Local Dancers Taking Centre Stage.
Local dancers who trained at Swindon Dance are taking centre stage. This as the pioneering dance company, BalletBoyz, brings their latest production, Still Pointless, to Wyvern Theatre this June.
Marking 25 years since Michael Nunn and William Trevitt’s critically-acclaimed debut performance Pointless at the Roundhouse. Still Pointless celebrates a quarter-century of daring commissioning and producing. And also performing dance across stage and screen. Among the 10 world-class performers are local dancers Dan Baines and Dylan Jones. Both of them began their professional journeys through Swindon Dance.
Dan Baines
Growing up in the Wiltshire countryside, Dan attended Swindon Dance’s Centre for Advanced Training. He later became a member of the National Youth Dance Company. During his training, he joined BalletBoyz as an apprentice dancer before touring with the company in 2022 in Deluxe.
Since graduating, Dan has worked with leading choreographers and creatives including:
- Tim Burton
- Damien Jalet
- Christopher Bruce
- Akram Khan
- Matthew Bourne
- Maxine Doyle
- Corey Baker
- Paul Roberts
- Tom Dale
- Tom Jackson Greaves
- Arlene Phillips and James Cousins.
Alongside performing, Dan often leads workshops for the next generation of dancers at various institutions. They include Pineapple Dance Studios and Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance.
Dylan Jones
Dylan Jones also developed his dance training through Swindon Dance’s Centre for Advanced Training programme. This after first beginning his movement journey in Parkour. From the southwest of England, Dylan joined the National Youth Dance Company at 18. He then continued his studies at Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance.
Since graduating, Dylan has performed nationally and internationally with:
- Avant Garde Dance
- Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures and Sadler’s Wells’ Quadrophenia.
Also, performing, choreographing and teaching. Dylan is also an accomplished musician and composer for dance theatre.
The production
The production itself opens with an excerpt from Russell Maliphant’s seminal work Critical Mass. This was first performed as part of the original 2001 Roundhouse show. The programme also features the world premiere of a new commission by choreographer Seirian Griffiths. That’s alongside excerpts from works by:
- Christopher Wheeldon
- Maxine Doyle
- Liam Scarlett
- Xie Xin and Javier de Frutos
With music by composers including Cassie Kinoshi, Keaton Henson and Max Richter.
