1. Can you tell readers how you became involved with dance?

My involvement in dance began with a trickle and soon became a torrent.

By chance I saw Billy Elliot and it immediately grabbed me. After realising quite how much stretching can hurt and thinking of the associated stigma of being a male dancer, I dismissed the idea, as being “for girls”. However I still harboured a want to know more. I began to ask a few of the girls at school about the basic positions of ballet. They showed me once, twice, three times but before long grew frustrated as I continued to ask questions. The poor girls eventually gave up and with exasperated sighs, told me to come to their class. I do not think they expected me to.

The week after, I did my first plie. I remember it distinctly. Knowing that dance was what I wanted to do with my life, even as I plie’d. After moving through a few dance schools in my quest to learn as much as I could, I eventually auditioned for Laine Theatre Arts and Bird College, two musical theatre institutions. Having always been told, “it’s easy for guys”, I was confident I would get into both. I did not get into either. It was the best thing that ever happened to me. I just wanted it all the more. I did A-level exams and went to a ballet school in the evenings. I then auditioned for and went to London Studio Centre the following year.

2. What do you find you like best about dance class? [Read more…]