Dance
Who is enjoying Strictly Come Dancing?! US!!
Having interviewed the immensely talented Will Bayley for our September Table Tennis article (still available to read) we have been especially impressed by his performances with Janette Manrara and are so sad to see them leave the competition due to injury. We have, however, been lucky enough to interview Janette for this article - so read on for her story.
For Strictly fans, we thought you all might like to know more about some of the dances that are featuring in the show -Contemporary, Jive/Jazz and Ballet. To help us to do this, we have been lucky enough to have been assisted by Dupont Dance and Stage School in Leicester and some of their young, and very talented, dancers.
For anyone who dismisses dance as a sport, you only need to read on to see what incredible athletes dancers are. Their coordination, balance, poise, strength and stamina would surpass most other sports and we have been amazed by the performances we are lucky enough to share with you in this article.
Over to you dancers........
Contemporary
Alicia Jackson
16 years old
Ambition: Expedition doctor
Inspiration: Michaela Deprince
Started dancing aged 12
Favourite dance style: Contemporary
Other sports: Gymnastics
Veronique Adair
17 years old
Ambition: Classical/Contemporary dancer
Inspiration: Beatrix Brunelle
Started dancing aged 4
Favourite dance style: Ballet
Other sports: Running/athletics
Jazz/Jive
Oakley Bassford
11 years old
Ambition: Ballet dancer
Inspiration: Carlos Acosta
Started dancing aged 7
Favourite dance style : Ballet
Other sports : Running
Ballet
Lola Niewiarowski
11 years old
Ambition: Ballerina
Inspiration: Darcey Bussell
Started dancing aged 2
Favourite dance style : Ballet
Other sports : Football
If like us, you want to see more of these dancers Dupont Dance Stage School will be performing at Demonfort Hall, Leicester, in their annual school show on Saturday 25th & Sunday 26th January 2020. Please call the school office on 0116 2629229 for all enquiries & ticket bookings.
Learning to Dance
There are so many dance schools all over the country that we can almost guarantee that there will be one near you.
To help, why not take a look at the link below. It’s a search box to find a RAD qualified teacher. Rad is the Royal Academy of Dance which has 13,000 members in 89 countries with the headquarters in London. The classes you will find through the link are for ballet, jazz, creative and contemporary, street starters and street dance.
https://www.royalacademyofdance.org/classes/find-a-rad-teacher
Janette Manrara
Hi Janette, you must be so busy at the moment. How many hours a day are you rehearsing with Will?
At the moment I am rehearsing 8-10 hours a day with Will. We both need the time to sort out the choreography and that gives him plenty of time to really learn the routine properly so he can deliver the best possible performance on Saturday night.
Did you have an idea who you might get paired with before you found out?
I really don’t know, but my height is definitely a big factor for my partner! Lol!
We at bsporty are huge fans of Will Bayley (September edition interview for table tennis) so is he training the way we would expect a professional sportsman to?
Yes!! He can train for hours and works so so hard at everything! He absolutely has a brilliant positive mental attitude.
How old were you when you first started dance lessons?
I was 12 years old when I started in Musical Theatre classes.
Was it an instant talent or did you have to work really hard to establish yourself?
I was always loud and love putting on a show for friends and family, but I had to work really hard at developing as a dancer, actress and singer. It definitely didn’t just come naturally.
When did you decide that you wanted to turn professional?
I was 18 and the musical theatre program I was with shut down, so I decided to focus solely on my dancing and joined a dance school in Miami called Dancetown. That’s where my dance career really began.
Did you love other sports too?
Not really. My family loved baseball and basketball, but as I was studying at the university full time, and also working at a bank full time, I rarely had time for anything else other than dancing. My schedule was so hectic, and dancing was always my favourite time of the day!
When was your first big opportunity as a dancer?
When I auditioned for a tv show in the USA called So You Think You Can Dance. I was 23, got to compete in the show, and then after that moved to LA to continue pursuing my dance career. It was a dream come true for sure!
What’s your favourite dance?
I would say ALL OF IT! Lol! I love a good salsa, but I also love mixing styles with contemporary or lyrical dance. If you watch mine and Aljaz’s performance with Lewis Capaldi in Strictly Come Dancing this year, that’s probably the style of dance that I love the most. It’s a combination of styles but really shows so much connection and story.
Outside of professional dancing what kind of music would get you on the dance floor at a party?
Definitely a great salsa, and I love disco music! Feel good tunes that can make anyone get up and dance.
Do you have to do special exercises to stay in shape as a dancer?
Not really. Dance keeps me in shape. However, if I have not danced in a few days (which rarely happens) I like to run on the treadmill.
Do you have to eat particular food groups for muscle strength?
I love to eat chicken, but in general it’s not so much a particular food, it’s more like making sure I eat continuously to keep me energised for long days of training.
What would be your top tip for our readers who are thinking about taking dance lessons but aren’t sure?
Just go for it! You will never regret that first step you take. It’s scary at first but as soon as you walk through the door of the dance class you will see that it was worth it 100%!
How about your top tip for those already dancing who think they might want to turn professional?
Sounds cheesy but the Strictly slogan hits it spot on, “keep dancing”! Never give up on a dream! I know that I never did no matter what and my dream came true. One of my favourite quotes that I live by is: “All of our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them” - Walt Disney
