Meet The Two Dancers Proving Age is Just a Number

Living North meet Caroline Reece and Geoff Hopson, who are playing the wicked Queen and the King. Caroline is a freelance performer and trained for two years at ballet school and a year at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. She says she got into dance by chance, aged 17. ‘I saw a dance company on TV (years later I found out it was Nederlands Dans Theater). I was stuck in a boarding school, pre internet/mobile phones, and they looked so free and beautiful… but particularly free. I was captivated and remember thinking “I want to do that”.’

Caroline joined balletLORENT at the age of 32 and says she’s loved performing their fairytales series at Sadler’s Wells (Rapunzel, Rumpelstiltskin and Snow White). ’I would never have dreamt that would have been possible,’ she says. ‘The other highlight has been teaching workshops and working with all the local children and community casts over the years – [it’s been] wonderful to meet them and see individually what they bring to the fairytales.’

Geoff was born in Stockton and neither of his parents had any connection with the arts. ‘[They] were extremely surprised, and probably somewhat dismayed, to find out that they had a son who wanted to be a dancer,’ he says. ‘When they realised how much I loved it, they seemed rather more relieved that I’d actually found something that I was passionate about.’ 

After school Geoff auditioned for a place at what was Stockton and Billingham Technical College, which ran a Performing Arts course. ‘This place was honestly so amazing for people like me,’ he says. ‘What I loved about the college was that, although I had always felt like a bit of a misfit in school, this course came with its own brand of oddball types like myself, and I have some really wonderful memories of this time and the people that I met. I’d never danced before but became almost instantly fascinated with contemporary dance, being in a creative movement environment was so much fun, and weirdly I had a natural instinct for moving that I’d never really realised. I must mention the dance teacher Sue Rae, who was one of the strictest but most down to earth people I had ever met, and it was her guidance that really let me develop the beginning of my journey into further training, then into performing and teaching.’

Geoff loves being in the dance studio and creating new dances. ‘Really the sweat, sometimes blood and sometimes tears, process of making new work, or reinvigorating a past performance (especially when you are working with the amazing blend of dancers that are in balletLORENT) is very special and I feel very lucky to be a part of that family,’ he adds. ‘It is also so special when you see an ex-student who now dances professionally, so rewarding to be even a small part of their journey. I am constantly in awe of the bravery of our dancers in the studio. The tasks and challenges that they face with such humour, generosity and sense of fun and artistry is so inspiring to see – they truly are fantastic.  Being around them really is uplifting, and sometimes nerve racking.’ 

Caroline agrees. ‘I’m definitely a team player and love the creative process when we are devising the show and finding creative solutions,’ she says. ‘I find [balletLORENT’s artistic director] Liv [Lorent’s] work extremely challenging and am lucky enough to have worked with some of the cast for many years, and now with some lovely new dancers who all inspire me, alongside all the amazing collaborators who helped bring this production to the stage.’

Snow White:The Sacrifice  re-imagines the classic fairytale by delving into the psyche of a Queen. It’s a story of cruelty, envy and heroism, and there’s a family-friendly version also showing at Northern Stage. ’In our production [the Queen] is Snow White’s mother and not her step-mother,’ Caroline explains. ‘Carol-Ann Duffy has re-told the story and the narration is brilliant as she becomes more obsessed with her looks and almost more competitive with her own reflection, as she grows older and Snow White grows into a lovely young woman. Sometimes I want to [play a] miner because it looks like they have so much fun in rehearsal, and the Queen can be a lonely role, but deep down I love my part and I certainly identify with the ageing process!’

Geoff has two roles in this production, he explains. ‘[There’s] the father of Snow White, who sadly dies leaving his wife to rule the kingdom alone and un-adored, and his daughter to grow up without a father to protect her when the relationship with her mother turns darker. The other role is one of the seven miners, who are tasked with providing the Queen with all her precious jewels and wealth, with bodies that are battered, bent and bruised from working in the mines, but with spirits that are unbroken, loving and kind.’

Both Caroline and Geoff are excited to be on stage for this production. ‘I am so lucky that Liv wants to work with me and although I am not able to jump about like I used to, I am playing a Queen and don’t need to do that,’ says Caroline. ‘I hope that I can continue to develop my performing skills and that the audience will see the character and become immersed in the story unfolding and not wonder how old I am!’

Geoff admits it wasn’t in his plan to return to performing. ‘I think I was 34 when I stopped due to a back injury, and focused more on teaching,’ he says. ‘However, this company is one that embraces all ages and body types, and all kinds of dancers. I was one of the founder members of balletLORENT back in the day, so it’s a weird kind of full circle moment – but one that feels like a great opportunity.’