KATE PRINCE

When people ask me who I admire most in my life (this doesn't happen all that often actually, but if you imagine Morgan Freeman saying that first line it feels like you are at the beginning of a delightful film doesn't it?) my answer would be Kate Prince. Being a lover of  hip-hop music and rich narratives that strongly connect me to the characters and action (take a breath Jenny!), it's not a surprise that Prince's creation 'ZooNation' became a favourite. When anyone asks me about a ZooNation production, I truly sound like a groupie-a MASSIVE fan.

ZooNation was set up by Kate Prince in 2002, and within eight years became a resident company at Sadler's Wells. The first big production that was commissioned 'Into the Hoods' was a huge hit, marrying traditional fairytales (Lil' Red and the Wolf for example) with modern tracks by artists such as Kanye West, Janet Jackson and Stevie Wonder to name a few.

The ZooNation company has now gone on to produce shows such as 'Some like it Hip Hop' an adaptation of  'Some like it Hot', 'Groove on Down the Road' an adaptation of 'the Wizard of Oz' by ZYC, the youth company, and 'The Mad Hatters tea Party', an original take on the characters from 'Alice in Wonderland'.

The amazing energy and humour from the shows ensure that you leave on a high. The music is always well chosen, and the skill of the dancers showcased is mind-blowing. The strength agility and even acting skills of the performers is of high quality, and more importantly, can appeal to people of all ages.

Prince's vision to put together Hip Hop and narrative that appeals to a huge audience has taken bravery and creativity. A white woman leading the way in hip hop is not so controversial any more, but unusual, and her ethos has been clear from the beginning.

The creative vision in each show will always make your heart smile. Dance battles instead of  job interviews, a white rabbit that has OCD (that's why he's always so late!) and a sensitive boy named Lionel at school who is encouraged to be brave (We all have a bit of a Lion day sometimes?).

I would encourage everyone to go and see anything produced by this lady, as you are guaranteed to enjoy the creative spin put on EVERYTHING that she does (there's that groupie voice again!)

I'd like to thank Kate Prince for being a role-model for risk taking, for making stories fun, modern and relatable, and for having great taste in music!

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http://www.zoonation.co.uk

http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2012/oct/09/kate-prince-choreographer-portrait

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