TIS THE SEASON ... TO GET ILL ALL THE TIME!

Im up early today...

I feel absolutely awful! The drugs are starting to kick in... so i feel slightly better. But the FLU! AGAIN!!
I'm just about to start to Nutcracker! I don't need this...

Well anyway... im not available to do the drama film, but might be involved in the directors second film later next year, a jack the ripper movie!

My 'Flight of Freedom' picture, By the wonderful Karin Pritzel , who recently won Photographer 2 months running! Is now going to be auctioned off in Dublin ! To raise money for Operation Smile.

A great cause and a great idea, its so wonderful to be able to do more charity work.

I am looking forward to my birthday this year... i am hiring out a Bar in Portadown for a mad party! It will be the first time i will have ever really celebrated my birthday, so im very excited!

My 2009 So Far....

Ah Well! I didn't win The Award i was Nominated for: Arts Personality Of the Year 2009 for The Ulster Tatler People Of The Year Award....


There is always next year...

I have also auditioned for a drama film.... I really like the character that i auditioned for and right nowits between myself and another guy. The only problem is , time and availability.

I was told that it would be the first few weeks of Oct, which i have free, but now it could be November, Which is when im Guesting with Cork City Ballet and Ballet Russe to do the Christmas Classic Nutcracker.

Im Looking forward to starting dancing again,its been a few weeks! I took time off to do the Film 'Street Dance 3D' whic is due for release next year and had time off to do some charity work, and i have been doing some funraising for the Everychild Charity and also The Albert Kennedy Trust. Both great charities doing so much work fo children in very different ways and circumstances. Im very proud that i had a chance to do some good work for these charities.

But i can only volunteer my time for so long before i need to get back to work.

So although i didn't win my award, it was still a fabulous night and was very glamerous.

Next year! I'll be back with a vengence! ...... Just means i have to work harder!

SILVER SCREENING!

Wow, im so very excited! I have just been officially attached to be involved in Vertigo Films up-and-coming new feature length film! It is going to be called Streetdance!

Details at the moment are still a little sketchy, i have been told that shooting will start mid-August. I just cant wait, so whatever the size my involvement is in the film, i don't care, its my first feature film and the whole process will be so exciting!

More on that later...!

I just wrapped filming my first short independent film! Its very beautiful. Its a film of a piece that i choreographed to a song called 'Angel' By Jerry Burns, a wonderful and talented singer songwriter.

Jerry produced the film and it was directed by David Council, who directed Jerry in another one of his movies. The cast consisted of myself and my friend Kyle Davey, whom i dance with both in the movie and also at New English Contemporary Ballet. Its a male ballet pas de deux and i couldn't be happier with how the film ended up! Its simply stunning.

If you wish to see the film, it will be made available to purchase on ITUNES along with a short album of Jerry's music very soon.

The plan is to have the premier of the film in Glasgow and Edinburgh, then to release to film festivals worldwide !

Very excited about this too!

SLOW DOWN!

Wow, i have been so busy! I am back in Nottingham and its my first rest in a long time.

I was with New English Contemporary Ballet since March, been workin extremely hard with them to build and create a strong team of dancers and put together a wonderful selection of ballets.

We finished touring Mid-June and literally the next day i was down in London auditioning for a part in a new feature film. StreetDance. its the worlds first ever 3D dance movie , so it sounded too good to pass up.

After my short trip to London, i headed up to Glasgow, to meet some very dear and special friends, i brought with me fellow dancer from New English Contemporary Ballet, Kyle Davey.

Although i was very much looking forward to going back to Glasgow, as its such an amazing City,
i had work to do, four days rehearsal with Kyle do get a piece i choreographed in 2008 back into shape ready for filming so it could be made into a Film.

All a very exciting process. I love working infront of the camera!

The song i use is by a wonderful artist called Jerry Burns. Her wonderful songs have been the soundtrack to many a wonderful film :

Cruel Intentions - This Love (1999)

Crush - Angel (2001)

Walking & Talking - Wings Of Desire

- La Turbulence Des Fluides (Chaos and Desire) (2007)

to name a few! She is a wonderful woman, just magical. She is such a dear friend of mine and thats what made this project such a wonderful experience.

On board to direct was David Council, a wonderful film maker who had also cast Jerry in his film Art Therapy, and they are very dear friends, i had my dear friend Kyle performing in the film with me and of course working with jerry was a dream.

So we created a family and thats why tis project is special. I have seen a preliminary screening of the film and its is breathtakingly beautful. All the elements came together perfectly and we have achieved and creatd something beautiful.

The hope is to have the premiere in both Glasgow and Edinburgh, so watch this space!

Shortly after tha, i traveled to dublin to have a joint photoshoot with Karin Pritzel of Pritzel Photography. It was a hectic day! Lots of changes and different locastions, but the weather was stunning and we did a lot of it in the sea and on the beach , andi finally got a little colour!

I had a day off before i started working with my old dance school again at The Donna Whitten Dance Studio. As always it was an absolute pleasure! They worked extremely hard and it was nice to try and help progress these students. And they are very funny girls and can always make me smile!

I came back to Nottingham shortly after that for a little rest! I still have a lot to go, i will be joining New English Contemporary Ballet again to go on tour to the Ukraine , which will be so exciting and on returning to the Uk, i will fly over to cork to be a Guest Principal Dancer in Cork City Ballet's Nutcracker at the Cork Opera House in November.

All this with a another set of Ballet Master Classes at The Donna Whitten Dance School, shooting another Short Film with David Council and jerry Burns, possibly being in StreetDance the 3D movie, another photoshoot and a family reunion inbetween!

Im exhausted just thinking about it!

ALL WORK AND ALL PLAY...

I know it has been a while since i last wrote and updated you. Very bad! im slapping my wrist as i write. I have been so incredibly busy! I have to let you all know how much i am enjoying working at New English Contemporary Ballet! The work is great, the people are great and i am getting to travel.

The ballets that i am performing are challenging, and i enjoy rehearsing and working hard on them. One of them being a a principle pas de deux called 'Light into Shade', its 8 minutes long , consisting of pas de deux and a solo. its tough going! I am dancing for a full 8 minutes without a break, so you can expect how pink my face is at the end of the ballet! Its been such a challenge to get this piece upto performance standard. But well worth it, as i only performed it last night! My first show of that piece. So i sit here writing this with still a little post- performance buzz in me!

The company is such a hard working group of dancers! I love that kind of atmosphere! It pushes you to keep achieving more and more which i think is so incredibly important in this industry.

I am also planning to go back and possibly do some more coaching over the summer in my time off, i enjoyed it so much and am so excited to see how much more i can help in the development of young dancers.

I have been making some extremely influential and important friends both here in the uk and stateside, and one very important person in particular has wonderful ideas about intergrating modeling and dance together. He wants to produce catwalk shows with high end fashion and couture with the models being dancers. I am so excited at this prospect and look forward to the project developing and of course, the final end product!

I will post more on the modeling, coaching and of course dancing very soon!

My First Rant Of 2009 ! Please Read On...

Well, my time in Ireland is nearly over. I think it has been rather productive! I have been out drinking with friends , which i almost never do when I come back home.

I think my biggest achievement for the beginning of 2009 is doing the Ballet Masterclasses for My first Teacher Donna Whitten at her Dance Academy in Portadown.

It was so rewarding to hear their Mothers say that they thought all their daughters had improved or learned something! It was great that i was able to do something for them and help guide them with their dancing and training.

Its Funny, I have been away from Portadown for almost 11 years! But i have never lost my loyalty to where i grew up, the people i grew up with, my Family, and in this case, The Donna Whitten Dance Academy.

Whilst teaching there i was able to catch up on all i have missed out on. Turns out, a lot of drama.

I was absolutely disgusted to hear how people have changed.

When i was there and dancing , we did it for the love of dance, we loved to perform, all of our mothers made costumes together and got on ! They loved to sit and chat and laugh, it was all fun! It was some of the best experiences of our lives.... But Now!! Now it seems that magic has gone and all we are left with is bitterness.

Bitchy mothers who seem more ambitious than their children , nasty comments said between children only said because they have overheard their Mothers backstabbing .

Where is the loyalty? Where is the heart ? And where is the decency to tell you teacher the truth! Not to run off to other dance schools behind their backs!

It makes me sad.

I am glad to hear , however that the atmosphere is now brilliant , and i was thrilled how hard everyone worked and how good all the mothers were! So supportive and polite

.... now that all the trouble makers, attention seekers and people who truely think they are someone have been told to leave.

I was however sad to hear that some of them who i grew up with like the family of 'Gass's' ,who i would have danced with , Just couldn't believe how disgusting their treatment of my first Teacher Donna was. All the bullying and bitching.

Donna helped me take the first steps to get me where i am today, I am now an Award Winning Professional Ballet Dancer who gets rave reviews for my performances and Documentaries made about my life! I wouldnt have had any of that without My Mum, Donna Whitten and Susan MacMillian. And i would never forget that nor would i ever turn my back on them!

Its good to hear that The Donna Whitten Dance Academy is back on track for being one of the best schools in Northern Ireland. And i will do all i can to pass on my Knowledge and experience on to the young dancers, because i want the best for Donna and her school and i have Dignity, Respect and i understand where istarted from and who helped me on the way.

One good turn deserves another! Never forget who got you to where you are now, it is you but there are a lot more people along the way who help! Never turn your back on them and treat everyone with respect.

P.s .... On another note, i am absolutely excited to be signed with an amazing new Modeling Agency, Rogue Models. I , be no means think i am good looking enough to be one, but i feel modeling should be art, pushing boundaries and making exciting and origional works

Included are some pictures taken by Bertil Nilsson (http://www.bertil.co.uk/)

London - Wales - Glasgow and finally ... Portadown!

(Leigh Alderson in rehearsals with Scottish National Ballet 2008)


Huraah! Three weeks off! Although i will not be resting!

Im back in my hometown and seeing some familiar faces. Its always great to come home, it usually indicates 'Rest, Relaxation, Holiday, Time Off, Family, Friends ...... Couple of Glasses of Vino!!!

All in all it usual donates a good feeling!

I have just finished with Ballet Russe which was very sad to say goodbye to a great company of dancers and friends , but i have to start making preparations for the move to Nottingham to start my contract with New English Contemporary Ballet. Im very Excited, they are a brilliant company with excelent repetoire and i think i will very much benefit from the work. Not only will i have a chance to strengthen and develop my technique but also i feel i will grow and mature even more as an artist.
I have heard nothing but reports that they work long hours and extremely hard.... and i can't wait!!
Inbetween sorting out moving, i now feel i have some free time to do something i have thought about doing for a while... Teaching.

I am heading back to my old dance school to do some master classes which i am so excited about. My first dance teacher , Donna Whitten , and her students at her dance academy in Portadown , Northern Ireland, are very kind to accept my offer to do some master classes.

I have to admit, Im extremely nervous too. I have never taught before and its going to be as much a learning experience for me as it is going to be for the students. There is pressure to deliver , much like a performance.
I want to give all the students the best i can and offer them as much knowledge as i can. Its an exciting and very different project , but its a challenge ...


......And i love a challenge !

Behind The Curtain...

2009 : A New Chapter & Words Of Wisdom

Well.... 2009 is now officially here and its a perfect time for me to re-evaluate my life and career, take stock of what i have achieved and what i want to accomplish.

I am in London at the moment with Ballet Russe. At present I'm dying of a hideous cold, which in fairness the whole company seem to have, so there is lots sniffing and sneezing!

Audiences have been good except for one night... ( After Christmas, Credit Crunch, a Thursday, some of the many reasons for this.)

The Audience on this one night was very bad, almost an embarrassingly small audience. It is a little annoying, and generally you want to have a fuller audience. As usual we were all complaining about it until my friend ,and fellow dancer, Alys turned to us and said something that is so true and brilliant, and is something i feel all dancers ( and in general performers) should try and remember

'Its not the audiences fault that they are so few, but they paid the same amount that the previous full audience did . It would be unfair if we gave them any less!'

Ahhh! My first quote of wisdom!

Its so important to think about this.
It is our job as a performer to give 100% , if its an audience of 10,000 or just 10! We owe it to the audience, and more importantly , to ourselves as artists.

HAPPY NEW YEAR & GOOD LUCK WITH ALL YOU DO AND IN ALL YOU TRY!