Filming on a volcanic island off the coast of Africa for Goldfrapp’s latest single, Anymore, was an unforgettable experience for a Dance graduate from De Montfort University Leicester (DMU).
On the sand dunes (pictured left) in still from Anymore
Danni Spooner spent a day on set in Fuerteventura with three other dancers and Alison Goldfrapp - one half of the famous electronic duo from London - shooting the stunning single from their seventh and newly-released album Silver Eye.
The 22-year-old from Leicester said: “There was a call-out on Facebook for female dancers with a shaved head and a friend tagged me in the comments.
“After expressing my interest I was contacted by the agency who asked for my CV along with examples of me dancing, and before I knew it I got flight details emailed to me!”
Danni got to know the other dancer and two models at a rehearsal day in London which helped settle her nerves before the big day.
“It was such a surreal experience and I feel really lucky to have been involved,” she said.
Danni's desert dancing in still from Anymore
“We had just one day to shoot with a 5am wake-up call so we could be on the sand dunes for sunrise. It was absolutely freezing as it was November, but by 11am it had warmed up thankfully.
“The whole team was great, really supportive and encouraging, and Alison was really lovely to work with. At the end of the day we all had a job to do, so we embraced it and had fun.”
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Mingling with industry professionals during dinner after the shoot has already resulted in another exciting and top secret collaboration.
The 2016 graduate said: “I’m so grateful to be getting this kind of work so soon after graduating.”
FAG promo picture
Danni’s own work is preoccupied with self-discovery and the exploration of gender expression and identity, which led to her shaving her head in the first place.
This is best seen in her two-minute film called FAG, which was commissioned as part of Random Acts, Channel 4’s short film strand dedicated to the arts.
Danni said: “FAG is a rebellious reflection on the cisgender society we exist in, with a quick wink and grin to political correctness.
“My tutor Jo Breslin encouraged me to apply for Random Acts and I was really happy when it was given the green light by Rural Media and Maverick TV.
“To then have it featured on Channel 4’s website and aired on national TV was amazing.”
As part of the Random Acts scheme Danni was allocated a mentor and had access to camera, sound and make-up professionals to help realise her vision.
Performing with Fuelled Dance Theatre
She is now a Rural Media ambassador, with ongoing mentorship and the opportunity to attend and contribute to workshops at Random Acts festivals up and down the country.
“I’m also being supported to develop FAG as a live piece of work. My dream is for it to happen in a church, just to raise a few eyebrows,” she said.
Danni is also working with Fuelled Dance Theatre, a Leicester-based contemporary dance performance and educational company, on a show debuting at the Attenborough Arts Centre in June.
She said: “DMU’s Dance course really encourages you to find out who you are. The tutors are always there for you, but they teach you how to be self-motivated and take control of your career.
“It can seem difficult at first, but they do a great job at preparing you for what the real world is like and getting into the right mindset before graduating.”
Posted on Thursday 2 March 2017