:00:19. > :00:27.Over the past four weeks, we have showcased some of the U:K.'s most
:00:28. > :00:30.promising than talent. We've seen some excellent performances and all
:00:31. > :00:35.categories have been closely contested. For the five dancers who
:00:36. > :00:47.have gone through to the Grand Final, one of the biggest stages in
:00:48. > :00:54.the dance world awaits. It will be brilliant for them to dance at
:00:55. > :00:58.Sadlers Wells. It is an amazing opportunity to shine on stage and
:00:59. > :01:07.show their qualities, versatility, abilities. To be seen by so many
:01:08. > :01:16.people in the dance world raises their game. It will change lives. It
:01:17. > :01:20.is a huge opportunity to bring all the forms together, create more
:01:21. > :01:32.audience and to let them find out more. Once in a lifetime opportunity
:01:33. > :01:41.to showcase talents. What they are able to achieve is dead exciting.
:01:42. > :01:46.All the arrows of rehearsal for those few minutes of time in front
:01:47. > :01:53.of a global audience. I am so excited to see them. The winners of
:01:54. > :01:59.South Asian, ballet, street and contemporary dance class a wild card
:02:00. > :02:03.will perform again. All of them will be looking to impress a panel of
:02:04. > :02:12.leading dance figures and at the end of the evening one of them will lift
:02:13. > :02:17.the BBC Young dancer trophy. I am so honoured to be in this competition
:02:18. > :02:22.at this stage. Performing on Sadlers Wells stage is going to be
:02:23. > :02:30.incredible. I'm just going to swallow it up and do my thing and
:02:31. > :02:34.have fun. It's incredible to go out on this stage and perform alongside
:02:35. > :02:41.people who are driven and love the art form as much as I do. More than
:02:42. > :02:48.winning this, it is about the experience, the journey. I'm really
:02:49. > :02:53.nervous but if I'm honest, it is an honour and I want to do it again,
:02:54. > :02:58.knowing that I will get this far. Enjoy it. I don't want to look back
:02:59. > :03:04.and have any regrets. Welcome to the Grand Final of BBC Young Dancer
:03:05. > :03:43.2017. Good evening. Very warm welcome to
:03:44. > :03:49.Sadlers Wells for the Grand Final of BBC Young Dancer 2017. If you've
:03:50. > :03:56.been following the series you will know that we are in for something
:03:57. > :04:00.special. Absolutely. It is only the second time this competition has
:04:01. > :04:05.been held and we are thrilled to be back in one of the great dance
:04:06. > :04:09.houses in the world. Over the past couple of years we have had a taste
:04:10. > :04:16.of what it is like to take part in a televised dance competition. We had
:04:17. > :04:22.a couple of weeks of training but for them this is the result of years
:04:23. > :04:26.of training. It is embarrassing that you brought that up considering the
:04:27. > :04:33.level we will see tonight. This has the potential to change their lives
:04:34. > :04:39.but first, it is a celebration of dance and a showcase for five
:04:40. > :04:47.exciting new talent. 21-year-old Jodelle Douglas was first to book
:04:48. > :04:51.his place after winning streak dance. It feels great to be given
:04:52. > :04:57.the platform to dance and express myself. To be in the Grand Final is
:04:58. > :05:03.the cherry on top, I guess. In his final year at English National
:05:04. > :05:08.Ballet School, Rhys Antoni Yeomans is the winner of the ballet
:05:09. > :05:17.category. I've worked my hardest and done my best so now I've got to go
:05:18. > :05:27.and perform and enjoy the moment. Shyam Dattani one through from a
:05:28. > :05:33.competitive South Asian dance final. I hope I can represent it in the
:05:34. > :05:39.right light. Nafisah Baba Is 20 and from London. She won the
:05:40. > :05:41.contemporary category. If you can take something valuable from the
:05:42. > :05:45.competition that is much more valuable than having the title,
:05:46. > :05:50.though that would be really nice. Completing the line-up is
:05:51. > :05:55.John-William Watson, who's been selected as the wild card. Going to
:05:56. > :06:08.be incredible because it has been such a long and wonderful journey.
:06:09. > :06:13.So talented, so dedicated and so young. I'm sure they will all have
:06:14. > :06:19.very exciting careers ahead of them. No doubt. Before we get started
:06:20. > :06:24.there are some further introductions. One of the questions,
:06:25. > :06:31.how do you choose a winner? Especially when the dancers are from
:06:32. > :06:37.four different worlds. It is for the best that we have nothing to do with
:06:38. > :06:47.that position. Tonight are some of the biggest names in dance. Marc
:06:48. > :06:51.Brew is an award-winning choreographer and has been working
:06:52. > :06:58.with companies as a dancer, teacher and choreographer. I know what it
:06:59. > :07:02.takes to be a dancer and to have that drive and passion. I will be
:07:03. > :07:14.looking for someone who is committed to what they do. All those elements.
:07:15. > :07:21.Kate Prince is a pioneer of dance theatre. Any dance, no matter what
:07:22. > :07:27.the style, as an audience member, how does it make you feel? Does it
:07:28. > :07:34.make you want to dance, ring you joy, make you cry? It can make you
:07:35. > :07:38.feel anything and everything. Kenneth Tharp is a leading figure on
:07:39. > :07:45.the UK dance scene. He has worked as a choreographer. If it makes your
:07:46. > :07:49.heart beat fast and hold your attention, when you don't want it to
:07:50. > :07:59.end, when they've got you write with them, that is a top performance.
:08:00. > :08:05.Nahid Siddiqui has received awards worldwide. Whether it is street
:08:06. > :08:17.dancing or ballet, technique or precision, athletics, drama, that
:08:18. > :08:22.magic that somebody carries. Jasmin Vardimon has been creating
:08:23. > :08:29.challenging, exciting and visually stunning dance for 20 years. It is
:08:30. > :08:45.important that it is only a tool to articulate the in a world who
:08:46. > :08:50.communicates through that. Kevin O'Hare is director of the Royal
:08:51. > :08:57.Ballet. As soon as somebody comes on stage we make an opinion about who
:08:58. > :09:01.they are do they have that extra thing that grabs your attention. For
:09:02. > :09:07.me it is about that person that just smashes it on the night. Welcome our
:09:08. > :09:26.judges. Jasmin, for the young dancers taking
:09:27. > :09:31.to the stage, the tests do not get much bigger. It is the final. There
:09:32. > :09:39.is a TV audience. How do they content with it? It is a big night
:09:40. > :09:42.for them, of course, being associate artist here, I present most of my
:09:43. > :09:47.work here and I know how special it feels to perform on that stage.
:09:48. > :09:51.Beside that there is the process that brought them here. Through the
:09:52. > :10:02.mentoring, the sessions that they had, the feedback, the exposure,
:10:03. > :10:13.that journey is something they will have to reflect on and reflect on
:10:14. > :10:21.the experiences they got and carried into their professional life.
:10:22. > :10:32.Kenneth, if I can come to you next, I love the blazer. These guys are on
:10:33. > :10:40.the stage, if you could give them some words of advice. Forget the
:10:41. > :10:44.judges, forget us, remember to breathe every now and then. It does
:10:45. > :10:51.help when you're nervous. They've worked so hard to get to this
:10:52. > :10:57.moment. One that stage, now the huge pleasure you are bringing to the
:10:58. > :11:04.people here. All looking forward to it. Judges, you are not off the
:11:05. > :11:05.hook. We will be speaking to you throughout the programme. Our
:11:06. > :11:18.judges. I would like to introduce you to
:11:19. > :11:21.someone else. She knows about judging dance competitions. She was
:11:22. > :11:29.the principal at the Royal Ballet and is the president of the Royal
:11:30. > :11:39.Academy, please welcome Darcey Bussell.
:11:40. > :11:46.Always an absolute pleasure to see you. You are on this stage two years
:11:47. > :11:50.ago for the inaugural competition. We've seen these guys rehearsing and
:11:51. > :11:56.I know that you are excited. It is so great to be back. I've had the
:11:57. > :12:04.chance to meet them, see them in rehearsal, beautiful dancers, very
:12:05. > :12:06.talented, very mature. What an opportunity for them, to be
:12:07. > :12:13.performing here. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for them. It will be
:12:14. > :12:18.a wonderful showcase. For the audience, it is quite a unique
:12:19. > :12:26.showcase because we have these dance styles coming together on one night
:12:27. > :12:32.on the stage. Yes. I love it. To see these disciplines performing
:12:33. > :12:36.together. To see the relationships and the things that bring them
:12:37. > :12:41.together. They are here for the same goal. They've worked incredibly
:12:42. > :12:50.hard. They are inspired by each other and they are here to perform
:12:51. > :12:55.together. This is what it is about. Performing to a great public that
:12:56. > :13:00.cannot wait to see them perform. It's a dream come true. What a
:13:01. > :13:06.performance we are going to see. You get to sit back and relax. We are
:13:07. > :13:24.looking forward to it. Thank you very much. Off she goes. My
:13:25. > :13:28.co-presenter has gone. Anita is very thing -- is in one of the best seats
:13:29. > :13:36.in the house. And she is with one of them right now. Thank you. I look to
:13:37. > :13:43.think of this as my post-match then. Welcome. You cheered the judging
:13:44. > :13:52.panel. You hand-picked the finalists. Put into perspective the
:13:53. > :14:01.level of talent we will see. We had an amazing and difficult claim. We
:14:02. > :14:08.look at five brilliant dancers and choose one. Despite the fact only
:14:09. > :14:14.one person walked away with the trophy I kind of feel they were all
:14:15. > :14:24.winners. To make it to that stage, especially here, it is an amazing
:14:25. > :15:18.challenge. How do you charge for such different dance styles?
:15:19. > :15:25.Specially choreographed for them. Let's meet the first answer in this
:15:26. > :15:33.young dancer grand final. John-William Watson. John-William
:15:34. > :15:40.Watson started dancing ages 14, joining Phoenix dance Academy youth
:15:41. > :15:44.academy a few years later. He is now in his first year of dance studies
:15:45. > :15:51.at the Royal Conservatory in Belgium. Having impressed the judges
:15:52. > :15:55.of the Contemporary final with his strong storytelling skills and
:15:56. > :15:58.ability to connect with the audience, John William was selected
:15:59. > :16:05.as the wild card for this grand final. Darcey Bussell spoke to him
:16:06. > :16:12.between rehearsals. Congratulations. On being the wild card entry. Was
:16:13. > :16:18.that the surprise? I was so excited to receive the news. I see it as
:16:19. > :16:22.another chance to perform again and a great opportunity I have been
:16:23. > :16:27.given so I'm going to embrace it. How have you found getting to know
:16:28. > :16:32.the other disciplines, has it been inspiring? We are all passionate
:16:33. > :16:36.about using our bodies to tell a story and that is what connects us.
:16:37. > :16:41.There is a common thread between everything and that is what is
:16:42. > :16:45.wonderful about this competition. Tell is the bit about your first
:16:46. > :16:52.piece that you will be performing. It is entitled if not now then when.
:16:53. > :16:59.I was inspired by nostalgia and how it can be a contrasting experience,
:17:00. > :17:04.it can be beautiful and also quite sad. Thinking about things or people
:17:05. > :17:06.you have lost so I channelled back into creating this solo and I am
:17:07. > :20:34.excited to perform it. What a way to kick off the
:20:35. > :20:40.competition. Amazing. Think of the pressure on that young man with the
:20:41. > :20:46.John-William Watson opening up this BBC Young Dancer grand final with
:20:47. > :20:52.herself choreographed piece. Next up 21-year-old Jodelle Douglas is the
:20:53. > :20:56.winner of the street dance final. Jodelle Douglas grew up in Bristol
:20:57. > :21:00.and developed his passion for Street Dance there. Now he lives in Cardiff
:21:01. > :21:08.where a youth representative of jukebox collective company.
:21:09. > :21:13.If you looks familiar it is because he made it to the category final
:21:14. > :21:19.back in 2015. This time around his unique style and energy made him the
:21:20. > :21:23.winner of the street dance final. What drew you back to come and
:21:24. > :21:28.perform again in this competition? Just the fun that I had and the
:21:29. > :21:33.experience, I wanted to do it again. And it will be my last time doing it
:21:34. > :21:39.so I want to give it one more blow. You seem relaxed but the nerves must
:21:40. > :21:45.be there. How do you work with that? I'm a freestyle dancer and it is
:21:46. > :21:49.just on the spot. That is where it gets rid of my nerves but if I have
:21:50. > :21:53.to think about something I get nervous. So I have just been going
:21:54. > :21:57.over it in my head and I'm more comfortable when I do it. And
:21:58. > :22:02.hopefully the nerves will just wash away. When I'm on the stage I will
:22:03. > :22:10.fine. Tell us about this with your first piece. It is called art
:22:11. > :22:14.within. That is just my own kind of brand, I'm constantly evolving and
:22:15. > :22:19.learning so work I have previously done I look back on and think I wish
:22:20. > :22:21.I'd done that. But in the meantime I'm just constantly wanting to tweak
:22:22. > :27:57.and evolve to make it the best. What about that for storytelling.
:27:58. > :28:03.Let alone all those body contortions, it gives you shivers.
:28:04. > :28:12.Jodelle Douglas there. Art within. Next up for body popping to belly,
:28:13. > :28:17.category winner Rhys Antoni Yeomans, aged 19. From Manchester, risk was
:28:18. > :28:20.introduced to belly aged ten when he saw the musical Billy Elliot. In
:28:21. > :28:26.less than two years he was performing the lead role in the
:28:27. > :28:32.show. Rhys is now in his third and final year at the English National
:28:33. > :28:36.Ballet School in London. He was the winner of the Ballet
:28:37. > :28:41.final with a well chosen programme showing off his broad range, his
:28:42. > :28:44.stage charm and presence. On the stage at Sadler's Wells there has
:28:45. > :28:47.been so many great dancers performing here and now it is your
:28:48. > :28:53.turn. Could you ever believe you would be here? I cannot believe I'm
:28:54. > :28:58.performing by myself on the stage at Sadler's Wells, but many people can
:28:59. > :29:02.say they are there just for them so I'm ecstatic to have been given the
:29:03. > :29:06.opportunity. Obviously you have performed before but this is a
:29:07. > :29:12.different pressure being part of a competition. I've had that challenge
:29:13. > :29:17.of becoming a character and portraying that role but here I am
:29:18. > :29:22.kind of expressing myself as a dancer. I just have to take that on
:29:23. > :29:28.board and revised it is a competition. A very different
:29:29. > :29:35.pressure. Your first piece, tell us about that. It is very technically
:29:36. > :29:40.demanding. A lot of jumps and battery. But I want to get across
:29:41. > :29:41.the sense of freedom and passion. And the kind of playful character
:29:42. > :31:00.behind it. APPLAUSE. Beautifully done. This
:31:01. > :31:05.final is well and truly under way. That is one man who knows how to use
:31:06. > :31:12.a kilt. Performed by Rhys Antoni Yeomans. Next up it is the winner of
:31:13. > :31:19.the contemporary category, 20-year-old Nafisah Baba. Nafisah
:31:20. > :31:22.started ballet classes when she was three years old, going on to other
:31:23. > :31:31.styles including contemporary, jazz and. She is preparing for a career
:31:32. > :31:41.in dance, training with Chrysalis London. In the contemporary final,
:31:42. > :31:49.Nafisah gave a performance to win the title. I felt amazing hearing my
:31:50. > :31:57.name. I kept replaying it, thinking, that is actually me. Your experience
:31:58. > :32:00.watching these other dances and talent, has inspired you?
:32:01. > :32:05.Definitely. Especially the street dance. It is something I would love
:32:06. > :32:11.to do. I love to incorporate things like that into my contemporary.
:32:12. > :32:19.Could you tell us a bit about what it means to you. It is called in its
:32:20. > :32:23.capable. When I was younger I was part of the netball Association so
:32:24. > :32:28.it was between doing that at weekends and then my mum said it is
:32:29. > :32:32.either that or you dance. When I was doing it, I was trying to imagine
:32:33. > :35:43.it, I do still miss it. Absolutely captivating by Nafisah
:35:44. > :35:50.there. Sportswoman turned dancer. You can see where the athleticism
:35:51. > :35:57.comes from. That is a piece called Inescapable. We now turn to South
:35:58. > :36:08.Asian dance with 19-year-old category winner Shyam Dattani. Shyam
:36:09. > :36:14.began his journey at the age of two and his love of performing led him
:36:15. > :36:19.to take up full-time training. It was his passion for dance and
:36:20. > :36:27.technique that shone through in the South Asian dance final and won him
:36:28. > :36:31.the title. I'm really excited to present my dance on the stage but
:36:32. > :36:36.also it makes me mindful because I've watched some of my inspirations
:36:37. > :36:44.in dance perform on this stage and to be able to perform on the same
:36:45. > :36:54.turf is something I never imagined. It gives meet singles. What is
:36:55. > :37:01.wonderful as how you tell a story. Tell us about that. My first solo is
:37:02. > :37:07.a descriptive piece. Kathak is a storytelling art that uses
:37:08. > :37:17.expression with hand gestures and in this piece I will be surrendering to
:37:18. > :37:26.a Lord, the elephant headed god, who is a remover of obstacles. Kathak
:37:27. > :37:28.grew from this as a temple art, so I want to share my devotion through
:37:29. > :41:24.this piece. Captivating, absolutely captivating.
:41:25. > :41:31.Delicate and thorough fully equal measure. The first round of solos is
:41:32. > :41:35.brought to a close. I'm sure you will all want to give Shyam and all
:41:36. > :41:41.the five finalists a massive round of applause.
:41:42. > :41:50.We've seen them all perform once and whilst we give them a couple of
:41:51. > :42:00.minutes to catch their breath let's handover to Anita who is with the
:42:01. > :42:06.judges. Beauty, brains, footwork, enough about you. Let's talk to the
:42:07. > :42:13.dance experts. We've seen the first performances. Initial thoughts? It
:42:14. > :42:16.is their focus, how they engage with the public. Telling that story
:42:17. > :42:21.through their movements. The strength of skill was outstanding. I
:42:22. > :42:27.could not take my eyes off any of them. I suppose one of the
:42:28. > :42:32.surprising ones was the street dancer, because it is such a
:42:33. > :42:40.different forum, to be in the theatre, the lighting, the stage,
:42:41. > :42:46.playing with that. It is so unusual for young dancers to be so exposed
:42:47. > :42:53.on a stage performing. Have they risen to the occasion? The
:42:54. > :42:57.absolutely have. Must be incredibly challenging to be on the stage. You
:42:58. > :43:07.have the production values, the wonderful set and the lighting. What
:43:08. > :43:12.I found really touching is each one of them was incredibly emotional.
:43:13. > :43:16.Most of the solos they choreographed themselves, and there was a real
:43:17. > :43:28.attempt to have a story, the narrative, use lyrics. I phoned it
:43:29. > :43:33.incredibly moving. You feel incredibly supportive. Let's talk
:43:34. > :43:38.about the commitment. They are incredibly young to perform their
:43:39. > :43:43.artform to this level. Yes, the time that would have gone into rehearsing
:43:44. > :43:47.this. They've been doing this since the beginning of the competition,
:43:48. > :43:53.perfecting these solos. It is ours and aisles of training. -- it is
:43:54. > :43:58.lots of training. I know exactly what they've been under, the
:43:59. > :44:03.pressure they've been under. It is something they would not want to
:44:04. > :44:12.miss. It is televised and are therefore a life. There is a lot
:44:13. > :44:25.more dancing to come. Let's bring in the judges before we
:44:26. > :44:30.move on to the duets. And for a dancer like Jodelle Douglas in
:44:31. > :44:34.Street Dance we are more likely to see the guys doing battle but right
:44:35. > :44:38.here on stage we are going to see them doing the Gillette. How
:44:39. > :44:42.difficult will that be. It is a different skill and different
:44:43. > :44:45.mentality vote up the brilliant thing about Street Dance, it has
:44:46. > :44:50.evolved so much especially in the last 15 years. You're just as likely
:44:51. > :44:55.to see Street Dance on stage in the Sadler's Wells as in a battle and
:44:56. > :44:59.the good things about being a straight answer is that you can
:45:00. > :45:04.choose. You can battle against each other, you can do a duet with each
:45:05. > :45:09.other or do both. We are finding out so much and I think when we see
:45:10. > :45:12.these dancers doing the Gillette we will find out even more. What is the
:45:13. > :45:19.different skill set with a partnership dance. Doing the duet
:45:20. > :45:22.work and the partnership is about to people instead of one and it is
:45:23. > :45:26.about the connections they make between each other. They need to
:45:27. > :45:32.build trust, and there is commitment between them. Sensitivity and also
:45:33. > :45:36.the timing. How the weight is shared between them and also the chemistry
:45:37. > :45:45.that they can have an share with us as the audience. Thank you both. So
:45:46. > :45:48.first to dance is John-William Watson joined by Beth Emerson. They
:45:49. > :49:59.choreographed the peace together. Oh, my goodness. The level of
:50:00. > :50:04.maturity by these young dancers is astounding. John-William Watson with
:50:05. > :50:07.dance partner Beth Emerson. Next to perform Jodelle Douglas and someone
:50:08. > :50:11.that you may recognise. This guy was the winner of the street dance final
:50:12. > :50:17.two years ago but he lost out this time around. To prove there are no
:50:18. > :50:24.hard feelings he's except the invitation to be Jodelle Douglas's
:50:25. > :50:29.partner here. Channing rivalry into friendship. They have created a
:50:30. > :53:49.brand new piece. Mass effect. You can see the camaraderie between
:53:50. > :53:56.the dancers. Jodelle Douglas and Harry Barnes. You would almost say
:53:57. > :54:05.they are enjoying it! Next Rhys Antoni Yeomans partnered by Masato
:54:06. > :58:24.is a Grammy. They are dancing a pas de deux.
:58:25. > :58:56.Oh, my goodness. They make it look so easy. That beautiful display of
:58:57. > :59:03.control and strength was the pas de deux performed by Rhys Antoni
:59:04. > :59:09.Youmans with his partner Masato. Now we return to the Contemporary dance.
:59:10. > :02:29.Deliverance is the title of this piece.
:02:30. > :02:54.You cannot help but be impressed by these young performers. You're
:02:55. > :03:03.watching the stars of the future. Incredible synergy. To bring this
:03:04. > :07:46.duet section to a close we bring you Shyam Dattani.
:07:47. > :08:14.Yes. Shyam Dattani bringing the duet section to a close. Two down, one to
:08:15. > :08:27.go. We will give them one more round of applause.
:08:28. > :08:38.Fen-3-mac impressive stuff. We are about to have a dance battle. To my
:08:39. > :08:42.left I have a ballet heavyweight. To my right, we have one of the leading
:08:43. > :08:52.figures in the world of street dance. I think street dance in this
:08:53. > :08:59.competition is a renegade. It is always evolving and it is one of the
:09:00. > :09:04.newest dance forms. It is amazing to see Jodelle Douglas and Harry dance
:09:05. > :09:12.together. What did you make of that? It was very humorous and
:09:13. > :09:15.entertaining. I grew by three key rules, education, entertainment and
:09:16. > :09:23.enlightenment. I felt that showed all three things. You are right. We
:09:24. > :09:29.did feel those things. How difficult is it to work as a couple? It is
:09:30. > :09:40.that trust. You've got to be as good as each other. That enjoyment that
:09:41. > :09:49.they have. It is about trust and strength, the skills being matched.
:09:50. > :09:58.Explain the ballet duet. It was a complete contrast. That was a
:09:59. > :10:05.traditional pure classic. Even though Rhys is the one we're meant
:10:06. > :10:11.to be viewing, it is showing her off and that is the tradition in
:10:12. > :10:17.classical ballet where the male supporter is making sure she looks
:10:18. > :10:24.best. The one that is unusual in classical ballet is a male dancer at
:10:25. > :10:34.the top of his game is not always a great partner. It did show that
:10:35. > :10:41.skill. They had no problem there. How exciting is it for street dance
:10:42. > :10:46.to be here on the stage? It is not just this thing that you do on the
:10:47. > :10:52.streets. It is something that you work hard for. You've got to put
:10:53. > :11:01.blood, sweat and tears into it. It is something we push our bodies to
:11:02. > :11:12.do. To have that respect and appreciation and affirmation is very
:11:13. > :11:25.good. From a duet points of view, it is how classical ballet works. With
:11:26. > :11:38.all the solos that we seem today, I've seen these variants. Only one
:11:39. > :11:46.more dance. It is the final round from the final five coming. It is a
:11:47. > :11:52.rare opportunity for a dancer to have a new work created especially
:11:53. > :11:58.for them. Are finalists are going to premiere the solos on the stage. To
:11:59. > :12:00.begin it is John-William Watson. He's been working with Caroline
:12:01. > :12:17.Finnan. They've created a solo. At the first meeting, Caroline was
:12:18. > :12:23.keen to draw on a variety of experiences. Some paintings from
:12:24. > :12:29.Francis Bacon inspired me. There are ideas of assumed identities that you
:12:30. > :12:37.try to break out of. Thoughts about the subconscious. More delicate.
:12:38. > :12:42.There is something similar with our styles and approaches so it is nice
:12:43. > :12:48.to work with someone on the same wavelength. He's very good to give
:12:49. > :12:57.ideas. I would love for him to take it somewhere I've not thought of. It
:12:58. > :13:01.feels like a lovely collaboration. A few days later and with the
:13:02. > :13:07.structure and choreography taking place, they start to focus on the
:13:08. > :13:12.detail of the solo. I want to push him to find new ways of finding the
:13:13. > :13:17.weight and the bones for that momentum. He has a lot of strength
:13:18. > :13:24.in his body and what interests me is that as much as vulnerable moment so
:13:25. > :13:38.you can be passive and then explode again. You can see contrast with
:13:39. > :13:44.these small, intricate movements. Big, contrasting physicality. It
:13:45. > :13:45.would be nice if the audience went away. You can push outside
:13:46. > :17:19.boundaries. APPLAUSE.
:17:20. > :17:38.How impressive was that! Choreographed by Caroline
:17:39. > :17:43.Flint and premiered by John-William Watson. Incredible. Catch your
:17:44. > :17:48.breath. You were the wild card. Just one week ago we knew that you would
:17:49. > :17:55.be competing. How are you feeling now having performed three dancers?
:17:56. > :18:02.It is hard to put into words. It has been such a wonderful experience. It
:18:03. > :18:07.is just over so quickly. You have done everything you can. I'm sure
:18:08. > :18:13.you have enjoyed it. Congratulations, go and relax.
:18:14. > :18:19.Outstanding. Our next performer has given him the kudos and well done to
:18:20. > :18:25.that men. Next up we have Jodelle Douglas who has been war working
:18:26. > :18:32.alongside Nicolas Marvel. Unknown is the name of this piece.
:18:33. > :18:37.We were listening to music first and trying to get a feel of a story we
:18:38. > :18:41.could build together. Just trying to get him to adapt to my style of
:18:42. > :18:48.choreography. You're just kind of moving, just looking at it, really.
:18:49. > :18:53.I always get worried when I am creating a piece. I always find that
:18:54. > :18:57.is the hardest. When we were rehearsing we were trying to build a
:18:58. > :19:01.story and came up with a few options. We were going down the
:19:02. > :19:06.theme of someone walking and they are lost and a bit scared and not
:19:07. > :19:10.sure where they are. They get into contact with something and it
:19:11. > :19:16.changes their perspective. We stormed through the start. Just
:19:17. > :19:23.started connecting and licking and understanding each other. I feel he
:19:24. > :19:28.took on board what I wanted to get out of this piece. After several
:19:29. > :19:33.days work shopping, they're excited by the way the pieces developing and
:19:34. > :19:39.the willingness to incorporate different styles into the dance.
:19:40. > :19:42.Jodelle Douglas is much more liquid and flexible with his movements
:19:43. > :19:46.whereas I'm more robotic so it is combining these styles together that
:19:47. > :19:54.makes it such an interesting performance. He pushed me in styles
:19:55. > :19:59.are not so comfortable with. His animation is perfect, so replicating
:20:00. > :20:04.that was so hard. It was physical and mental, a challenge. Just to be
:20:05. > :20:07.able to see our collaboration on the stage with the lighting and
:20:08. > :23:10.everything, I'm really excited to see that.
:23:11. > :23:34.Absolute magic. Choreography by Nicolas Marvel and premiered by this
:23:35. > :23:41.guy, Jodelle Douglas. So cool, unbelievable. It is all a front. As
:23:42. > :23:44.we know you applied in 2015 and got to the category finals. Can you
:23:45. > :23:50.describe what the experience has been like to be in the final. Last
:23:51. > :23:55.time I just missed out but it was still an honour to be able to
:23:56. > :24:00.express myself on that platform. But to win the category and perform at
:24:01. > :24:07.the grand final, I do not know, just overwhelming. We all enjoyed that.
:24:08. > :24:13.Not a bead of sweat on the guy. Wait until I take my hat off! Well done,
:24:14. > :24:25.all three performances complete. Give him a round of applause. Next
:24:26. > :24:33.to perform is Rhys Antoni Yeomans. Rees was teamed with Morgan and she
:24:34. > :24:39.has chosen music by John Adams. Short ride in a fast machine. I
:24:40. > :24:45.first played it to him and he was, I love it and really exciting. Then as
:24:46. > :24:51.we started to work with it, it was one, two, three, four, five. Very
:24:52. > :24:56.complex phrasing. The dynamics constantly changed so it is dynamic
:24:57. > :25:01.for my body to keep maintaining the power. I've got to balance out and
:25:02. > :25:07.be clever. A lot of the movement and the coordination is different from
:25:08. > :25:12.the work he normally does training. So he is learning new movement
:25:13. > :25:23.pathways. Then he is able to play with that which is nice. Taking on
:25:24. > :25:28.the material himself. It is looking good but we still need to put in the
:25:29. > :25:32.correction of the timings because of such a confusing piece. You think
:25:33. > :25:36.you've done it all because all the corn coffee is made to the music and
:25:37. > :25:40.you realise there is a whole new layer of work starting. That is
:25:41. > :25:46.putting in the light and shade to make it interesting to watch.
:25:47. > :25:50.Nice and relaxed, that was good. I've had to not remove the classical
:25:51. > :25:54.training but have it in the background and the four grand needs
:25:55. > :25:58.to be something new and just more organic as a way of moving. --
:25:59. > :29:18.foreground. Commanding the stage, Rhys Antoni
:29:19. > :29:23.Yeomans. Created by Morgann Runacre-Temple. You have done it!
:29:24. > :29:27.You can take a breather. It will may not be lost on you that some of the
:29:28. > :29:34.greatest names in Ballet are in this room. Did that come into your
:29:35. > :29:37.thinking on stage? Slightly! It must've been a little bit
:29:38. > :29:43.intimidating but it did not show at all. Just being on stage is what I
:29:44. > :29:48.love to do. I just had to forget about what was happening, who was
:29:49. > :29:53.watching and just do me. Beautifully done. Well done, have a breeder. Get
:29:54. > :30:00.this guy some water! Waiting in the wings is Nafisah
:30:01. > :30:21.Baba. The first thing we did was falling,
:30:22. > :30:26.not catching yourself but letting your body fault. You will see me
:30:27. > :30:33.letting my body fall, letting my head go.
:30:34. > :30:40.I'm being pushed out of my comfort zone, trying things I've not done
:30:41. > :30:48.before. I'm pushing through with it rather than being like, I will do it
:30:49. > :30:53.later. We can go before we fall. That is what we are partly trained
:30:54. > :30:59.to do. She said, don't go to a position you know, don't analyse
:31:00. > :31:10.things, it was difficult to just let my head go and let my body fall and
:31:11. > :31:15.not get in a position. When they meet again a few days later the
:31:16. > :31:19.piece had started to take shape. I could not have asked for more in
:31:20. > :31:23.terms of the commitment and the readiness to try things which were
:31:24. > :34:49.outside her habitual patterns of moving. It was incredible.
:34:50. > :35:16.Just the way that she holds herself takes your breath away. Performed by
:35:17. > :35:23.Nafisah Baba. Glad you did not leave your shoes behind. They will be
:35:24. > :35:30.relief. You said there were no regrets. Surely you cannot have any
:35:31. > :35:36.after that. S I don't. It is an honour to dance on that stage. Look
:35:37. > :35:46.at the smile. You are phenomenal. Your job is done. Great effort. Just
:35:47. > :36:12.one more dance in this Grand Final. To begin the process, Shyam is
:36:13. > :36:16.trained to think outside his training. She gave me this piece of
:36:17. > :36:21.paper and put it in front of me and said to make a shape with it. At
:36:22. > :36:32.first I was quite thrown back and she said, take all the Kathak out of
:36:33. > :36:37.yourself. He struggled with understanding what I wanted until he
:36:38. > :36:48.could see for real but he needs to replicate that or use that to inform
:36:49. > :36:58.the way my body is on the ground. She taught me to remove each
:36:59. > :37:10.movement. Every limb seemed to be engaged in this movement. A week
:37:11. > :37:15.later and things have moved on. The piece has evolved and changed. My
:37:16. > :37:23.body has been manipulated into forming this piece and it is quite
:37:24. > :37:27.amazing. He has embraced it and I respect that. He is likely, you can
:37:28. > :37:36.mould him into shapes and he's ready for it. I'm excited for him. She's
:37:37. > :37:41.focused on the technique of Kathak, but also will be moulding it in this
:37:42. > :37:45.contemporary, more urban aspect. It is quite eccentric and I can feel
:37:46. > :41:22.the buzz when I'm performing it. That is how you do it. Five
:41:23. > :41:26.finalists. I know you've brought a huge contingent with you tonight. We
:41:27. > :41:34.can hear them, we've been hearing them all night. What is the
:41:35. > :41:40.overriding emotion for you? I feel like all my hard work, the
:41:41. > :41:47.dedication of all those who put so much into my dance, I hope I
:41:48. > :41:59.showcased it well on stage. I feel so grateful to be part of the
:42:00. > :42:17.atmosphere. Well done. You take your place. Time to take a bow. Didn't
:42:18. > :42:24.they do well? Give it up for John-William Watson, Jodelle
:42:25. > :42:42.Douglas, Rhys Antoni Yeomans, Nafisah Baba, and Shyam Dattani.
:42:43. > :42:45.Sadly, we cannot have everyone because she is actually performing,
:42:46. > :42:58.but they deserve our applause. APPLAUSE. Well done. That brings us
:42:59. > :43:03.to the end of the competition. Before the judges head off and make
:43:04. > :43:10.a difficult decision, some difficult questions. Just before we talk about
:43:11. > :43:16.this night as a whole, 15 premiers. How exciting to see brand-new work
:43:17. > :43:24.by such dances on the stage. It is brilliant and energising and
:43:25. > :43:33.beautiful. I congratulate the BBC for introducing this. It is so
:43:34. > :43:40.heartening. It is great to be part of this. I think everybody would
:43:41. > :43:49.echo this in the theatre. You've got to make a big decision. Sum up what
:43:50. > :43:53.we've seen. It is wonderful to see them giving their best and having
:43:54. > :44:02.the opportunity to perform on this stage. Be fascinating to see what we
:44:03. > :44:08.come up with. Close competition. Let us see who wins. Before you make
:44:09. > :44:13.that call, I'm sure you have some final thoughts. Yes. We've been
:44:14. > :44:16.joined by a choreographer and director described as the world's
:44:17. > :44:33.most popular living dance maker. Sir Matthew. You are a huge
:44:34. > :44:38.supporter of this competition and a huge promoter of dance. What did you
:44:39. > :44:43.make of what you've seeing this evening. I was adjudged to years ago
:44:44. > :44:48.and thought it was something that the dance world should support. And
:44:49. > :44:54.we all did. And we continue to do that. It is wonderful to see young
:44:55. > :44:58.dancers promoted in this way. And having an audience they could not
:44:59. > :45:02.dream of in the theatre, a television audience with so many
:45:03. > :45:08.more people. An incredible thing for them and also in terms of the
:45:09. > :45:13.choreography, we are seeing new choreography, I find that exciting.
:45:14. > :45:17.There is another whole element to the competition. Completely and the
:45:18. > :45:22.final performance, choreographed by someone else. I think we saw a
:45:23. > :45:26.different side to them. I think what we want is to see the versatility of
:45:27. > :45:33.these artists. Where they're going to go now. They are busy young and
:45:34. > :45:36.raw talent and they're suddenly worked on and being tested out of
:45:37. > :45:41.their comfort zone and whether they are capable of taking back on board.
:45:42. > :45:48.Some of them really achieved that. It is interesting, certainly we saw
:45:49. > :45:52.it with Shyam Dattani, pushing the boundaries of his dance form. This
:45:53. > :45:58.is something you have done, to tear up the rule book. Is this the
:45:59. > :46:01.future? I think is the job of a dancer to interpret the work of a
:46:02. > :46:06.choreographer. I love to see them do their own work and you get a bonus
:46:07. > :46:10.in some ways thing that come from them. But to work with the
:46:11. > :46:15.choreographer is as Darcey Bussell will tell you, you must interpret
:46:16. > :46:18.their work. And that is a challenge. It is a test. And that was a
:46:19. > :46:25.challenge for him, a different style. To put you on the spot, or
:46:26. > :46:35.would you give a job in your company. I was very drawn to
:46:36. > :46:39.John-William Watson. I was drawn to the musicality and character, the
:46:40. > :46:43.completeness of each piece. As a choreographer I was drawn to someone
:46:44. > :46:48.doing their own work in that way. He's a talent to watch. Thank you
:46:49. > :46:53.both. I have my fingers crossed for all of them.
:46:54. > :46:58.While the judges are busy trying to choose a winner from those five
:46:59. > :47:04.wonderful dancers we have a special treat just for you. Two years ago
:47:05. > :47:09.17-year-old Connor Scott made quite an impression performing on this
:47:10. > :47:12.very stage and he was named as the first-ever BBC Young Dancer
:47:13. > :47:16.champion. Since then he is moved down to London from Northumberland
:47:17. > :47:20.and he's in his second year of training at the School Ballet and
:47:21. > :47:26.Contemporary dance. We are delighted to welcome them back here to perform
:47:27. > :47:28.for you right now. Here is Connor Scott with an extract from a new
:47:29. > :53:17.piece. Brave E is the title. Ladies and gentlemen, your 2015 BBC
:53:18. > :53:22.Young Dancer, Connor Scott. The man they are all aspiring to tonight.
:53:23. > :53:30.I'm just hearing that the judges have made their decision. The
:53:31. > :53:35.anticipation, I know. I reckon we just have enough time for one more
:53:36. > :53:40.performance. We have had solos and duets already this evening but
:53:41. > :53:53.shoppers see all of our finalists on stage one more time? Performing from
:53:54. > :57:06.Vivaldi 's four seasons, your 2017 BBC Young Dancer finalists.
:57:07. > :57:33.I can speak I think on behalf of everyone in this room, we are in all
:57:34. > :57:36.of your talent. Thank you to those wonderful dancers and their
:57:37. > :57:42.dedication to their art. Truly an inspiring night. They are at the top
:57:43. > :57:45.of their game and we have been mesmerised. But there can be only
:57:46. > :57:52.one winner and that moment has arrived. Time to find out who will
:57:53. > :58:06.be named the BBC Young Dancer 2017. John-William Watson. Jodelle
:58:07. > :58:22.Douglas. Rhys Antoni Yeomans. Nafisah Baba. Shyam Dattani.
:58:23. > :58:31.Please welcome to the stage the judges. Nahid Siddiqui, Kevin
:58:32. > :58:42.O'Hare, Jasmin Vardimon, Kate Prince, Marc Brew and Kenneth Tharp.
:58:43. > :58:51.And were joined onstage by Darcey Bussell who will make presentation.
:58:52. > :58:56.But before she does they have had a very difficult decision to make.
:58:57. > :59:01.Kenneth I'm sure would like to say word. Thank you very much. First I'm
:59:02. > :59:06.sure all the audience here and those watching at home would like to join
:59:07. > :59:10.myself and my fellow judges in thanking these astonishing young
:59:11. > :59:21.dancers for an amazing evening of dancing. Thank you so much.
:59:22. > :59:26.We also wanted to say what a brilliant opportunity this has been
:59:27. > :59:30.and thank the BBC for giving these young dancers such a fantastic
:59:31. > :59:38.opportunity to share their talent and their expertise and discipline.
:59:39. > :59:42.We have had an interesting discussion but in the fight that we
:59:43. > :59:48.thought something is cut through regardless. How a dancer makes you
:59:49. > :59:55.feel. How they connect with the audience. And so even though we had
:59:56. > :00:05.a lively discussion, from the discussions and scoring, one clear
:00:06. > :00:12.winner emerged. It is down to me. It is inspiring to see such expressive
:00:13. > :00:18.and dynamic performances from such young, talented British dancers. It
:00:19. > :00:30.makes me so proud to be British. I am excited about this. The winner of
:00:31. > :00:46.the BBC Young dancer 2017 is... Nafisah Baba.
:00:47. > :01:46.Take it in. This is your moment. What is going through your mind? I
:01:47. > :01:49.just want to say thank you so much to every single one of you. To my
:01:50. > :01:55.friends and family for a never-ending support and making me
:01:56. > :02:06.feel like I can be on top of the world. On behalf of everyone in the
:02:07. > :02:14.audience, thank you for making us feel something wonderful.
:02:15. > :02:25.Congratulations. All the hard work paid off. Please enjoy it. The
:02:26. > :02:34.winner of BBC Young dancer 2017, Nafisah Baba.
:02:35. > :02:53.I'm sure you will agree they were all phenomenal. Please welcome back
:02:54. > :03:29.our fantastic finalists. That brings to an end our Grand
:03:30. > :03:33.Final of the programme. A huge thank you to all our judges who have been
:03:34. > :03:41.involved in every stage of the competition. Thank you to everybody
:03:42. > :03:44.who looked after the dancers. Until next time, from all of us, good
:03:45. > :04:09.night. Our crack team of experts
:04:10. > :04:18.use pioneering research