Month: August 2024

I am from Sudbury, Ontario and I love to dance! I had the honour of having Cynthia Fisher as my examiner for my Advanced 2 examination in 2022. I passed with a High Merit, which I am absolutely delighted with! I have been battling Lyme Disease for 11 years, and wanted to share my journey in the hope that it will inspire someone else to reach for their dreams in ballet.

I love dancing more than anything in this world. I think of ballet all day and go to bed dreaming of it at night. I cannot imagine a day without it. Ever since I was little, it has always been my greatest dream to achieve the Advanced 2 exam.

Eleven years ago I was training for the exam when I suddenly fell very ill. I had just finished university and was a dance teacher at my own studio as well as a school teacher. I loved my students dearly and spent my days doing what I loved. But my health became progressively worse, to the point that I had to teach from a chair or even lie down in the classroom. I was fevered, extremely weak, losing weight and experiencing constant pain. I eventually had to give up my studio, my beloved students and teaching along with my exam training at the age of 23. I was bedridden for two years, finally testing positive for Lyme Disease. This was just the start of a long battle which I am still fighting today.

The new syllabus came out shortly after I fell ill, and I was filled with excitement and determination to learn it, beginning on my own from my bed. It took seven years, because I could only read for a few minutes a day and couldn’t move very much. I practiced everything in my head! On the days that I just wanted to cry, I would put on my dance clothes and pointe shoes so that I could ‘feel like a ballerina.’ Three years into my journey, I met my husband, Steven, who has been an angel in my life. He believed in me and encouraged me to reach for my dreams. When we were dating, he took me to see The Nutcracker in Toronto and would whisper, ‘You are going to get your Advanced 2 one day.’ 

Paige with one of her RAD certificates
Paige with her husband, Steven

In 2018, my beloved father passed away. He was one of my biggest fans: everyone says that I got my deep passion for life from him. I knew that ballet was the one thing that would bring me joy through my grief. I called around to find an RAD teacher, and when I walked into my first class with Sarah Baker we both shed a tear as we shared our stories. Her sister sadly passed away from Lyme Disease. We truly understood each other, which has led to the most beautiful, lifelong friendship. 

She knew how to train me carefully and not to push too hard. We started with 20-minute classes, after which I would have to be in bed for a week recovering, as I was undergoing numerous treatments. We slowly added a few minutes to my class each week, and have now made it to two-hour classes! 

Training required a lot of support from my loved ones. My amazing mother drove me 90 minutes to class, making so many sacrifices with love: she has been my greatest support. My husband got a new job and we were able to move to the same city as my mom and the dance studio. 

The day of my exam was one I will never forget! My entire family, friends and doctors were cheering me on. I was very ill on the day of my exam, but was not going to let infections get in the way of my dream. Cynthia Fisher was such a warm-hearted and encouraging examiner and when we received my mark we were all ecstatic! It far surpassed my hopes and dreams. 

Sometimes life doesn’t always go as you had planned, but I am beyond thankful for the joy and perseverance that ballet has brought to my life. It gave me something to strive for during my toughest days, and it will continue to brighten every day in the years to come.

Recently I achieved a Distinction level for both Discovering Repertoire Level 4 as well as Advanced 2. I feel extremely blessed to dance in less pain than the previous years. Dance continues to bring me joy in the midst of my daily battle with this disease. What would we do without ballet?

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Dance Gazette Issue 11 - Oct 2024

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Hannah, what does Pride mean to you?

To me, Pride is a celebration. A celebration of inclusion, identity and affirmation. Pride is about feeling part of a community and connection, but it is also a protest for equality and against discrimination. 

What was Pride 2024 like for you?

It was really special to take part in Pride in London this year – it was the RAD’s first time walking in the parade and it was really important to us to come together as a community to celebrate, represent and support LGBTQIA2S+ rights. I walked alongside colleagues as well as RAD students, members and our local community – and it was extra special as it was my first time walking too.

Photo: Keshia Dodd

Why was it important that the RAD walked in London Pride this year?

As the RAD’s LGBTQIA2S+ working group, we felt it was important to be part of the Pride in London parade to represent our diverse community of dancers and teachers and to be visible with our support of LGBTQIA2S+ rights. It’s important to us that colleagues, members, students and dancers see that the RAD is a space that welcomes all and that dance is for everybody. I would love to think it’s the start of the RAD community globally coming together to support Pride celebrations across the world!

More widely, how important is it for organisations to create inclusive workspaces? 

According to research, over a third of LGBTQIA2S+ people feel like they must hide at work. We’re at work for a huge part of our lives. Feeling like you must hide part of yourself greatly impacts both emotional and physical health.

Inclusion is about creating a safe space and enabling everyone to come to work as their whole self. Inclusive workplaces attract diverse employees, different voices and cultures, often becoming safer and happier for everyone. I’m really proud to be part of the LGBTQIA2S+ working group at the RAD and to be building community and visibility here.

Photo: Keshia Dodd
Photo: Keshia Dodd

What would your advice be to someone who is struggling to fit in?  

Try to find your tribe. There are many groups and organisations that can help you meet others in the community, or who have felt the same way as you. Know that you are not alone! There are also fantastic initiatives and dance classes that are focused on bringing the community together. I didn’t find my queer communities until my 30s, but have found a great LGBTQIA2S+ book club and dance group in London! 

How can the dance industry support the LGBTQIA2S+ community? 

Visibility all year is important. Historically there has been limited representation outside of traditional gender norms and relationships, especially in ballet, but we are starting to see a slow shift, with movements like Queer the Ballet at the forefront. The more we see inclusion of LGBTQIA2S+ voices at all levels of the industry, the more likely people are to feel that dance is for them too – that they are in a safe space to come as they are.

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Dance Gazette Issue 11 - Oct 2024

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José Alves, the Brazilian dancer who was formerly a leading artist with Ballet Black, was part of the panel of judges for The Fonteyn 2024. He judged the competition’s semi-finals, which took place at the RAD’s HQ in London. 

The best advice I ever received 

The best advice I have ever received came from my first dance teacher who told me, ‘dance with your heart, not just your feet.’ This simple yet profound guidance has always reminded me that the true essence of dance goes beyond technical precision. It is about conveying emotion and connecting with the audience on a deeper level.

The advice I would pass on 

The advice I would most like to pass on is to embrace the journey, including its challenges. Every setback is an opportunity to grow, and every triumph is a testament to your resilience. Stay curious, stay passionate, and never stop learning. Also never allow people to say that you’re not capable of anything.

Photo: Karol Omorczyk
Photo: Karol Omorczyk
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Dance Gazette Issue 11 - Oct 2024

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What is Project Elimu? 

Project Elimu is an after school programme for children in Kibera. Dance is one of our core activities, built around ballet, modern and African dance. We’ve been running this space since 2018, aiming to give children in Kibera a place to hang out, a safe space for young kids to come in and explore the beauty of dance.

We focus on creating dance as an access for education: we’ve seen children who are dancing with us getting more eager and interested in school. It is an oasis of a safe space for children, using dance as a tool of expression. 

I imagine the world outside the school is less safe?

Kibera is not an easy place to grow up as a child. Children face a lot of domestic violence and neglect – some even face hardship even when it comes to accessing food. It’s a quite intense but also a very beautiful place, with a lot of happiness, lots of colour, lots of people trying to make a difference. 

Like any other slum, Kibera is quite intense, but also sometimes dangerous to young girls growing up there. Our activities are designed to make children feel safe and teach them how to take care of themselves. We do a lot around sexual reproductive health and menstrual health management. Within the school, we have a sanitary towel bank, because when I started teaching one of the biggest challenges was that we would always have girls missing dance classes just because they didn’t have access to menstrual products.

How did your own dance journey begin?

I always say I started dancing as a default. My single mother was not able to support my high school education – my father had just passed away and everything broke down. I was pushed out to work at 15. I always wanted to be in the arts field. When I saw a poster for dance auditions for a Kenyan performing arts group, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity. 

Dancing gave me so much. I was not the best dancer in my dance school – when they were selecting 10 people, I would always be the 10th – but this taught me persistence. That’s why I love sharing my story with my students so that they all know that it’s not just about being the perfect dancer. It’s about the journey.

Why is RAD ballet also part of the mix at the school? 

To me it was important because it gives you an introduction to ballet in a very smooth, understandable way. It trains you on working on your core from a very early age. By the time they grow older and venture into other dance classes, like modern dance, jazz and African dance, you can see the presence of these children. They always have their backs straight. 

It has also been helpful academically. I love ballet because it teaches you that when you’re present, you’re also present in your normal classroom. I always tell them with pride: when you dance, you become elegant. And being elegant, you don’t need to know every answer within your class, but you can get help whenever you ask for it.

It must be emotional to see people come in as young kids and leave on the verge of their adult life?

It’s fulfilling when I see children get scholarships that initially they would have not been able to get. Some have travelled abroad, or been able to join high school: we have a very high rate of school dropout due to financial issues here. I see them become students at the university of Nairobi, studying medicine. They did this because we were able to find scholarship opportunities for them through dance. They start off just walking in to play and it ends up amazing.

Why does dance matter to you? 

Dance matters to me so much because it’s our core. In Kenya, we used to use dance to celebrate things or for mourning. We used to use dance to mark our calendars – it has been part of our lives. However, dance was often given a negative approach, and thought of as time-wasting tool, just a tool for entertainment. Yet it is something that makes us realise who we really are, our identity and our path. It is okay to dream and to want to be who you want to be. Dance has given that to me and so to me dance matters so much. 

Artwork: Bex Glendining

Why Dance Matters

Why Dance Matters is the RAD’s podcast – a series of conversations with extraordinary people from the world of dance and beyond. From November, episodes are released each month: first up is star choreographer Sir Matthew Bourne. Please do listen and subscribe.

LISTEN

Hear the full interview with Mike Wamaya

WATCH

Project Elimu’s official music video

RESOURCES

Discover more about Project Elimu

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Dance Gazette Issue 11 - Oct 2024
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Jasmin Vardimon

Dance Gazette

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1 The Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky

I have danced two different versions of this. The first was the Nijinsky version at the Municipal Theater in Rio de Janeiro, which was an amazing experience because the music was originally created for that ballet. I fell in love with it because it’s so progressive. I was the kind of dancer that never needed to count anything – but this music, you have to count, there is no way around it. When I moved to Europe, every time I saw an orchestra was playing this work, I would go. I loved watching orchestras play: you can’t see them when you dance, so it’s a completely different experience. I’m not one of those dancers that remembers every step of a choreography – more than anything, I remember the feeling. In The Rite of Spring you feel so rooted to the earth, so grounded – you merge with the music somehow.
As a choreographer, I have not had the urge to approach Rite because it’s just too big, too important. It’s almost sacred.

2 Clarinet Concerto K622 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 

I danced to this in a ballet by the American choreographer Lar Lubovitch, so I got very familiar with it – the clarinet solo is gorgeous. Again, I started watching it: I saw it in Holland and in the UK. Watching the soloist play is just so beautiful. I love the sound of the clarinet – Mozart uses the instrument in a way that I find very poetic. It is so dreamy and peaceful.

3 Danse Macabre by Camille Saint-Saëns

I absolutely love it. It’s got this sort of scary feeling, but not bad scary. It’s like a fun scary. I think it’s my childlike side that likes this piece – like going to a funfair and taking the ghost train. This piece has something dark in it, but also humour – you could make a good cartoon to it.

4 Piano Concerto in G Major by Maurice Ravel

I became familiar with this through concerts in Amsterdam: I went to watch orchestras in the Concertgebouw a lot. I didn’t know the piece, but fell in love with it. This is one that, for me, is not danceable. It is not one that I want to choreograph, but it’s really nice to watch live.

5 Romeo and Juliet by Sergei Prokofiev

Romeo and Juliet is a masterpiece. The music does a great job of telling the story, and it’s so beautiful. I danced it, so I have my memories. But even if you’re not a ballet lover, there’s still so much value in it. Will I make my own Romeo and Juliet? Maybe one day.

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Dance Gazette Issue 11 - Oct 2024

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As the CEO of the Royal Academy of Dance, I spend a lot of my time advocating for the transformative power of dance, both as an art form and as a means of personal development. Recently, however, I found myself deeply disturbed by the ethos and behaviours I came across whilst talking to young adults whose lives have been adversely affected by their dance experiences. 

The worst of this kind of behaviour is portrayed in the reality television show, Dance Moms, which features children at the Abby Lee Dance Company in the US and their mothers. It presents a culture that is abhorrent and alarmingly detrimental to the young dancers involved.

In Dance Moms, we witness teachers regularly causing distress to their students, and mothers who not only pressure their children to succeed but also compete fiercely with each other to secure their child’s victory. This environment fosters a toxic atmosphere where the drive to win overshadows the joy of dance. 

Language, when not used carefully, can cause long-term psychological damage. Statements such as, ‘this is how I was taught,’ ‘if you can’t take this pressure, you’ll never make it in the dance world,’ or ‘if you’re not first, you’re last,’ perpetuate a harmful mindset. These phrases, intended to drive children towards excellence, often leave them scarred, both in the studio and beyond.

In psychotherapy there is a phrase ‘hurt people, hurt people’: sadly, I think this applies to some dance teachers. Teachers who replicate the harsh methods they themselves endured often claim they are preparing students for the competitive nature of the dance world. However, this approach neglects the essential element of nurturing a love for dance. Relentless pressure and constant comparison erode the artistry and joy that are the true heart of this beautiful expression of humanity. 

‘A dancer’s success should not measured solely by trophies but by their passion, progress and personal fulfilment’

The RAD stands firmly against this culture of toxic competition and status obsession. We believe that dance should be a source of joy, self-expression and personal growth for all. It should foster creativity, resilience and a lifelong appreciation for the arts, rather than becoming a battleground for one-upmanship in the social media age.

Our commitment is to champion wellbeing in dance. This means creating environments where dancers of any age feel supported, valued and inspired. It involves training teachers to use positive reinforcement and constructive feedback, ensuring that their words uplift rather than harm. We advocate for a culture where a dancer’s success is not measured solely by trophies and titles, but by their passion, progress and personal fulfilment.

At the RAD, we are dedicated to redefining the culture of dance education. We strive to balance the pursuit of excellence with the imperative of mental and emotional wellbeing. By doing this, we can ensure that dance remains a beautiful, expressive art form that enriches rather than diminishes lives.

Together, let us champion a new ethos in dance – one that celebrates the joy of movement, the beauty of expression, and the importance of nurturing the next generation of dancers with care, compassion and respect.

Tim Arthur will stand down from the role of Chief Executive of the RAD at the end of this year, to prioritise family responsibilities that require his full attention. You can read Tim’s farewell column in the next issue of Dance Gazette.

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