Infusion’s Daniel and Melanie Cossette joined a class hosted by Queen’s College, Cambridge–open not only to university students, but also the community at large–for the chance to STOMP, and do share some “architectural and spatial choreography” in contemporary style dance under the direction of Adèle Thompson (a founding member of European touring STOMP show).

“I wouldn’t have done it if you hadn’t made me,” said Melanie Cossette, laughing, “I’m terrible at rhythm.”

“I wasn’t going to miss the chance!” said Daniel, who owns the STOMP Out Loud 1997 DVD and confesses to watching it at least once a year since purchasing it.

Adèle Thompson, the Dance-Artist-in-Residence at Queen’s College, teaches weekly contemporary classes during term on Fridays and Saturdays. Every spring the open-to-the-community classes produce a show called Sprung! This is their 15th anniversary, which Thompson says, “It’s in this very awkward, adolescent year, and we need to give it a little something special!” So she decided not only to choreograph a contemporary dance for her students, but also to give them a chance to STOMP themselves, teaching them STOMP style Brooms and Pipes routines.

The contemporary work will be an abstract piece inspired by buildings and architecture. “In the past we’ve done some really deep and somewhat heavy things,” said Thompson, “but this year it’s just going to be about shapes in space.” She and her students brought in photographs of buildings that inspired them, and used those as a jumping point to developing movement phrases which became the elements of the dance.

Also, Thompson wanted to give audience members a glance at the building blocks of contemporary dance by choreographing a fourth piece, which is a series of exercises taken the class’ warm up and conditioning. Calling it “First Positions,” Thompson calls it a “peek behind the scenes of what goes on in a contemporary dance technique class.” Try and keep up! Though the demographics of the class are quite diverse, the deceptively simple start devolves quickly into rapid drops to the floor, back rolls and spins before each member rises quickly to their feet to repeat the sequence.

Queen’s dance class participants can also present their own choreography and dance contributions. The show will feature some original material from the community students, as well as a look at some short films from past Sprung! shows, and Daniel Cossette will present Mighty Spirit by Randall Flinn (an American choreographer, who set the work on Cossette in 2008).

The show is the 11th & 12th of March at 7:30pm, Queen’s College, Fitzpatrick Hall. Tickets are available from the door for £5/£4 students.