Ballet Final BBC Young Dancer


Ballet Final

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ANITA RANI: BBC Young Dancer began last week with street dance.

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At the end of a closely contested Category Final...

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Jodelle Douglas.

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..21-year-old popper Jodelle Douglas was named winner,

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guaranteeing him a place in the Grand Final.

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To actually win is just a bonus, you know, it's like the cherry on top.

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So, yeah, very happy.

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Tonight, we turn the spotlight on ballet.

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It's the most demanding of professions, requiring

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a high level of technical skill and artistry.

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For one of our five category finalists,

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a place in the Grand Final

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awaits and with it,

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a chance to perform on this

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iconic stage at Sadler's Wells.

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Welcome to the Ballet Final of BBC Young Dancer 2017.

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Last summer, the UK's best young dancers aged 16 to 21 were

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invited to enter the competition in four categories - Ballet,

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Contemporary, South Asian, and Street Dance.

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In November, following a DVD audition stage,

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ten promising ballet dancers

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were selected to compete in Round 2, held at DanceEast in Ipswich.

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Their challenge,

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to impress three leading figures from the world of ballet

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in live performance.

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Internationally-renowned choreographer Ashley Page...

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I'm always a great believer in presenting yourself through

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the work, then you will show both the choreography and yourself

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in the right balance.

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..Artistic Director of Ballet Black Cassa Pancho...

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With classical ballet, there's either

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a right way of executing a turn or you're not doing it properly.

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But then on top of that, you're really looking for

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performance quality, something that really speaks to you in the

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audience, that really tells the story of the dance they're doing.

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..and founder of Ballet Cymru Darius James.

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One of my things that I look out for is personality.

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Either they can choreograph their own work or they work with

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a choreographer who can bring out the best in them.

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All the dancers were asked to perform two solos.

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At stake - five places in the BBC Young Dancer Ballet Final.

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With the people we've chosen, it should certainly be an

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exciting evening and hopefully the encouragement of getting

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through to the next stage of the competition will generate

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confidence and make them raise their game.

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APPLAUSE

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The five dancers through to the ballet final are Ryan Felix,

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a student at Elmhurst Ballet School in Birmingham.

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I'm really looking forward to the experience of performing on

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stage, in front of a lot of people.

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Also from Elmhurst and in her final year, Jade Wallace.

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It's what I love to do, so it's going to be such good fun.

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From the English National Ballet School,

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Rhys Antoni Yeomans.

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When you're on stage it just feels so natural and the adrenaline

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kicks in and it's just a beautiful feeling.

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Training at Ballet West in Scotland, Uyu Hiromoto.

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I didn't expect to go through so I'm really grateful that I got

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through and I'm really happy about it.

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And Oscar Ward, also at Ballet West.

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It was really great to hear how I've got through to the final.

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It was just... Yeah, I was really ecstatic.

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MUSIC: O Fortuna by Carl Orff

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Ballet can grab your attention and suck you in

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and you'll love it forever.

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Graceful, dramatic, magical and athletic,

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ballet continues to captivate audiences around the world.

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To an audience that has never seen ballet before, I would say,

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"Come and give it one chance.

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"At worst, you will be surprised.

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"And at best, your life will be changed forever."

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Classical ballet is based on a series of formal positions

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and gestures, and it takes years of training to achieve the

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technique required to perform at the highest level.

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What's distinctive about ballet as an art form is the extreme

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physicality, so, it's really the only form of dance where you

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will see the women en pointe, where you will see these extreme jumps.

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In classical ballets there are a lot of rules, there are a lot of

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things that you have to get right before you can start dancing really.

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Your speed, your flexibility, your strength,

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all of those things are, you know, you're working all the time.

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What it takes to be a ballerina is not perhaps the glamour or

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femininity or physique,

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I think that's all very important but I think what would supersede

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that is dedication and drive and never-ending quest to do better.

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For me what makes ballet powerful is when all of that is

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harnessed to communicate a story or an emotion to an audience.

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The technique on its own is not enough.

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As well as demonstrating their abilities in two solos,

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each of the finalists must also perform a pas de deux, a duet,

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which is at the heart of the ballet repertoire.

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For the young female dancer,

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really the most important thing is to be very reliable and she

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should be predictable in where her balance will be.

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And if she is a very good and competent dancer,

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she should be easy to partner.

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The challenge is to look after your lady, really,

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to make sure she feels comfortable and secure.

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She's out there, she's the sort of face of the two of you for

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a lot of it.

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But it's also hearing the music together, breathing together,

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just finding a connection in those moments.

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In the 21st century,

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ballet is still pushing the boundaries both physically

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and artistically, constantly looking for new ways of reinventing itself.

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All the companies in the UK and across the world are now

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having these wonderful contemporary choreographers coming

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and crossing over and working

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with the classical ballet companies and creating amazing work.

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With contemporary ballet in particular, you can't just let go of

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your classical technique and think, "Oh, I'm just going to be free."

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It looks free but it actually is not, you need to have a really

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strong classical base in order to be able to take it somewhere else.

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But it always comes back to having your technique together.

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It's early January and to prepare for their appearance in the

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Ballet Final, all five finalists are invited to

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a workshop at the Riverfront Theatre in Newport.

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It's their first chance to meet their mentors.

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Jade and Uyu will work with former Principal of The Royal Ballet

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and one of the leading ballerinas of her generation Viviana Durante.

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It's not about doing a variation better than somebody else.

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Don't think of it like that at all.

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You just do your best for what you love.

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Don't forget, it's what you're passionate about.

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You have to work really hard to achieve certain things.

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It's about the practising. It's about the hours you put in.

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You have to be devoted.

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And the three boys will be mentored by Artistic Director

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of Northern Ballet David Nixon.

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Once you get to your performance, you need to be kind of, almost

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cold about it in a certain sense, not getting emotionally involved.

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I'm here to support them. We have a lot of criticism in dance.

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It's basically how we function.

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I say to the dancers sometimes, "It's just a note and you can use it

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"or you can embrace it and really go for it."

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First to the studio is 16-year-old Ryan.

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David is keen to take a look at RIVE,

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a dance that Ryan has choreographed himself.

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Next, it's a little bit more, until you get to that final one

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that's huge.

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I said to him, "So, what's this solo about?"

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And he mentioned these four words which were - velocity,

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elevation, resistance and impact.

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You've given yourself a hard prep there, young man.

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Then all of a sudden what I'd seen started to make sense,

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but that he hadn't taken his own words and understood how

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he had choreographed it with the intention of those words.

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This isn't talking. Stand up here.

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He knows how to, kind of, get you motivated

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and to make you work harder,

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but making you feel comfortable at the same time.

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I just really enjoyed it, to be honest.

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In another studio, 19-year-old Jade is rehearsing under the

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watchful eye of Viviana.

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She's very musical. She's a very quick mover which is wonderful.

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She just needs to push herself a little bit more.

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Keep on that plie, on our supporting leg cos...

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'Viviana was so encouraging.'

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I felt like she could really see my strengths and she was really

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good at picking out what I could improve on.

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'We worked a little bit on her posture.'

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She has this very strong technique, beautiful jump.

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It's just allowing herself to go further.

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..before the big jete...

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'She made me feel quite confident really. Made me feel...'

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..special as the dancer I am, you know,

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because we're all so different.

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Good.

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Rhys is keen to work with David on his portrayal of Puck from

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A Midsummer Night's Dream.

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Quiet, shush!

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You're not shushing on the second one, you're posing.

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It allowed us to engage more in a conversation about dynamics

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and musicality and personality.

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Just slap me.

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That's not a slap.

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More.

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More.

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There!

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The most interesting thing was when he would tell me and do the movement

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I could see it and then he'd show me the movement and he didn't do it.

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I'm getting mischievous - "funny" -

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rather than mischievous - "I can also do naughty".

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He just gave me more of a way of thinking, the choreography,

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of like, the story, how I tell it, like, what I'm doing, is it working?

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Is it not working?

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There you go! That's it!

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So it's good feedback to get from someone who's done it

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in his own career.

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Uyu is working with Viviana on the Summer Fairy Solo

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from Frederick Ashton's version of Cinderella,

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a production Viviana knows well from her time with The Royal Ballet.

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We talked about how important it is for a dancer to listen to the music.

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About how it would be like a script for an actor, so therefore,

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you have to see the shades of the music and, you know, work on those.

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You know, really feel your forehead...

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She told me to, like, imagine I'm in the summer and, like,

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wiping off sweat, it's really, like, humid

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and then it's like my arm's really heavy.

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It was interesting to see her, you know, progression,

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even just in an hour, how much she was taking in. It was amazing.

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Yes.

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I was a bit nervous first but, like,

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cos of her personality, I really enjoyed it.

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In the final, Oscar will be performing the Act 3 Variation

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from Sleeping Beauty,

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and David is keen for him to stamp his own

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authority on the dance.

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It's like, somebody changes their mind halfway through

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-a sentence and you're like, "What were you talking about?"

-Yeah.

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That's what you did to the audience.

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He gave me a lot of tips about certain things

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that I'm not quite clear on.

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One general thing he said is just have more confidence because

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he didn't want me to look scared, like, a rabbit in the headlights.

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I think he wanted me to just look cool and measured.

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Why so serious?

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Are you depressed on your wedding day?

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He's what I would call, as a dancer, quite loose still,

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so things aren't necessarily connected all the time.

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But he's young, so he wouldn't be reaching that point yet.

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But when you're coaching somebody,

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you're trying to get them to understand a little bit more.

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I think it's nice to have a fresh pair of eyes, like David's,

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because I've taken it away in a new perspective.

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With less than two weeks to go before the Ballet Final, the dancers

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return to their schools to put the finishing touches to their dances.

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I plan on focusing on the new aspects and the new insight I have

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and making it more of a performance and less of a technical piece.

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It takes a lot of energy to try and make it look effortless.

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You can improve a line or a slight change of direction,

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there's so much tweaking that goes into it.

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I want to keep perfecting the solo so that every time I can

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perform it I won't have to worry about the nitty-gritty stuff.

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I want it to be natural.

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Working with Vivian Durante,

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she was telling me to have more confidence,

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so I think if I could enjoy the performance I would be really happy.

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I'll be thinking of all of David's corrections and I'll be

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applying it to my rehearsals and make sure I'm mentally and

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physically prepared for the final.

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It's the end of January and after months of preparation, the day

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of the Ballet Final has arrived.

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With only a few hours to go before they perform in front of the

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judges, all five dancers go through their final rehearsals on the

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stage at the Lowry Centre in Salford.

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Keeping a close eye on the dancers, mentors David and Viviana.

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They've improved so much and I can see they've been thinking

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about all sorts of little details that I sort of suggested.

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It's one of the hardest professions because you tend to rehearse

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in one environment, like the studio,

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and then you're going on stage, where all of a sudden you have these

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lights coming from all directions and it's a challenge.

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You have mixed emotions before you go on stage.

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You know, it's exciting, it's terrifying, but you've just got

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to try and have that calm to give yourself the best possible chance.

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As soon as you step out there, that all goes away and you can

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just enjoy it.

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I'm just really excited because it means quite a lot to me.

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Being here is really kind of amplifying that and just building up

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the tension and I'm just really looking forward

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to being able to perform.

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I feel excited about this.

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It's such a great opportunity and it's always fun to perform on stage.

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Now that I'm here, my belly is doing, like, back flips.

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For me I find the pas de deux much more scary than the solo.

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Because if it goes wrong, the solo, I can cover it up,

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but with the pas de deux, if she falls

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-then I might have to fall with her!

-HE CHUCKLES

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I think the most nervous moment of all of it for me

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is just when you're about to walk on stage but I get

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a lot of adrenaline from it and it takes over you completely.

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So for me it's important to just brush it aside and just breathe,

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take a few deep breaths and walk on.

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They've worked on the technique so they don't have to think about it.

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I think they can just throw it away almost and really indulge

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themselves in what they're trying to portray through dance.

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Each dancer will perform two contrasting solos

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as well as a pas de deux.

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Deciding who will win this BBC Young Dancer Ballet Final,

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three leading figures from the dance world.

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Deborah Bull is a leading figure in the arts world and

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a former principal dancer at The Royal Ballet.

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I think with dancers of this age,

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you want to see a finished technique,

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a strong performance, but I think you also want to see potential.

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Being able to test yourself in the public domain, out there on

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the stage is always what you have to try to do.

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And during your training, that doesn't happen so often, so this is,

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if you like, a stepping stone on the way to their professional career.

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Teacher and ballet master Matz Skoog is a former Artistic Director at

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English National Ballet.

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A winning performance requires a combination of things -

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a solid and good technique, a flare of performance,

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but also an indication of a potential future.

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And judging across all four dance categories Shobana Jeyasingh,

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internationally-renowned choreographer

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and Artistic Director of Shobana Jeyasingh Dance.

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The challenge, I think, in a technique like ballet is to

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show qualities of grace, of power, of control.

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So you've got to charm the audience and bring them to appreciate

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your technique but also love you as a performer.

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First to dance in this Ballet Final, 16-year-old Ryan Felix.

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I started dancing when I was two because I just really enjoyed

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the movement of it.

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I also like to watch it and go to the theatre and, like,

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seeing all the dancers and all the male roles and things.

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It was just kind of real inspiring,

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especially from quite a young age, to witness that.

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Ryan is now a full-time student at Elmhurst Valley School

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in Birmingham.

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I study English and dance for A levels.

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I find it quite easy to juggle the two because the majority of

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our day is spent dancing and we have two hours a day of academics.

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I try to keep my focus predominantly on dance because that's what

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I want to do for a career.

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Ryan's progress as a dancer is being supervised by the Director of

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the school and former principal dancer with the

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Birmingham Royal Ballet, Robert Parker.

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He's working on his line, he's working on his footwork,

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he's working on his fifth positions, all the detail and clarity,

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but also that element of performance.

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He's got a great dynamic energy.

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Now he just needs to really hone everything he's got and

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really deliver that to the audience.

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Plie, one and two, phase three and four.

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I decided to enter the BBC Young Dancer

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because I was looking at ways

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to challenge myself and to kind of gain performance experience,

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being in the kind of environment where you're

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under pressure and you have to perform.

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And I thought, well,

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this would be something I could do that would give me that challenge.

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And I'm really excited to be a part of it.

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It's exciting to be seen by people who are quite high up in the

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dance world because it means quite a lot to

0:19:300:19:32

me that I've been able to get someone like this.

0:19:320:19:34

So all the work that I've put in, I can show to other people.

0:19:340:19:37

My classical solo is the Paquita Male Variation

0:19:380:19:42

from the pas de deux.

0:19:420:19:43

It's set in Spain.

0:19:430:19:45

It's a kind of marriage celebration so it's happy and it's all

0:19:450:19:49

about showing what you can do as the character.

0:19:490:19:51

PAS DE DEUX FROM PAQUITA PLAYS

0:19:530:19:57

APPLAUSE

0:21:060:21:10

Ryan Felix opening the BBC Young Dancer Ballet Final.

0:21:100:21:13

Next a pas de deux from the ballet Giselle,

0:21:130:21:16

choreographed by Peter Wright.

0:21:160:21:19

I'll be performing the Peasant pas de deux from Giselle

0:21:190:21:22

with Chloe Jones.

0:21:220:21:23

And it's about two peasants dancing to entertain their friends in the

0:21:230:21:28

other villages and the aristocrats.

0:21:280:21:30

They're happy, they're in love and it's about the kind of passion.

0:21:300:21:33

It's just quite a jolly piece.

0:21:330:21:34

PEASANT PAS DE DEUX FROM GISELLE PLAYS

0:21:340:21:39

APPLAUSE

0:22:310:22:35

To end his programme, Ryan is dancing RIVE,

0:22:440:22:48

a piece that he's choreographed himself.

0:22:480:22:50

HIGH-TEMPO DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYS

0:22:500:22:54

APPLAUSE

0:24:040:24:08

I enjoyed the ease that he brought to the stage.

0:24:180:24:23

I think is one to watch.

0:24:230:24:24

For such a young man,

0:24:240:24:25

a very masculine style of working which is attractive.

0:24:250:24:29

I think he's going to do well.

0:24:290:24:31

For me what stood out was his second solo.

0:24:310:24:34

It was a real, sort of,

0:24:340:24:35

act of courage and I was really impressed by that.

0:24:350:24:39

After the first piece, the nerves were gone,

0:24:390:24:41

I was just really able to enjoy.

0:24:410:24:42

This is what all the work from the

0:24:420:24:44

past several months has been towards.

0:24:440:24:46

So it's really great that it's finally come and I've just been

0:24:460:24:48

really happy with the experience.

0:24:480:24:50

Like Ryan, our second dancer in this ballet final

0:24:530:24:56

is a student at Elmhurst School of Ballet,

0:24:560:24:59

19-year-old Jade Wallace.

0:24:590:25:01

Yeah, I love it at Elmhurst. The teachers there are so supportive.

0:25:060:25:09

It's such a friendly environment.

0:25:090:25:12

It's really exciting, being in my final year,

0:25:120:25:14

so I think we're all just making the most of the time

0:25:140:25:17

we have together now.

0:25:170:25:19

It's just having good fun, really,

0:25:190:25:21

and training together and working towards a common goal.

0:25:210:25:24

SWEEPING ORCHESTRAL SCORE

0:25:240:25:27

I love ballet so much just because what you put into it,

0:25:310:25:35

you can get out of it and it's just unpredictable

0:25:350:25:39

and keeps you on your toes -

0:25:390:25:41

pardon the pun!

0:25:410:25:42

Like all of tonight's finalists,

0:25:440:25:46

Jade's ambition is to join a professional ballet company.

0:25:460:25:49

Now in her final year,

0:25:490:25:51

she's working with former Birmingham Royal Ballet soloist Lei Zhao.

0:25:510:25:55

Jade has a very special artistic quality.

0:25:550:25:59

She also has very good technique,

0:25:590:26:01

in terms of using her feet and legs and turnout.

0:26:010:26:04

Originally from Derbyshire,

0:26:060:26:08

Jade's passion for dance was a pleasant surprise for her family.

0:26:080:26:12

My mum and dad are so supportive.

0:26:120:26:14

I mean, we've not had any dance in the family, so this is new for them.

0:26:140:26:18

We don't know where she gets her talent from at all,

0:26:180:26:20

cos your experience of dancing

0:26:200:26:22

is probably Friday and Saturday night

0:26:220:26:25

down the Pink Coconut in Derby,

0:26:250:26:26

dancing round your handbag

0:26:260:26:28

and I was brought up on punk rock,

0:26:280:26:30

so I can pogo a bit and that's about it.

0:26:300:26:33

So no ballet. A bit of a mystery where it's come from, really.

0:26:330:26:37

Just before I go on stage,

0:26:390:26:41

my heart's absolutely beating out of my chest.

0:26:410:26:44

It's that sort of fight-or-flight reaction

0:26:440:26:47

but you just take a deep breath, go out on stage.

0:26:470:26:50

That's what's so special about it.

0:26:500:26:53

To open her programme, Jade dances Gamzatti's Variation

0:26:530:26:57

from La Bayadere, choreographed by Natalia Makarova.

0:26:570:27:00

APPLAUSE

0:27:380:27:41

My pas de deux is grand pas de deux from the ballet Le Corsaire.

0:27:470:27:51

It's a fairly romantic pas de deux,

0:27:510:27:54

so it's nice and soft and slow and lyrical

0:27:540:27:58

and again it gives you a chance to be really lush with your movements

0:27:580:28:01

and to show the connection with your partner.

0:28:010:28:03

APPLAUSE

0:29:250:29:27

My second solo I choreographed myself

0:29:350:29:38

and I'm actually portraying the character of a 1950s secretary,

0:29:380:29:42

so you'll see me wearing my glasses and my office dress

0:29:420:29:46

and it's supposed to be just a real cheeky, fun number.

0:29:460:29:49

It's still got some classical technique in there,

0:29:490:29:52

but it's a real fun piece.

0:29:520:29:55

FAST-PACED ORCHESTRAL SCORE

0:29:550:29:58

TYPEWRITER CLACKS AND PINGS

0:29:580:30:01

For me, Jade was very strong in the Corsaire pas de deux,

0:31:310:31:35

gave a really confident performance.

0:31:350:31:37

She filled the stage, and then in the final piece,

0:31:370:31:41

she really came alive.

0:31:410:31:43

The item that stuck with me was her second solo,

0:31:430:31:45

taking a technique like ballet

0:31:450:31:47

and then using it to make this portrait

0:31:470:31:49

of a very contemporary character.

0:31:490:31:51

I think the highlight for me was the pas de deux.

0:31:510:31:54

I felt like we created an atmosphere when we were on stage

0:31:540:31:57

and it was nice to have company out there, yeah.

0:31:570:31:59

Still to come in this ballet final,

0:32:030:32:05

two students from Ballet West in Scotland,

0:32:050:32:08

Oscar Ward and Uyu Hiromoto.

0:32:080:32:11

First, 18-year-old Rhys Antoni Yeomans.

0:32:110:32:14

Training full-time at the English National Ballet School,

0:32:230:32:26

Rhys was inspired to take up ballet

0:32:260:32:28

after seeing the stage show Billy Elliot.

0:32:280:32:31

Instantly, from watching the show, I fell in love with ballet,

0:32:310:32:34

so from there I started dancing and then a few months later,

0:32:340:32:38

I auditioned for the show

0:32:380:32:40

and was chosen to play the role.

0:32:400:32:43

I gained so much experience from performing

0:32:430:32:45

and just my passion for dance grew even more.

0:32:450:32:48

After starring as Billy Elliot for two years,

0:32:480:32:51

Rhys was determined to pursue a career in ballet.

0:32:510:32:54

He's now blossoming under the watchful eye

0:32:540:32:56

of the school's director of dance, Samira Saidi.

0:32:560:32:59

When Rhys arrived, I think probably because of the Billy Elliot aspect,

0:32:590:33:03

he was a little bit perhaps raw in his ability to refine his technique,

0:33:030:33:10

a certain elegance was missing

0:33:100:33:12

and I think they're the things we've really worked on,

0:33:120:33:15

because elegance and line is what singles out classical dancing

0:33:150:33:20

from other dancing,

0:33:200:33:21

so he's really beginning now to reap those benefits.

0:33:210:33:25

Over the Christmas period,

0:33:280:33:29

Rhys has his first taste of working with a professional ballet company,

0:33:290:33:33

with a small role in English National Ballet's Nutcracker

0:33:330:33:37

at the London Coliseum.

0:33:370:33:38

Being at the Coliseum, it's one of the most beautiful stages in London

0:33:380:33:42

and to be able to work with a professional company

0:33:420:33:45

like English National Ballet, it's such a dream come true.

0:33:450:33:48

It's a tough, intense few weeks of performing, but it gives me a taster

0:33:480:33:53

of what it's like to perform in a professional company.

0:33:530:33:56

So today I'm one of the rats in the piece

0:33:580:34:01

and this is quite exciting,

0:34:010:34:02

because not many students get the opportunity to perform other roles,

0:34:020:34:05

so it's a good tester for me to be able to push myself

0:34:050:34:09

and see if I can do more types of characters and styles.

0:34:090:34:13

My classical piece is James from La Sylphide

0:34:180:34:21

and it's a very demanding solo.

0:34:210:34:24

The character is very flirtatious and very confident

0:34:250:34:29

and he demands the stage.

0:34:290:34:30

Rhys Antoni Yeomans opening his programme

0:35:220:35:25

with the James Variation from La Sylphide.

0:35:250:35:28

Next, the Satanella pas de deux,

0:35:280:35:30

choreographed by Marius Petipa.

0:35:300:35:32

This pas de deux is really cheeky and playful

0:35:320:35:36

and just listen to the music.

0:35:360:35:38

It gives you a happy feeling inside

0:35:380:35:41

and I feel like it's a really good duet for the audience,

0:35:410:35:45

it's just amazing to watch and it's so technically challenging.

0:35:450:35:49

To end his programme, Rhys is performing a new dance

0:37:000:37:04

specially choreographed for him by Daniel Myers,

0:37:040:37:07

inspired by the character Puck from A Midsummer Night's Dream.

0:37:070:37:10

FLUTE AND PERCUSSION

0:37:120:37:14

APPLAUSE

0:39:000:39:03

Former Billy Elliot star Rhys Antoni Yeomans.

0:39:080:39:11

You can watch all of tonight's performances in full on our website.

0:39:110:39:15

Rhys is a strong character.

0:39:180:39:20

He has a broad range of styles that he can work in

0:39:200:39:24

and natural stage charm and presence.

0:39:240:39:29

Rhys had chosen his repertoire extremely well.

0:39:290:39:32

The first solo, the James solo from La Sylphide,

0:39:320:39:34

suited him perfectly and he did it really beautifully.

0:39:340:39:38

I'd like to see him extend his range even more

0:39:380:39:41

to see what else he could do.

0:39:410:39:42

There's clearly so much talent there.

0:39:420:39:45

The evening went amazing.

0:39:450:39:46

Just to perform and get out there

0:39:460:39:49

and do what I've been working so hard for

0:39:490:39:51

is just amazing, so I'm so happy with how it went.

0:39:510:39:55

Just looking forward to hear about the results.

0:39:550:39:58

Next to dance, 19-year-old Uyu Hiromoto.

0:40:020:40:06

BAGPIPE MUSIC

0:40:110:40:12

Now a student at the Ballet West school in the Scottish Highlands,

0:40:150:40:18

Uyu hails from Yokohama in Japan.

0:40:180:40:21

I always wanted to learn ballet in the UK,

0:40:230:40:26

cos UK is one of the big ballet countries.

0:40:260:40:30

When I first came here, I could speak English, but barely,

0:40:300:40:36

so my friends around me helped me always and I'm really grateful

0:40:360:40:40

that I've got so many friends who helped me.

0:40:400:40:44

It takes a lot of courage, I think, to up and leave Japan

0:40:460:40:50

and come all the way to the Highlands of Scotland.

0:40:500:40:52

It's quite a contrast and since coming, she's just embraced

0:40:520:40:56

the whole culture here and she's just fitted in with everybody.

0:40:560:41:00

Her English is really quite good now.

0:41:000:41:04

I obviously miss home,

0:41:040:41:06

but at the same time, I like being here with friends.

0:41:060:41:10

Friends are like my second family.

0:41:100:41:13

The first three, nice, clean 90

0:41:170:41:19

and then the last one you can go a little bit more.

0:41:190:41:23

Since Uyu started training with us, we've seen a big development in her.

0:41:230:41:27

For Uyu, the BBC Young Dancer competition is going to give her

0:41:270:41:31

the experience of the competition world,

0:41:310:41:34

working with other dancers.

0:41:340:41:35

I think she has a very strong nerve,

0:41:350:41:37

so I don't think the pressure will be too much for her.

0:41:370:41:40

I think she's quite accustomed to that

0:41:400:41:43

and will be able to hold her own on that stage.

0:41:430:41:46

It's really great,

0:41:480:41:50

cos I've never done a competition like BBC Young Dancer,

0:41:500:41:53

I've never taken an interview like this before.

0:41:530:41:56

I think it's a really good opportunity for me to grow up

0:41:580:42:03

to the next level as a dancer as well.

0:42:030:42:06

I feel quite prepared for this, cos I've been practising for so long

0:42:130:42:18

and, yeah, I'm really excited today.

0:42:180:42:21

A bit nervous, but, yeah, really excited.

0:42:210:42:23

Uyu begins her programme with the Summer Fairy from Cinderella,

0:42:260:42:30

choreographed by Frederick Ashton.

0:42:300:42:33

It's kind of slow and calm music

0:42:330:42:36

and the dance is slow and calm as well. It's beautiful.

0:42:360:42:40

APPLAUSE

0:44:460:44:48

Uyu's partner for her pas de deux is Oscar,

0:44:480:44:51

the final competitor in this ballet final

0:44:510:44:54

and we'll see their performance later in the programme.

0:44:540:44:57

For her second solo, she's dancing a piece titled Sand,

0:44:570:45:00

which has been specially choreographed for her

0:45:000:45:03

by Yoshiki Noborisaka.

0:45:030:45:04

I'm going to do more sharp movements and more animalistic movements.

0:45:040:45:11

It's not scary, but it's kind of that idea.

0:45:110:45:15

HARD PERCUSSION

0:45:180:45:20

APPLAUSE

0:46:290:46:32

She had a lovely stage presence.

0:46:450:46:48

She created this aura of grace and of femininity.

0:46:480:46:52

She really engaged with the audience and drew you in.

0:46:520:46:57

Her last piece in the black was extremely striking.

0:46:570:47:00

She's a very strong physical presence.

0:47:000:47:02

She's happy to look the audience in the eye

0:47:020:47:04

and she really took the chance to do that within the last solo.

0:47:040:47:08

I think I am quite happy how it went.

0:47:080:47:11

I don't mean like everything went really well,

0:47:110:47:13

but I really enjoyed the moments on stage

0:47:130:47:15

and, yeah, it was really good.

0:47:150:47:17

To end this ballet final, 18-year-old Oscar Ward,

0:47:210:47:25

also a student at Ballet West.

0:47:250:47:26

Originally from Nottingham,

0:47:330:47:34

dance has always been a major part of Oscar's life.

0:47:340:47:37

I think I was three years old

0:47:390:47:41

and my mum took me dancing because I couldn't stop fidgeting

0:47:410:47:44

and I think she wanted something to kind of tame that.

0:47:440:47:48

She asked me if I wanted to do dance classes and I was like, "Yeah!"

0:47:480:47:52

I was really up for it.

0:47:520:47:53

So I went along and it never really stopped, to be honest.

0:47:530:47:57

I think you get to a point when you want to carry on doing it always.

0:47:570:48:01

-ALL:

-Hi!

0:48:010:48:03

One of Oscar's earliest dance teachers

0:48:030:48:05

was Helen Taylor at Leonard Dance School.

0:48:050:48:08

He was always so keen.

0:48:080:48:10

I've never had a child that was so keen

0:48:100:48:13

and he could talk about anything to do with ballet.

0:48:130:48:16

While he was talking, he was dancing.

0:48:160:48:19

He literally danced the whole time.

0:48:190:48:21

He couldn't keep still and he's done just so well, I'm so proud of him.

0:48:210:48:26

Oscar is now in his final year at Ballet West

0:48:310:48:34

in the Scottish Highlands.

0:48:340:48:36

Up here, Ballet West is just another world.

0:48:360:48:38

I'm not sure if the countryside gives me an inspiration,

0:48:380:48:41

but I think the fact that you get close to everyone so quick,

0:48:410:48:44

because you're not in a city,

0:48:440:48:45

you get to know everyone and that keeps me inspired

0:48:450:48:48

and it just keep me, you know, going.

0:48:480:48:50

SWEEPING ORCHESTRAL SCORE

0:48:520:48:54

One of the pieces Oscar will be dancing in the final

0:48:540:48:57

was specially choreographed for him by Natasha Watson.

0:48:570:49:01

Natasha knows how I dance,

0:49:010:49:02

so she knows what my strengths are

0:49:020:49:04

and she's very skilled at choreographing,

0:49:040:49:07

so it was just lots of fun to make it.

0:49:070:49:09

She asked for my input,

0:49:090:49:10

I gave my response back, we invented things together,

0:49:100:49:13

it was really interesting.

0:49:130:49:15

I like the idea that the energy goes...

0:49:150:49:18

That love for the audience, to feel the intensity behind the piece,

0:49:180:49:23

so to go through, we like to break it down, each section,

0:49:230:49:26

really discuss why we're doing it,

0:49:260:49:28

give imagery, ideas into how to be moving.

0:49:280:49:32

And he's great - we come back the next day and it's much better.

0:49:320:49:35

I do take it seriously,

0:49:380:49:39

but I think people forget that we do dance because we love to do it.

0:49:390:49:43

It's not all serious all the time.

0:49:430:49:45

Yeah, there's fun with it too.

0:49:450:49:46

I'm a bit nervous. I'm very nervous.

0:49:550:49:58

I think nerves is always good,

0:49:580:49:59

but I think for me, I've just got to keep calm, relaxed, collected,

0:49:590:50:03

cos I tend to get quite worked up and I tend to get quite stressed.

0:50:030:50:06

My classical piece is The Sleeping Beauty, Act III,

0:50:080:50:12

so I'm embodying a prince, I've got to look smug, confident,

0:50:120:50:15

almost cocky.

0:50:150:50:17

It's a very full-on solo, but I've just got to own it, in a sense.

0:50:170:50:20

I've just got to take complete control and just go for it.

0:50:200:50:24

MUSIC: The Sleeping Beauty by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

0:50:240:50:27

APPLAUSE

0:51:240:51:25

Oscar's partner for his pas de deux is fellow finalist Uyu Hiromoto.

0:51:360:51:40

Both dancers are judged on this performance

0:51:400:51:43

of the Harlequinade pas de deux.

0:51:430:51:45

The idea behind it is that I'm a harlequin boy and Uyu,

0:51:450:51:50

she's a rich man's daughter, we're destined to be married,

0:51:500:51:54

against all the odds, kind of like a Romeo & Juliet, if you want,

0:51:540:51:57

but there's still an element of humour.

0:51:570:52:00

The difference working with a partner is, like,

0:52:000:52:03

you can't think about just yourself.

0:52:030:52:07

You need to think about the other

0:52:070:52:09

and you need to really communicate to each other.

0:52:090:52:12

GENTLE ORCHESTRAL SCORE

0:52:150:52:17

APPLAUSE

0:53:190:53:22

To end his programme and to close this ballet final,

0:53:290:53:33

Oscar will dance the piece choreographed for him

0:53:330:53:35

by Natasha Watson, Oblique.

0:53:350:53:38

DELICATE ORCHESTRAL SCORE

0:53:420:53:46

APPLAUSE

0:54:400:54:42

Oscar came into his own,

0:54:550:54:57

particularly in the last number he performed tonight.

0:54:570:55:00

He's got the potential to go a lot further with his technique.

0:55:000:55:05

He showed great clarity and precision,

0:55:060:55:09

with a great fluidity of the upper body

0:55:090:55:12

and seemed to have a real aptitude

0:55:120:55:14

for quite an unusual, distinctive style of movement.

0:55:140:55:17

It went well. There were no major hiccups.

0:55:180:55:21

In general, I'm more happy than disappointed.

0:55:210:55:24

It's nice, cos I can go home and say that I've done myself proud, so...

0:55:240:55:28

Oscar Ward bringing this BBC Young Dancer ballet final to a close.

0:55:300:55:35

If you want to watch tonight's performances in full,

0:55:350:55:37

then visit our website...

0:55:370:55:39

Before we find out the result,

0:55:430:55:45

a quick reminder of all tonight's finalists.

0:55:450:55:48

I was just really amazed and really impressed

0:55:480:55:51

by the degree of concentration

0:55:510:55:53

and care that these young dancers brought

0:55:530:55:56

to the stage this evening.

0:55:560:55:58

I thought the standard was very good and was very even.

0:55:580:56:02

One of the benefits of being part of any competition is to be seen

0:56:020:56:06

and perhaps this is the forum where they will be noticed.

0:56:060:56:10

Of course, there's always nerves in a live performance,

0:56:100:56:12

but actually, overall, you could tell

0:56:120:56:15

they were very carefully rehearsed,

0:56:150:56:17

they'd put in a lot of effort and it paid off.

0:56:170:56:19

To announce the winner and the dancer

0:56:220:56:24

going through to the grand final, Deborah Bull.

0:56:240:56:28

Each of the finalists we saw this evening

0:56:280:56:30

had something really distinctive to offer in their performance.

0:56:300:56:34

I am delighted to announce

0:56:340:56:36

that the winner of the BBC Young Dancer 2017 ballet final is...

0:56:360:56:42

..Rhys Antoni Yeomans.

0:56:430:56:45

CHEERING

0:56:450:56:46

Rhys was incredibly consistent throughout the evening.

0:57:070:57:11

He has a very strong technique, which doesn't constrain him.

0:57:110:57:15

He plays with the musicality, he plays with the performance

0:57:150:57:20

and he had a really good night.

0:57:200:57:22

Rhys stood out as the overall winner, I think,

0:57:230:57:26

for putting a charming stage personality

0:57:260:57:28

together with a very capable technique.

0:57:280:57:31

Rhys was in command of his material.

0:57:310:57:34

He was able to show us himself as a performer

0:57:340:57:37

and an artist first and foremost.

0:57:370:57:40

FAMILY MEMBERS WHOOP

0:57:400:57:41

I can't believe it.

0:57:410:57:43

I just won the BBC Young Dancer ballet category final.

0:57:430:57:46

I'm just over the moon. I'm so shocked.

0:57:460:57:49

All the hard work, I feel like it paid off.

0:57:520:57:55

Well, it kind of did,

0:57:550:57:56

so I'm really happy.

0:57:560:57:57

Many congratulations to Rhys.

0:58:000:58:02

Next week, it's all about South Asian dance,

0:58:020:58:05

when five young dancers will be out to impress our jury

0:58:050:58:08

to win their place alongside Rhys

0:58:080:58:10

and street dancer Jodelle Douglas in the grand final

0:58:100:58:14

of BBC Young Dancer 2017.

0:58:140:58:16

What I'm looking for is their heart dancing with their body.

0:58:180:58:21

I always focus on vigorous aspects

0:58:210:58:24

such as double spins in the air, knee spins.

0:58:240:58:27

For me to get through to the grand finals would mean the world.

0:58:270:58:30

That is my aim.

0:58:300:58:31

I especially love storytelling.

0:58:310:58:34

You go on stage and you become whoever you want to be.

0:58:340:58:38

It's where I can come out the most

0:58:380:58:40

and express my inner feelings.

0:58:400:58:42

I've just never considered not dancing.

0:58:420:58:45

The winner of the BBC Young Dancer 2017 South Asian dance final is...

0:58:450:58:52

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