Working for Motionhouse
Are you über fit, a technically accomplished dancer and ready to jump, swing and climb out of your comfort zone? … then you could join Motionhouse.
You probably know the company, maybe studied it at GCSE, but did you know they:
- Unbelievably, never hold a London audition
- Employ more UK dancers than many companies
- Successfully retain their dancers for years
- Are not afraid of hiring graduates
- Have been creating successful work and travelling the world for over 25 years?
Well probably not, because Motionhouse let their high-quality work take centre-stage.
Founded in 1988 by Louise Richards and Kevin Finnan MBE, Motionhouse is an internationally acclaimed touring dance company with an office and studio base in Leamington Spa and a creation centre in Warwick. The company prides itself on producing shows of outstanding quality that are exciting, accessible and enjoyable for all. Motionhouse is known for its ‘4D’ spectacles integrating music, visuals, dance, acrobatics and physical theatre.
You might be thinking ‘that’s me out then’ but have no fear literally. Dancers don’t need to be accomplished circus performers; Louise Richards explains; they are looking for a willingness ‘to have a go’ and a fearless attitude.
Louise Richards unpicks the reality of what they are looking for in auditions and what it is like dancing for Motionhouse and Artistic Director Kevin Finnan MBE.
1. What makes Motionhouse exciting to dance for?
“I think that dancers love the physical range that we work within. Over time we have developed and really enhanced their skills with a lot of circus skills, the dancers work in a 360-degree space. We are also known for our partnering work. In recent years this training has developed into working on all sorts of structures and sets, and using aerial skills and Chinese pole skills – which I think they find exciting. When I was a performer I loved learning new skills, being refreshed and developing my physical repertoire – I suspect they feel the same, plus they have creative investment in the work. I think they feel that they have a vested ownership in the company and in the work.”
2. Size of the company
The company is made up of 6 full–time company dancers, apprentices and a dancer leading the education and community dance programme. Places only come up as a dancer leaves so they never recruit for a whole new cast. Longest serving company member (and rehearsal director) Junior Cunningham has been in the company for 12 years! Watch this space though, as they are currently fundraising to expand to 7 dancers over the next year and aim to ultimately reach 8 in 2017.
3. Applying for Motionhouse
Normally auditions are open and everyone can come and take part, however occasionally they need to replace a dancer mid contract (like in October 2015). The application process was submission of application form, CV and short video link by which dancers were selected to attend an audition day, followed by a second day if shortlisted.
4. Don’t pad out your CV
When submitting your CV to Motionhouse, it is only a small part of the process. The main focus will be on your dance skills in the room so don’t get carried away padding out your experience. Louise explains:
“If you have just graduated from college we know that you have not had any professional experience and a typical graduate will list pages and pages of random references to things that were clearly college projects that they were in. I would rather see a CV that said I have just graduated, I don’t have any professional experience but this is what I am interested in doing and this is why I want to work with you.”
5. Homemade footage is better than expensive showreels
Video showreel requests are becoming much more frequent in the dance world. Applicants to Motionhouse were asked to send a short video link of their dancing (not necessary for open auditions). Louise has tips on what works for the company:
“A generalised long shot of a student graduation show where we are not really sure who we are even looking at just doesn’t do anything. You would be amazed how many people send us that. To me it seems really logical if you are auditioning to be in Motionhouse, you look at what Motionhouse does. Clearly people don’t have the budget to do a promotional film but I would rather they spoke and said this is why I want to join your company, set up a shot with their iPhone and did something that related to what we do.”
6. What to expect in the audition
Motionhouse open auditions are usually attended by 130-140 people, with shortlisted applicants invited to stay for a second day. They try to make the experience as valuable as possible to everyone who attends. Louise describes the day:
“We don’t believe in looking at people walking across the room and then telling them to go. We give everybody a 45-minute class, in groups of say 30. From there we whittle down as you would a conventional audition and give individual feedback at every stage from then on. We do creative work, improvisation, and then do stuff on the set – not because we necessarily expect them to come with all those skills, but we are looking for whether or not people are up for trying, a willingness to give things a go.”
7. Never in London
Unlike other middle scale companies, not only do Motionhouse not hold international auditions preferring to support the British dance sector but, they only hold auditions at their Leamington Spa base.
“It’s really important that people know where we are, they’ve been to our base and understand we are in Leamington Spa not in London. It’s clear this is the deal because when people join the company we give them a very long-term commitment so people move to Leamington, become members and become themselves invested in the company.”
8. Unfit? then likely to be unemployable
The company do on average 110 performances a year, work on 360 degree sets and each dancer knows 7 shows, which can be performed at anytime throughout the year (or even the week). If you’re auditioning for Motionhouse you need to “be up for it, a bit gutsy and you need to be fit”.
“We’ve had open auditions where people who you can see could be fantastic just really let themselves down because they turn up unfit. I know that’s really hard and there will be dancers saying ‘well we can’t keep ourselves fit’ but my view is that this is the career path you’ve taken and you should be serious about it. It’s your responsibility as an adult to be ready for your interview or audition and that’s no different for dancers.”
9. Suggestions for keeping fit
These might seem like tough words but Louise acknowledges that every company has different requirements and has suggestions on preparing for Motionhouse auditions:
“If somebody was considering auditioning for us I would say certainly you need to be fit and that’s all round body fitness all four limbs that’s not just legs. You need to work on your upper body strength, you need to probably go running or go to the gym and go on a treadmill, or go on a bike, to get your heart and lungs fit. You want to then balance that with classes and if you can’t afford classes then go and do some yoga, do some stretching, do your own practice. Just doing a dance class isn’t enough, because dance classes don’t get you fit. It’s about balancing your technique with your all round body fitness.”
When preparing for the actual audition day…
“Primary thing is to at least be in control of your body, be able to show yourself at your best. I would certainly say they should familiarise themselves with our work to know what they are letting themselves in for, and beyond that just come and be yourself. Really for me, it is about coming completely ready with the right headspace.”
10. ‘No’ means not this time – if you are determined
‘No’ means you are not right for the company at this moment in time. Too many dancers assume that it is over and do not make the most of the individual feedback and opportunities that could lead from the audition. Louise clarifies what she means by this:
“It really amazes me how little initiative people take. We are really generous about opening up company class, opening up our process, because for us, it is a way of getting to know people who might in the future be company members. It amazes me how many people don’t do that, turn up to an audition, maybe don’t get the job, then go away and don’t reappear. And yet, the ones that bother to follow up an audition, saying ‘I’d love to keep in touch with the company, thank-you for the feedback’, make me think ‘wow’. The very fact that somebody can be bothered to follow up and will go the extra mile makes me want them in the company. It’s so basic, it’s stunning how there’s an arrogance to a lot of dancers.”
11. So what makes the dancers stay so long?
“You should ask the dancers but I think my view is the whole culture of the company – people say there is a real family feel to the company. There’s a two-way commitment, we make a real commitment to the dancers – we employ them for 44/45/46 weeks of the year, which is pretty unprecedented for contemporary dancers. They also get to do a huge amount of performing!”
12. The dream combination: security and exciting experiences
Motionhouse’s work is ‘Made Locally, Performed Globally’ offering dancers an exciting combination. They have an amount of security with contracts confirmed a year ahead and draft schedules for the year after (the company runs on a 3-4 year making and touring cycle). Also, though settled at base, dancers looking for excitement will be touring regularly across the world with recent tours including America and Europe, the best of both worlds.
Lets leave the final say to the press…
“Super athletic dancers, as dextrous in the air as they are powerful on the floor, this is a company that has long cornered the high impact end of the dance market.”
The Guardian
“As one would expect from a company with a world-wide reputation such as Motionhouse, the dancers are impeccable, though they are more than dancers – they are as much actors as they are athletes and their skill and energy is a wonder to behold.”
Birmingham Post
So why wouldn’t you want to join them?
To find out where Motionhouse are touring near you, please see below
http://www.motionhouse.co.uk/tour-dates/
To find out more about the company, look at the work and get in contact with the team at their base in Leamington Spa
Main Image: Broken by Motionhouse, Photographer: Katja Ogrin
