ZooNation

We are so excited to bring you this interview from Kate Prince MBE, Founder and Artistic Director of ZooNation.

Hi Kate, what are you working on at the moment?

I’m currently working on re-writes of our production of SYLVIA which was first at the Old Vic in 2018. We’ve been given the opportunity to improve on it with the hope of it returning to the Old Vic in the future, but now that Covid has come around we have no idea when or if that will happen. I remain optimistic though.

How did you first get started in the world of dance?

Like most kids I started with ballet in my local village hall, and soon started taking modern and tap too. I was about 4 years old when I started.

What do you love most about Hip Hop?

Although I took ballet until I was twelve, it was very clear that I wasn’t built for ballet. When I discovered the world of MTV I was transfixed particularly by Janet Jackson. Her videos were full of dancers in large groups who were perfectly synchronised and had so much groove and funk in their bodies. It changed my experience of dance and although I loved musical theatre, I was more drawn towards street dance and hip hop.

ZooNation’s Tales of the Turntable, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, 2019 - Photographer Andy Holdsworth

How did you move from dancer to choreographer?

I’ve never really been a professional dancer, even though I’ve danced all my life. When I went to Edinburgh University to study for an academic degree, I was still more drawn to the amateur dramatic musical theatre society at night than I was to day time lectures. I got the job in my first year as their choreographer and I’ve never looked back. I knew then for sure that it was what I wanted to do (although I first started choreographing my friends when I was about eight or nine years old). From choreographing as a student I started putting on my own productions at the Edinburgh Fringe which in turn lead to me being offered a job by a West End producer choreographing a Beatles tribute musical that toured the UK and then went into the Queens Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue. I was twenty-five by the time I moved to London and started my professional career as a choreographer. I started teaching at Pineapple, London Studio Centre, Mountview, Italia Conti and Arts Educational, and choreographing for their end of year shows. From teaching at Pineapple I was offered a job by a music manager who had a boyband on his books who needed to learn to dance. This opened up the world of Top of the Pops and CD:UK to me.

You have worked in creating dances for t.v., film, theatre and sports events - was there a particular event/show that was the most fun?

The job I remember the most was for Nelson Mandela’s 90th Birthday celebrations in Hyde Park. I performed in the piece with the cast of Into the Hoods (ZooNation’s first show to be in the West End at the Novello Theatre in 2008). We performed in front of a live audience of 50,000 people and it was televised around the world. We also were lucky enough to meet Nelson Mandela and have our photo taken with him. It’s the proudest I think I’ve ever felt at work.

ZooNation’s Groove on Down the Road, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, 2013 - Photographer Andy Holdsworth

Why did you set up ZooNation in 2002?

Whilst working in the music industry for pop acts I met a lot of amazing street and hip hop dancers who were working as backing dancers. I kept being struck with the same thought….. ’these dancers are more exciting and are more talented than the singers they are dancing behind’. So I set up ZooNation to give these dancers a platform and to showcase their talents, not as backing dancers, but as dance artists.

Do you have a favourite ZooNation production?

I think ‘Some Like It Hip Hop’ is my favourite production. It’s the first one that we wrote all the music and lyrics for and it is really funny, moving and political all at the same time. It’s an adaptation of Some Like It Hot but with a gender reversal where two women have to disguise themselves as men in order to survive in a ‘man’s world’.

You have a ZooNation Youth Company (ZYC) - how would bsporty readers get involved

We have two youth companies, one in Birmingham and one in London. We audition for these every year. If you’re already a dancer with a good skill level then you can just come to the audition, or you can join one of our academies which is a really good way of meeting our teachers and choreographers and familiarising yourself with the skills you need to audition.

What about the ZooNation Academy of Dance (ZAD)?

We have two ZADs in London, one at Lyric Hammersmith (Friday afternoons) and one near Angel Islington (all day Saturday). We have different classes depending on your age and ability from Under 8s and beginners all the way through to advanced. Young people from our academies get lots of opportunities to perform on television, in commercials and in movies, most recently including Netflix’s Jingle Jangle and the upcoming Everybody’s Talking About Jamie feature film.

What would be your advice for young people who love dance or those who have never given it a go?

Dance is for everyone and everyone can dance. Not only is it good for you physically, it is absolutely brilliant for your mental health and for your self-esteem. Just try it, and give it a few classes. Get to know the teachers and some of the other young people. Stay long enough to perform in our annual Christmas show. It will be worth it and it can change your life in such a positive way.

Thank you so much to Kate for chatting to us and we can't wait to see one of the incredible ZooNation productions soon!

A note from ZooNation:

Our YouTube Channel @ZooNationUK now features some brilliant classes led by ZooNation’s top artists to accommodate both beginners and experienced dancers. All our ‘Dance On Demand’ virtual sessions are free and cover some of ZooNation signature styles and routines. 2021 we are hoping to resume our ZooNation Academy of Dance classes (no audition required) which are ideal for ages 4-20 (currently available in North and West London). We will also be resuming ZooNation Youth Company national auditions to meet the best young talent that we can find and nurture through this subsidised training programme for ages 10 - 18.

Find out more at www.zoonation.co.uk for more information on how to get involved.