I think you can get caught up with choosing what your brain or others think you should do. It was encouraging to hear her story about working hard for what you’re passionate about.
_________________
To find out more about Alleyne Dance visit alleynedance.com
The NAISDA guruwarang Masterclass Program is generously funded through the support of the Canny Quine Foundation. guruwarang meaning Longtime in Darkinjung language, embeds the program of learning within Darkinjung Country and acknowledges the lasting impact of knowledge and wisdom imparted by invited Masterclass speakers, Elders and industry experts.