Erica Mulkern - Northern School of Contemporary Dance
 

ERICA MULKERN

BA (Hons) in Dance (Contemporary)

"NSCD is my home, it is full of people I consider my family. This school creates artists that are intelligent and has provided me with space to explore my individuality and make me ready for a long (and hopefully successful) career as a professional dancer. I love the atmosphere of the School, one of my favourite things is laying down in the theatre and looking up at the chandelier and thinking about the hundreds of other people who have looked at it."

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO STUDY CONTEMPORARY DANCE?

Contemporary was a very foreign concept to me, but one that I found beautiful. My GCSE teacher got me into contemporary and encouraged me to audition for NSCD, and I got in! I owe it all to her, she is the reason I am training at this amazing school.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT TRAINING IN LEEDS AT NSCD?

NSCD is my home, it is full of people I consider my family. This school creates artists that are intelligent and has provided me with space to explore my individuality and make me ready for a long (and hopefully successful) career as a professional dancer. I love the atmosphere of the School, one of my favourite things is laying down in the theatre and looking up at the chandelier and thinking about the hundreds of other people who have looked at it. The School has so much history and I feel like I am a part of it. The teachers are incredible, they are constantly supporting us and pushing us to levels we never thought we could reach.

Photo: Erica Mulkern 2017 © Andy Wright

What is life as a dance student like?

It is hard, but this is the pathway I chose. I would not change it for the world; there are days when I go to bed tired and wake up tired but I keep on going, because nothing will ever beat the joy of dancing in a studio.

What are the highlights of your time at NSCD so far?

The two very strong highlights for me are when I performed my second and third year solo, I loved being on stage and having an audience to watch the performance.

What are your career goals?

To be a professional dancer and to be happy! I wish to live a long life filled with dance, family and love.

What advice would you give to people thinking of studying contemporary dance?

DO IT! I sometimes think about what I would be doing now if I was not here and I know that I would not have grown and been as happy as I am now. Contemporary gave me the freedom that I didn’t have and a joy that I can never explain.