SMB College Group Performing Arts Alumnus, Christopher Tendai, is back choreographing at the College!
Christopher’s CTC Dance Company, is working in collaboration with BA Performing Arts students for their dance theatre show The Human Condition, coming to Melton Theatre on the 27th of April this year.
Since Christopher left SMB College Group, he has gone on to have a successful career spanning both Musical Theatre and the commercial world. He has worked on a range of impressive shows including Hamilton, Matilda, West Side Story, Jesus Christ Superstar and In The Heights, and with huge artists such as Fleur East, Rita Ora, Hugh Jackman! Now he looks to inspire others as Artistic Director for the Award-Winning CTC Dance Company.
The company are known for their thought provoking works such as ‘IDENTITY’ and their recent show ‘iNk’d’. CTC Dance Company currently have a partnership at Theatre Peckham (London) and are working towards their new Off Westend adaption of Alice in Wonderland called 'Wonderland In Alice' premiering this April, as well as working with degree students at SMB College Group for their final show!
Regarding his time at the College and his work with CTC Dance School, Christopher said, “I studied at SMB College Group back in 2009 to 2011. Studying here broadened my perspective of musical theatre and the industry and it allowed me to creatively develop my practice, which I utilised through going to drama school and still to today in my own dance company and working on the west end. My college lecturers especially gave me the confidence to take this on as a real career and it gave me the tools to take into drama school.
“CTC Dance school came about in 2017 after performing in Jesus Christ Super Star, where I found myself in a place where I wanted to start something more authentic and personal to me. So I made the ‘Imperfections’ video and, from these rehearsals, I thought ‘Why not create a dance company?’. It has all led to great opportunities such as The Greatest Dancer on the BBC. CTC’s ethos is all about sparking important conversations through the narrative and telling more stories that don’t necessarily have the noise or backing to do so.”
To find out more about Performing Arts courses at SMB College Group’s Melton Campus, head to www.smbcollegegroup.ac.uk – there’s still time to apply for Post-16 and degree courses starting this September.