With a portfolio that spans iconic productions like Tina The Musical, Mamma Mia! and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, films including Beauty and the Beast and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, and concerts for Cher and Kate Bush, Anthony Van Laast has left an indelible mark on the industry. As Vice President of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) and a passionate advocate for the next generation of dancers, teachers and choreographers, he continues to shape the future of dance. Ahead of his appearance at the upcoming ISTD Industry Day, Dance Informa spoke to him about career turns, the power of saying “yes” and what attendees can expect from this year’s Industry Day.
Your career has spanned decades and includes a remarkable range of productions, from James Bond: Never Say Never Again to Mamma Mia! How did it all evolve? Was there a clear plan?
“I don’t believe any career is preconceived. If you’re freelance, everything happens by happenstance and chance. The only choice you make is which job to take if you’re offered two at the same time, or whether to take one at all. Nobody could ever map out a specific plan for their career in our industry. I’ve been incredibly fortunate that some very lovely jobs have come my way.
I was with London Contemporary Dance for nearly 10 years and, in my last few years, I was actually doing more teaching than performing with the company. At that stage (I was in my late 20s then), I really thought my career was going to be as a teacher, and I was very happy about it because I really loved teaching.”
So what changed, and how did you move from teaching to choreography?
“I was offered a few choreographic opportunities but, as I said, I had no idea that I was going to move into choreography when I was in my 20s. I had the privilege of working with some of the greats as a perfomer – Robert Cohan, Robert North, Martha Graham, Anna Sokolow – to my mind, they were incredibly clever, and I didn’t see myself like that.
Then, at a company workshop, someone said to me, ‘If you choreograph a dance up to 10 minutes, we’ll give you £10. And if it’s over 10 minutes, we’ll give you £20.’ At that point, I didn’t have any money at all, so I decided to create a piece over 10 minutes. That’s when I discovered that I had some kind of ability to choreograph, which I was too shy to show before.
The move into choreography was quite gradual, but my big break came from choreographing Kate Bush – I worked on her only major tour. Then, because I was with Kate and because she was so fashionable and well known at the time, I started getting other great jobs.”
You’ve worked extensively across both stage and screen. Are there any aspects that are particularly challenging or rewarding?
“I was doing work on film before I choreographed for theatre – I really love working in film. It’s a different challenge to stage though. For me, choreography is solving the problem. In film, the problem is how to move the camera. When you watch the greats – Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Bob Fosse’s films – you soon learn that what makes movement so exciting on film is how the camera moves. So I’m always challenging myself and thinking, ‘How can I move the camera to make the movement look more exciting?’”
Mamma Mia! Is returning to Broadway. What’s it been like revisiting that show after so many years, and were you involved in shaping this new production?
“It has been so lovely to get back to it again. I went out to the U.S. and made quite a few big changes (things I wanted to change 25 years ago, but never did), which has been really good fun.”
You’ll be speaking at the upcoming ISTD Industry Day, which brings together dancers, teachers and choreographers from across the country. What does this event mean to you, and what do you hope attendees will take away from it?
“My mother was a dance teacher and a very active member of the ISTD, so when they asked me to be Vice President, I was honoured. I really feel that if you’ve had a career in dance, it’s important to give back to it. I’ve had a very blessed career, and I think it’s incredibly important for those who have had a successful career to help new teachers and students in the future. It’s a wonderful space for that. My job at this year’s event is to talk to people and, hopefully, inspire them. These industry days are so valuable – somebody speaking to you or demonstrating can teach you a whole lot more than a textbook.”
Many readers are just at the beginning of their journeys as dancers and choreographers. What words of wisdom do you have for them?
“You have to be persistent, enthusiastic and say yes to everything – you never know what will come from it. If you sit in your room and never meet anyone, you’re never going to work. You need to get out there, meet people and show them what you can do. The journey to becoming a performer or choreographer or a teacher is a hard one, but if you’re passionate, there’s a chance you can break through.”
ISTD Industry Day 2025 takes place on Sunday 26 October 2025, 9.30-16:30 at Bird College, Sidcup. To find out more and to book your place, visit www.istd.org/events/industry-day-2025.
By Allie D’Almo of Dance Informa.
