Biography
Charlie Walker is an aspiring young dancer and performer on his way to completing his professional study in Dance & Professional Practice at the University of Bedfordshire after four years at Northampton College.
An innovative and gregarious performer who enjoys performing live, performing from an ensemble setting, and producing professionally staged show pieces. His practice is formed around growth, versatility and evolving as an all-round practitioner that thrives in the contemporary performing arts. The training process for Charlie across rehearsal and performance contexts (in group works, alone and collaboratively) has provided him great experience.
Throughout his course at Northampton College he was a dance captain delivering leadership, reliability and consistency in rehearsal and performance settings. He grew in confidence to support people, hold everyone to a high standard, and play productively as a member of a team. Charlie likes learning and doing choreographed material for shows and projects, particularly in ensemble, with a lot of energy, timing, and connection. In addition to that, he's developed skills in partner work (which has become a major cornerstone of his performance portfolio) and lifts, which are just as important. As part of his training, he has been exposed to the work of directors, choreographers and technical teams (light and sound) and has developed a broader understanding of a complete production.
Beyond stage performance, Charlie has a genuine passion for creative digital work and is passionate about videography and video editing, and comfortable working with camera projects. At the moment, he's looking to launch a professional career in performing and eventually work on cruise ships and on large-scale forms of entertainment. In the longer-term he would like to move into teaching, deploying his experience performing to grow and mentor future entertainers.
Artistic Philosophy
The way I see things is that performance must be disciplined and at the same time expressive. Being a good performer to me is not just knowing your technique, but knowing how to stay committed, presence, and the ability to contribute fully to a creative process. I like a piece or piece that adds to a larger canvas, whether that's a rehearsal, or performance or as a result of a larger build-up. Strong performance, I think, is about consistency, focus and the desire to develop.
Part of my practice is learning and performing choreographed material for shows and projects. I like working as part of an ensemble where timing, connection and shared energy is important for the end result. I like that when you work closely with others to produce something that is nicely polished and effective for someone who’s watching. Ensemble performance does not mean acting together, it means investing in another individual, having another team member and having a shared responsibility for the quality of the work. I'm big believer in professionalism, leadership and flexibility.
My role as a dance captain has affected the way I think creative work that involved me support others, staying as dependable in a high-stakes situation and positively contribute in the rehearsal environment. I really think these attributes are just as important as craft, because they dictate to me how a performer plays in a company or cast. I’m looking to become the type of performer who has been given instructions and can confidently work on whatever’s demanded in the creative process. Along with live performance, I’ve been experimenting with digital and camera-based creative forms, especially the world of videography and video-editing. I just think today’s performing is more about performing on stages and from the screen and I’m curious about how movement can be delivered in many different formats.
I have gained greater insight into performance, presentation, and artists' relationship to their audiences in contemporary professional times. So overall, my artistic philosophy is to be a versatile, committed, and forward-thinking performer. I appreciate work that is collaborative, well built, and engaging, and I want to continue to develop as an artist who can do a strong job both on stage and as part of the wider creative process.
