Meet Scott Pokorny: SCIMM. DANCE
Scott Pokorny
Why has Scimm introduced this new course now? And what does it bring to the Pre Professional course market that others don't?
“Scimm. Dance Pre-Professional has been a culmination of years of hard work in the right areas. My Co-Artisitic Director Tim Barnes and I always knew that this course was a possibility and we have worked hard to try and lay the foundation over the past ten years. With the success of both our Platforms Youth Company and our Professional Company, the full-time course sits nicely between both of these, padding out our performance and education models of the business.
Scimm. Dance Pre-Professional takes what we feel are the best and most vital parts of different full-time courses that we have been involved in and made them into our very own machine. We have combined the vital and rigorous ballet training from our own training with what we know are current contemporary and commercial dance trends. Professional contemporary dancers are required to be more versatile than ever in the current market, especially as a new wave of choreographers and companies are starting to shape the dance industry.”
What difference does it make to a student to be in a program that's associated with an existing professional company?
“Being part of a program associated with a professional company is a transformative experience for all of the dancers involved. We’ve recently had our Platforms Youth Company’s performance season where we invited the professional dancers from Scimm. Dance Company to perform. It's an incredible opportunity for these young aspiring dancers to physically witness dancing at a professional level. Equally, it's also valuable for our professional company to be inspired by the future generations coming up behind them. At Scimm. Dance, experiences like this bridges the gap between education and real-world practice. The closeness to professionals nurtures a sense of belonging and offers an environment full of support and inspiration for the younger dancers.”
What makes a dancer stand out at a Scimm audition?
“From our experience, dancers who stand out in auditions are usually ones who have a strong sense of self through their improvisation and style. Dancers who are able to combine their personal style with a strong understanding of technical foundations generally jump out and excite us most in auditions.”
Tell us about your other two training programs Nexus and Ascension
“The other programs that we have are the Nexus and Ascension Training Programs. Ascension is an audition-based extension training program that runs on a Friday evening for dancers aged 8 - 19. The program involves a mixture of ballet, contemporary, choreographic, improvisation and conditioning classes designed for committed and driven dancers interested in building their technique, creativity and knowledge of contemporary dance. Nexus is an eight-week course for dancers 18+ looking to further both their training and exposure to the Australian dance industry. It focuses on furthering dance techniques and providing industry and performance exposure in a safe and nurturing environment, something Tim and I both truly value. After the success of Nexus, our dream has been to take it one step further. Our goal has been to rebrand and rework Nexus and turn it into our full-time training course, Scimm. Dance Pre-Professional, which is set to begin in 2024.”
Do you have any scholarships available?
“Scholarships of varying sorts are available by audition for each of our programs. We currently have scholarship applications open for our Pre-Professional course. We have our annual scholarships workshop series returning in October. We also have scholarships available through our affiliations with with Kairos Dance Convention (NZ), Royal South Street (Ballarat) and Jump Dance Challenge (AU).”