Whilst in training at Rambert School, Imogen worked with and performed pieces by Didy Veldman, Darren Ellis and Mark Baldwin and was given the opportunity to perform in The Creation with Rambert Company at Sadler’s Wells. Imogen now dances as part of Chrysalis dance company.
What memories do you have of your time at Rambert School?
Rambert School was the place where I developed a great deal as a dancer and as a person, and where I met so many inspiring people. I have very fond memories of the other students I met during my time there, particularly of my year group. When you are training and performing together for 3 years, you have this bond and throughout your time there you grow as individuals together. Watching people evolve and mature as dance artists is so heartening, especially when you’ve been through it all with them. Everyone is there supporting each others development.
What do you think makes Rambert School special?
Every student is treated as an individual and the teachers see the potential in everyone. It’s a huge melting pot of people from different backgrounds, cultures, age and experiences which really helped me develop as a person and broaden my mind. Everyone is on their own path at the school and can pursue what they enjoy and excel in. I’d say I learnt just as much from my fellow classmates as I did from my teachers. The staff also do a lot more than teach technique, there is so much support they are willing to offer on a personal level outside the studio, which was such a gift to have during the busy and stressful times.
How did the training at Rambert School prepare you for a successful career in dance?
The training gave me a solid base of technique and really pushed me to want to try new styles and find ways of moving which perhaps I wasn’t so comfortable doing. I joined the school at 16 having trained predominantly in ballet and I had never really been exposed to contemporary dance so my first year was really eye-opening. In my second year, alongside technique classes they introduced weekly workshops where they’d invite choreographers and professionals to lead workshops or teach classes in their own movement style which I found really beneficial in learning about the contemporary dance scene. I was able to discover the movement styles that felt good in my body and those that I wanted to work towards achieving, which helped me become a thoughtful and versatile dance artist.
What advice would you give to new students about training or the industry?
Some advice I received from a teacher at the school was to never be afraid to be a beginner. I think that applies to whatever stage of your career is at. There will always be a new technique you haven’t tried before, whether you want to pursue that as a career or not is another matter but there will always be aspects you can apply to your own movement and in the process learn more about who you are and what you enjoy.
