0:00:03 > 0:00:05One of the things I love about us Brits
0:00:05 > 0:00:08- is our spirit of generosity. - If I can give back to somebody
0:00:08 > 0:00:11who had a similar struggle to my own,
0:00:11 > 0:00:13then that's what I'd like to do.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16Last year, nearly three-quarters of us gave to charity.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18But what if you had the chance
0:00:18 > 0:00:21to go back and relive moments from your past...
0:00:21 > 0:00:22I wish I was 18 again.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26I'm expecting Mum and Dad to walk out now
0:00:26 > 0:00:28- and say hello, you know?- Yeah.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31'..moments which would inspire you to want to help someone today...'
0:00:31 > 0:00:34I want to give back to those people that are going through that
0:00:34 > 0:00:35that I went through in the beginning.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38If I can give something to somebody that would change their lives,
0:00:38 > 0:00:40- I would really love to.- Fantastic.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44'..someone who had no idea this life-changing windfall was coming?'
0:00:44 > 0:00:48I have got, potentially, her dream in my hand.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51- How are you feeling?- Nervous. - SHE LAUGHS
0:00:51 > 0:00:53'There'll be surprises...'
0:00:53 > 0:00:56- How are you?- I'm good.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58Thank you so much!
0:00:58 > 0:01:00Thank you!
0:01:00 > 0:01:03'..with acts of generosity that will change people's lives...'
0:01:04 > 0:01:06We're all crying.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08Do you need a hug, as well?
0:01:08 > 0:01:09Yeah. Thanks.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11'..forever.'
0:01:11 > 0:01:12- Like that.- Wahey!
0:01:12 > 0:01:14Somebody that just does that for people,
0:01:14 > 0:01:16it's just amazing, it really is.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18This is Going Back Giving Back.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35Today, we're going back to Manchester in the 1980s.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37It's the story of a boy who loved to dance,
0:01:37 > 0:01:39a real-life Billy Elliot,
0:01:39 > 0:01:42and today he wants to change somebody else's life.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46How did this man find the courage to rise above everything
0:01:46 > 0:01:49to dance his way to success?
0:01:49 > 0:01:51If I could go back to that little eight-year-old boy now,
0:01:51 > 0:01:54and tell him, "This is what you're going to do,"
0:01:54 > 0:01:56- I would've gone, "Get out of town." - "Whatever."- "Whatever.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58"That's never going to happen."
0:01:58 > 0:02:00What is inspiring him to want
0:02:00 > 0:02:02to give something back to someone today?
0:02:02 > 0:02:04It did save my life.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08It not only saved my life, it gave me an amazing quality of life.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12Can he help a struggling young dancer achieve her dream?
0:02:12 > 0:02:14Dance, for me, is a way to express myself.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16- It's like a release, in a way.- Yeah.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20'And there's nervous anticipation as we prepare for the big surprise...'
0:02:20 > 0:02:22- How are you feeling? - I'm feeling good.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25- Looking forward to speaking with her.- I'm a bit nervous.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28- Are you?- Yeah! I always get nervous at this point.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32'..with a gift that will transform her life.'
0:02:32 > 0:02:34There's nothing better than being given
0:02:34 > 0:02:37what you genuinely have been asking for.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47Today, I've come to Greater Manchester to find out
0:02:47 > 0:02:51how dance helped a young man avoid a life of crime
0:02:51 > 0:02:52and gave him hope.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54The man I'm about to meet trained
0:02:54 > 0:02:57at some of the most prestigious dance schools in the country
0:02:57 > 0:02:59before travelling the world as a professional dancer,
0:02:59 > 0:03:02a far cry from his humble beginnings
0:03:02 > 0:03:04on a tough council estate in Manchester.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06I'm looking forward to hearing his story.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10'On the outskirts of Manchester, in the town of Stockport, lives
0:03:10 > 0:03:15'34-year-old Kevin, who's recently married and has a two-year-old son.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18'He now runs a successful dance company,
0:03:18 > 0:03:21'but his story begins when he was just eight years old.'
0:03:24 > 0:03:29- Hello.- Hey, how are you?- Very well. - Good to see you. Please come in.
0:03:29 > 0:03:30Thank you.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35- Take a seat.- Thanks, mate. Got the teas in, as well!
0:03:35 > 0:03:38Lovely. So, go on, then, what's driving you
0:03:38 > 0:03:40- to give something back today? - I suppose it's got a lot to do
0:03:40 > 0:03:42with my history, actually.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45When I was very, very young, my parents split,
0:03:45 > 0:03:47when I was about eight years old.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49So obviously you can imagine
0:03:49 > 0:03:52the kind of issues and problems that surrounded that.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54So, when they split, we actually moved
0:03:54 > 0:03:57from this very lovely middle-class area
0:03:57 > 0:04:01to a very tough council estate in Manchester.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05Kevin, his mum, brother and two sisters ended up
0:04:05 > 0:04:08on the Partington council estate in south Manchester,
0:04:08 > 0:04:11one of the most deprived in the area,
0:04:11 > 0:04:14with high levels of crime and unemployment.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17It was a massive culture shock for a young lad.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21- How scary was it? - It was really scary moving there.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24There was drugs, there was gangs. I lived a sheltered life
0:04:24 > 0:04:26to that point, and I was exposed to all that.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28It must have been frightening.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31Oh, my goodness, it was quite frightening. The first day
0:04:31 > 0:04:33that I went into school, I walked into my class
0:04:33 > 0:04:35and my teacher was like, "Welcome," and next thing I know,
0:04:35 > 0:04:37a guy jumped on the table, threw a chair at the teacher.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41Another guy started fighting. I was like, "What have I walked into?"
0:04:41 > 0:04:45Ironically, if Kevin hadn't moved to this tough area,
0:04:45 > 0:04:47he'd never have found dance.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50He'd only been at his primary school for a few weeks
0:04:50 > 0:04:53when a local dance company held a workshop for the students.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56Kevin's dance moves blew the two instructors away
0:04:56 > 0:04:59and they invited him to join their youth dance group,
0:04:59 > 0:05:02even though it was for kids aged from 11
0:05:02 > 0:05:04and he was only eight years old.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07This changed everything for Kevin.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09So, through those two people,
0:05:09 > 0:05:14they opened a whole new world to me of understanding myself,
0:05:14 > 0:05:17understanding other people, being able to give me the tools
0:05:17 > 0:05:20to be able to express my internal world.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24I was a very angry, frustrated, upset little boy,
0:05:24 > 0:05:27obviously with everything that had happened to me personally.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31- Understandably.- But dance gave me the perfect vessel to be able to
0:05:31 > 0:05:34channel that energy into something that was positive and constructive.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37Dance was the making of Kevin.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40He went on to train as a professional contemporary dancer,
0:05:40 > 0:05:45toured the UK and the world, before setting up his dance company.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48Every single thing in my life that I can trace that I value
0:05:48 > 0:05:51- comes from dance.- So, in a way, that's what's motivating you
0:05:51 > 0:05:53to want to help somebody else today.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56Without a shadow of a doubt. When you live in a community where
0:05:56 > 0:05:58there's so much drugs and you live in a community
0:05:58 > 0:06:01where people look up to the drug dealers,
0:06:01 > 0:06:04there's this force that's always pulling you to the dark side,
0:06:04 > 0:06:07as it were. I wouldn't certainly be doing what I'm doing now,
0:06:07 > 0:06:08that's for sure.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14It's thanks to dance that Kevin was able to deal with his emotional past
0:06:14 > 0:06:17and escape a troubled life.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20Well, listen, in order for you to give something back, I reckon
0:06:20 > 0:06:24we need to go back first on a little journey. Are you up for that?
0:06:24 > 0:06:28- Totally up for that.- Let's do it right now. Come on.- Great. Let's go.
0:06:33 > 0:06:37We're taking Kevin back in time to where it all really started for him,
0:06:37 > 0:06:41and we're hoping that by reminding him of where it all began
0:06:41 > 0:06:43and what he's achieved against the odds,
0:06:43 > 0:06:46it will make him even more determined to help someone today.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53- So, any ideas where we're going? - I have no idea at all, actually.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57I'm actually really curious to see where you're going to take me.
0:06:57 > 0:06:58A little bit of a trip down memory lane,
0:06:58 > 0:07:02- that's all I'll say at the moment. - I'm looking forward to it,
0:07:02 > 0:07:05you know, I'm sure it's going to bring me back some flashbacks,
0:07:05 > 0:07:08some memories of back in the day. Should be fun.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12Memories are bound to be stirred up.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16As a teenager on his tough Mancunian council estate,
0:07:16 > 0:07:20he became known as the Billy Elliot of the neighbourhood.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23What did kids of a similar age make of it, then?
0:07:23 > 0:07:27Hostility, really. I'd say that would be the key word,
0:07:27 > 0:07:30because people just thought straight away
0:07:30 > 0:07:33that dance is what girls do. That is what girls do.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36- And I've had that all throughout my childhood.- Right.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39So I basically walked around with a target on my back.
0:07:39 > 0:07:46But I wasn't going to allow anybody to tell me what I can and cannot do.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48And I think these kinds of things really build up your resilience.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50Of course they do.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53Kevin was a natural. He was only 15
0:07:53 > 0:07:56when he was accepted onto a degree course
0:07:56 > 0:07:59at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance in Leeds.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02But it was also at a time when he'd started hanging around
0:08:02 > 0:08:04with the wrong crowd.
0:08:04 > 0:08:09I started getting into, you know, things that I should not necessarily
0:08:09 > 0:08:12have gotten into, doing things that I shouldn't have done
0:08:12 > 0:08:16and things that I'm not necessarily that proud of.
0:08:16 > 0:08:21And I could see... My mother could see that I was kind of going
0:08:21 > 0:08:23towards the dark side.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26And it wasn't until my mum saying,
0:08:26 > 0:08:28"You want to dance, this is your dream,
0:08:28 > 0:08:31"you've got into a dance school, one of the best
0:08:31 > 0:08:33"dance schools in the country - why are you kind of throwing
0:08:33 > 0:08:37"all this down the toilet?" - all of a sudden my head just went,
0:08:37 > 0:08:39"Whoa, wait a minute, I need to..."
0:08:39 > 0:08:43you know, let go of those people I was associating myself with,
0:08:43 > 0:08:46leave that stuff behind and focus on
0:08:46 > 0:08:49- where- I- wanted to go and what my future was.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53Dance had once again brought Kevin back from the brink.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56And it was while he was doing his degree that he was spotted
0:08:56 > 0:09:00by the Rambert Dance School, one of the most prestigious
0:09:00 > 0:09:02and oldest dance companies in the world.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05It was originally opened in 1920
0:09:05 > 0:09:08in London's Kensington by ballet dancer Marie Rambert
0:09:08 > 0:09:13after she fled Poland at the outbreak of the First World War.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15It's credited with being the dance company
0:09:15 > 0:09:17that gave birth to British ballet.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19It was therefore a huge coup for Kevin
0:09:19 > 0:09:24to take classes with Rambert, and he even got to perform with them.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30I got a phone call about three or four weeks later from my principal
0:09:30 > 0:09:34saying, "Rambert have asked you to come back to the company
0:09:34 > 0:09:36"and actually perform with the company."
0:09:36 > 0:09:38I hadn't graduated at this point.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40- How did you feel?- Oh, my goodness!
0:09:40 > 0:09:43That was a massive confidence boost for me.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46Nobody in the history of my entire conservatoire
0:09:46 > 0:09:48had ever danced with the company in that way.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50So that was kind of like, "Wow, no way!
0:09:50 > 0:09:52"No-one from my school has ever done that."
0:09:52 > 0:09:56Kevin had a talent that was unstoppable.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59After graduating in 2002 with first-class honours,
0:09:59 > 0:10:02he toured all over the UK and the world
0:10:02 > 0:10:05as a professional dancer and teacher.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08Then in 2007, he co-founded Company Chameleon,
0:10:08 > 0:10:12a Manchester-based dance company, which now has a youth section
0:10:12 > 0:10:13for disadvantaged children.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16His life has come full circle, and we're heading
0:10:16 > 0:10:19back to the school where Kevin first learned to dance
0:10:19 > 0:10:21with his youth group in the '90s.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25- I think I know where we're going now.- Do you?- Yeah.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27Where do you think we're going?
0:10:27 > 0:10:31I think we're going to the first school that I danced at
0:10:31 > 0:10:33with my youth group, Trafford Youth Dance Theatre.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36- When was the last time you were down here?- Ooh...
0:10:37 > 0:10:40- Er, well over 15 years ago.- Wow.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50We've arrived at Wellington School in the leafy town of Altrincham,
0:10:50 > 0:10:52just south of Manchester.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56This is where, as an eight-year-old lad from a tough council estate,
0:10:56 > 0:10:58Kevin found his dancing feet when he joined
0:10:58 > 0:11:02the Trafford Youth Dance Theatre for rehearsals at this school.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06So, this is bringing back memories, I bet?
0:11:06 > 0:11:08Oh, aye, yeah, this is bringing back some memories.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11I haven't been here for a very, very, very long time.
0:11:11 > 0:11:12This is where the magic started.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14It is, yeah. It was the crucible of it all,
0:11:14 > 0:11:18without a shadow of a doubt. When I look back at this, I think one of
0:11:18 > 0:11:21the main things that I remember is that it was
0:11:21 > 0:11:24a very creative space and it was the first time
0:11:24 > 0:11:27- I felt that actually my ideas mattered.- Right.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30- You know?- Yeah.- I was able to throw my ideas into the mix
0:11:30 > 0:11:34and make my own movements up, and it really made me feel valued.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37- You were only eight years old! - I know, I know!- Bless your heart.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39I was a little whippersnapper, but, you know,
0:11:39 > 0:11:42there was a lot of people older than me, and a lot of people
0:11:42 > 0:11:46in this building, a lot of people nurtured me and guided me
0:11:46 > 0:11:50and fed me and inspired me and opened my mind to the world
0:11:50 > 0:11:52- and what's in it.- OK.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55I keep imagining you, you know, as an eight-year-old
0:11:55 > 0:11:58- on that sort of tough estate. - Oh, yeah.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02You were a dancer and loved dance and you come here and you fly.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04It really was like that, honestly.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06It was like my heart was just opened. My mind was
0:12:06 > 0:12:09- just bursting. It was like freedom.- Yeah.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11- Really felt like freedom. - Yeah. Fantastic.- If I could go
0:12:11 > 0:12:13back to that little eight-year-old boy now and tell him,
0:12:13 > 0:12:15"This is what you're going to do,
0:12:15 > 0:12:17"these are the companies you're going to dance for,
0:12:17 > 0:12:19"the places you're going to go and then you're going to
0:12:19 > 0:12:21"set your own thing up and it's going to be a success,"
0:12:21 > 0:12:23I would have gone, "Get out."
0:12:23 > 0:12:25- "Whatever."- "Whatever! That's never going to happen!"
0:12:25 > 0:12:28And as an eight-year-old, what was your favourite move?
0:12:28 > 0:12:30What was my favourite move at eight years old?
0:12:30 > 0:12:33I think it would have to be the classic barrel jump.
0:12:33 > 0:12:34What's a barrel jump?
0:12:34 > 0:12:37- Like that.- Wahey! That was brilliant! I thought you were taking
0:12:37 > 0:12:40- my head off!- Sorry, mate. That's a barrel jump.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42- OK.- That was one of my first jumps that I learned here.- Was it?- Yeah.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45- That's brilliant. Shall we get back in the car?- Yeah. Cheers, pal.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53For our next stop on Kevin's trip down memory lane, we're heading into
0:12:53 > 0:12:56the heart of Manchester, to Oxford Road, which is
0:12:56 > 0:12:59also known as the city's cultural corridor.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06Now, you're probably wondering why I've brought you
0:13:06 > 0:13:08- to this part of Manchester. - I am a bit curious.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10I know the Dancehouse is around the corner
0:13:10 > 0:13:12and I've done a couple of shows there.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14The Dancehouse IS around the corner.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17- There might be a little surprise there for you.- All right, cool!
0:13:19 > 0:13:23The Dancehouse is precisely where we're heading.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29This Art Deco venue originally opened its doors in 1930
0:13:29 > 0:13:31as the world's first twin cinema.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35It became a multiplex in the '70s, when cinema was thriving,
0:13:35 > 0:13:37but then, with the introduction of videos,
0:13:37 > 0:13:41cinemagoers preferred to stay at home, and it closed in 1986.
0:13:43 > 0:13:48The building fell into disrepair but was resurrected ten years later.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51The curtain was raised by the Dancehouse Theatre Company.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56And it's where Kevin shone on stage as a teenager in the '90s.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00Whoa, I tell you what, as a dancer, you're fitter than I am.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04- Those stairs have killed me.- There's a lot of stairs in this building.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08- It's a labyrinth, isn't it?- Really is. So many studios, so many rooms.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13Coming up, the team have been on the hunt for a struggling young dancer
0:14:13 > 0:14:17who has the will and determination that will resonate with Kevin.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20And we think we've found them.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22She's a young woman who's had a tough life
0:14:22 > 0:14:26but has dance as her focus. She just needs a break.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30She thinks we're making a programme about aspiring dancers.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33She has no idea of the real reason behind Kevin's visit
0:14:33 > 0:14:36and that she could be in for a life-changing gift.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42Kevin's star appearances on stage here at the Dancehouse
0:14:42 > 0:14:46were thanks to one very significant person in his young life.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49Kevin doesn't know it, but we've got a little surprise for him.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54Well, we're going down to Studio 5 just here.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57I'm quite curious to find out what's going to be in here.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59You can find out now.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03- Do you recognise that lady? - Yeah, of course I do!
0:15:03 > 0:15:06Hiya, Linda, you all right? Lovely to see you.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08Lovely to see you.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11- You all right?- Look at you. You're almost as red as me now.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13I know, yeah!
0:15:15 > 0:15:18Linda was Kevin's mentor. She was the dance instructor who spotted him
0:15:18 > 0:15:20at primary school and invited him
0:15:20 > 0:15:24to join the Trafford Youth Dance Theatre that transformed his life.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27So, you obviously know this man very well.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30- Oh, yes, yes, since he was a baby.- Eight years old.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33Yeah. It was eight, wasn't it? I seem to remember
0:15:33 > 0:15:36when I was doing a teacher inset there
0:15:36 > 0:15:40and I saw these lovely children dancing around and then suddenly...
0:15:40 > 0:15:43- The Kevin arrives! - What was "The Kevin" like?
0:15:43 > 0:15:48Oh, well, you know, I can't find a title, really, except The Kevin.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52You knew he was in the room as soon as he entered. He had something
0:15:52 > 0:15:55- about him already.- Really? - Yeah. He had the whole package,
0:15:55 > 0:16:00really, because you had the passion to dance,
0:16:00 > 0:16:03and, although the technique wasn't quite there yet...
0:16:03 > 0:16:05- Wasn't there at all. - Well... Yeah, yeah.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08You forgive a lot when you've got what you've got.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11And the jump was there, and what impressed me the most
0:16:11 > 0:16:14was the fact that you had dance memory already.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17- And it takes some dancers years to acquire that.- Yeah.
0:16:17 > 0:16:22And you'd already got it. As a teacher, I couldn't ignore
0:16:22 > 0:16:26what he'd got. He hurled himself in every direction,
0:16:26 > 0:16:30but with the right amount of energy and passion.
0:16:30 > 0:16:31He was definitely cheeky,
0:16:31 > 0:16:34but then I find the best dancers usually are.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37- Oh, really?- Yeah, they have the energy and they have the cheek
0:16:37 > 0:16:40and they have just the nerve to try things.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44'Linda wasn't just Kevin's dance instructor.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46'She went beyond her teaching duties
0:16:46 > 0:16:49'to nurture the disadvantaged little boy.'
0:16:49 > 0:16:52I always remember, especially at the very beginning, like, you know,
0:16:52 > 0:16:55Linda had to pick me up from my home cos I was still quite young,
0:16:55 > 0:16:59and you always used to give me my tea on the way to rehearsals
0:16:59 > 0:17:01- and stuff like that. - Cheese and onion, yeah. Always.
0:17:01 > 0:17:05- Where would you be without this woman?- I have no idea.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08I probably... I would not be involved in dance, that's for sure.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10I could have been locked up, you know.
0:17:10 > 0:17:15So... I'm actually blushing hearing Linda say this, because, you know,
0:17:15 > 0:17:18straightaway I feel myself going back to being a student.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22Honestly, Linda, you have given me so much.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24'There's no doubt Linda's been
0:17:24 > 0:17:27'a huge influence in Kevin's life and he has a lot to thank her for.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30'She's been his inspiration, and it's down to her
0:17:30 > 0:17:33'that he appeared in around ten productions
0:17:33 > 0:17:35'for the youth dance theatre.'
0:17:35 > 0:17:39- I can see you've got some photos there. Are these of...?- Kevin.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41- As you see, in the centre as usual.- Is that you?
0:17:41 > 0:17:44- That's me, yeah! - Your hair's really long!
0:17:44 > 0:17:46Yeah, I had really long hair back in the day.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49- And snazzy shorts, mate!- I know, I know. It was all about the shorts.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52- That was the thing.- God, look at the concentration on your face.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56- I took it so seriously. Honestly, so seriously.- Good job.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00But we had no choice but to take it seriously. She created a space where
0:18:00 > 0:18:03everybody would feel comfortable and everybody felt that they were
0:18:03 > 0:18:08- able to do their best, and everybody WANTED to do their best.- Right.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11- You know? We actually did this at the Dancehouse.- That's right.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14Oh, it was incredible, that production. I loved it so much.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18Honestly, looking at these pictures, it takes me back, like, wow.
0:18:18 > 0:18:22I actually remember every single one of these images. I remember
0:18:22 > 0:18:27the productions, I remember the build-up to it, and Linda ran it
0:18:27 > 0:18:28like it was a professional company.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31But you can tell, with your focus, you're completely in the zone,
0:18:31 > 0:18:35- aren't you?- 110%. We were completed committed
0:18:35 > 0:18:38to what we did and there was such a sense of family.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41'It was at the youth theatre that Kevin first learnt
0:18:41 > 0:18:44'to express himself in his dance moves.'
0:18:44 > 0:18:47Do you remember any of the choreography?
0:18:47 > 0:18:49I remember the first dance that we did with Linda.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53It was a surfing dance. We started on the floor like this and we had to
0:18:53 > 0:18:58lift our backs up like this and we had to jump straight up like this.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01Then we had to do two eights of our own movement,
0:19:01 > 0:19:04jumping around, making shapes, looking over the sea,
0:19:04 > 0:19:08pretending that we were surfing. Absolutely loved it.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12He's quite good, isn't he? Look at him. He's just, like, completely calm.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15Being on this trip down memory lane and meeting Linda again,
0:19:15 > 0:19:18has it reinforced that feeling that you want to give something back?
0:19:18 > 0:19:20Oh, God, without a shadow of a doubt.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23It makes me really think about those key people
0:19:23 > 0:19:26who were there for me in my life and in my art,
0:19:26 > 0:19:29who helped develop me not only as a dancer and an artist
0:19:29 > 0:19:30but as a person, as well.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32And I personally feel like it's my responsibility
0:19:32 > 0:19:35- for the next generation. - Fantastic. Well, listen,
0:19:35 > 0:19:36I know you've both got loads to catch up on,
0:19:36 > 0:19:38so I'll leave you to it.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41Very nice to meet you. Thanks for not making me dance.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44- I'll catch up with you soon, OK? - Take care.- Take care.- Thanks.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51The journey back to where eight-year-old Kevin found
0:19:51 > 0:19:54his calling in life has been quite inspiring.
0:19:54 > 0:19:59- My heart was just open, my mind was bursting. It was like freedom.- Yeah.
0:19:59 > 0:20:00Really like freedom.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04But most importantly, it's helped focus his mind.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06I personally feel like it's my responsibility
0:20:06 > 0:20:08for the next generation.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13So professional dancer Kevin has done it all,
0:20:13 > 0:20:17but being able to bring him back to where it all began and meeting up
0:20:17 > 0:20:20with the teacher who nurtured his talent and changed his life
0:20:20 > 0:20:24has really inspired Kevin to want to give something back today.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28Of course, there are so many people who could benefit from his expertise
0:20:28 > 0:20:32and life experiences, but we think we've found somebody whose story
0:20:32 > 0:20:34will hopefully resonate with him.
0:20:37 > 0:20:3920-year-old Yandas lives in Manchester
0:20:39 > 0:20:42and, like Kevin, dancing is in her blood.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47Yandas has an exceptional raw talent and passion for dance,
0:20:47 > 0:20:51something which is bound to resonate with Kevin.
0:20:51 > 0:20:56Dance, for me, is like waking up and like sleeping, eating,
0:20:56 > 0:20:59dreaming. It's everything.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03But that's not just where the similarity ends. Like Kevin,
0:21:03 > 0:21:07as a young girl Yandas suddenly found herself living in a tough area
0:21:07 > 0:21:11of Manchester, after moving from Zimbabwe as a 12-year-old.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15But just like Kevin, dance rescued her, and she's embraced
0:21:15 > 0:21:18her experiences to create her own style.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26My technique is African and Western-based freestyle.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28I very much use the popping,
0:21:28 > 0:21:32the locking, the African, South African, Zimbabwean vibe
0:21:32 > 0:21:35to really just get my voice out.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38Yandas is largely self-taught.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41She's doing a degree in dance and performance
0:21:41 > 0:21:43but struggles to get student finances.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47This is stopping her from getting the contemporary-dance training
0:21:47 > 0:21:51she desperately wants to ultimately follow the same path as Kevin.
0:21:54 > 0:21:55With so much in common,
0:21:55 > 0:21:58we've arranged for Kevin and Yandas to meet.
0:22:02 > 0:22:07I hear that she has quite an interesting story and that she uses
0:22:07 > 0:22:10those experiences in her life in her work. So, you know,
0:22:10 > 0:22:14contemporary dance is such a broad field, I'm really curious to
0:22:14 > 0:22:17find out how she does that and what she's passionate about.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19I hear she's very passionate
0:22:19 > 0:22:22and I always engage and like working with passionate people.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26This meeting is extremely important and could make
0:22:26 > 0:22:31a huge difference to Yandas. Kevin is big on the Manchester dance scene
0:22:31 > 0:22:34so Yandas knows exactly who he is.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36His dance company is widely acclaimed
0:22:36 > 0:22:41for its original dance theatre productions that tour the UK and internationally.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45It's also known for nurturing its young dancers,
0:22:45 > 0:22:49so no wonder Yandas is very excited to meet Kevin.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54He's going to meet her where she's rehearsing
0:22:54 > 0:22:57for a youth theatre production. Let's hope they hit it off.
0:22:58 > 0:23:03- Hello.- Hello! How you doing? I'm good.- Kevin.- Hello.- I'm a hugger.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07- So come here, give me a hug. What's your name?- I'm Yandas.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09Nice to meet you, Yandas. Really nice to meet you.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12- Sorry for interrupting your warm-up. - No, it's sweet, it's all right.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16Yandas thinks we're making a programme about aspiring dancers.
0:23:16 > 0:23:21She has absolutely no idea she could be in for a life-changing gift.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25- What's your family back home? - I'm from Zimbabwe in South Africa.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27- Nice.- Kind of grew up there. Been here for, like, eight years now.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29I've never been to Zimbabwe, but I've been lucky enough
0:23:29 > 0:23:32- to go to South Africa a couple of times.- Yeah.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35One thing that I found was this vibrancy. Like, people were either
0:23:35 > 0:23:37singing or dancing or...
0:23:37 > 0:23:39It's just like everybody's just vibing all the time!
0:23:39 > 0:23:42You cannot walk down the street and get to a corner
0:23:42 > 0:23:44without seeing someone dancing.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46Even when they're walking down the street,
0:23:46 > 0:23:50- someone's whistling a proper tune. - Is that how you started dancing?
0:23:50 > 0:23:52Yeah! Cos I was surrounded a lot by people
0:23:52 > 0:23:54who were just...by music and by dancing.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56So I just dabbled quite a lot, and,
0:23:56 > 0:24:00even at parties, I was the kid who was known for dancing and stuff.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04Sadly, while the streets may have been filled with dancing, since
0:24:04 > 0:24:08the year 2000 Zimbabwe has been in political and economic turmoil,
0:24:08 > 0:24:11with many families struggling to feed themselves.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16Yandas's mother was already living in Manchester,
0:24:16 > 0:24:19earning money to support her family back home, when she sent for
0:24:19 > 0:24:22her 12-year-old daughter to escape the poverty.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27She wanted a better life for me. She wanted better opportunities for me.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31At the time, obviously, Zimbabwe was getting more and more bad.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34Your mum wanted to bring you over to kind of give you a new life.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36And kind of to be with her, innit? Like, yeah!
0:24:36 > 0:24:39Yandas came to live with her mum.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43But coming from a hot, dry African country, it was a complete shock
0:24:43 > 0:24:46for a young girl who barely spoke any English.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51That must have been hard, though, with English and then school.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54- Yeah.- And then it's a totally different culture.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57You don't walk down the street in Manchester and see people dancing,
0:24:57 > 0:25:00- cos it's raining.- Trust me! - Do you know what I mean?
0:25:00 > 0:25:02So that must have been, like, "What's going on?"
0:25:02 > 0:25:05Yo, I was so confused about a lot of things.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09Yandas struggled to fit in. She felt completely isolated.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12She was bullied and moved schools, where she discovered
0:25:12 > 0:25:14new and exciting opportunities.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19That's when I got more involved in the performing arts. Then all
0:25:19 > 0:25:22the teachers kind of started knowing a little bit about me and started
0:25:22 > 0:25:25realising that I'm more into art and stuff, so they started pushing me
0:25:25 > 0:25:29towards drama lessons and...you know what I mean? And stuff like that.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33It's all that kind of creativity, passion inside of you, that kind of
0:25:33 > 0:25:35- helps support you to do that. - Yeah, because that's
0:25:35 > 0:25:37when everyone is like, "That's this little African girl
0:25:37 > 0:25:41"we've been seeing around," and people started talking to me more,
0:25:41 > 0:25:45- so I kind of realised it was my way in.- That was your way in?- Yeah.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47- That's what made you feel good? - Yeah.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51Like Kevin as a young lad, dance was the making of Yandas.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55It forged her identity as well as allowed her to express herself.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59- So, in a way, all that kind of frustration that you had...- Yeah.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02..in terms of not being able to kind of communicate what's going on
0:26:02 > 0:26:04with you, did you put any of that energy into your dance,
0:26:04 > 0:26:07- do you think?- Of course I did! Of course I did.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11Like, dance, for me, is a way to express myself. It's a way for me
0:26:11 > 0:26:15to, like, not hit a wall and not go sick at anyone.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17You know what I mean? It's a way of me saying, "OK, cool,
0:26:17 > 0:26:20"I've got this little bit of whatever is in my head.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24"I can listen to a song." And, obviously, music and dance go
0:26:24 > 0:26:27- so hand-in-hand. Music makes me happy anyway.- Yeah.- So when I listen
0:26:27 > 0:26:30to a song and I just go and sit for a little bit, I'm like, "OK, cool.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33"Now I'm cool. What was that about before? I don't know any more."
0:26:33 > 0:26:36- It's like a release, isn't it?- Yeah! - I know what you're talking about.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39I know when I was younger, I was a very angry young boy.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42When I first started dancing, I was around about eight years old.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45My mum and dad had just divorced, so for me, like,
0:26:45 > 0:26:48there was a lot of turmoil. I moved from one part of Manchester
0:26:48 > 0:26:50- to the next.- Yeah.- And I was like, "Whoa, what's going on?"
0:26:50 > 0:26:54- Yeah.- All that kind of frustration. And to be able to put that
0:26:54 > 0:26:58into something positive... And I don't know... I'm guessing
0:26:58 > 0:27:01- it's the same for you...- Do you know what? Like...- It's like your art
0:27:01 > 0:27:03can be such a...
0:27:04 > 0:27:07- A way out.- A way out. Yeah. A way out, yeah.- It is.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12Yandas and Kevin clearly have a meeting of the minds.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16Now he wants to nail down what he could do to help her.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20What's your ultimate dream? What's your ultimate ambition?
0:27:20 > 0:27:23What I know now is I love performing. I know I like
0:27:23 > 0:27:26the teaching side. I'm really getting into the teaching side.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29And I want to carry on performing, and if possible I want to perform
0:27:29 > 0:27:33- for the rest of my life.- What do you think is going to help you...
0:27:33 > 0:27:35get to that place?
0:27:35 > 0:27:38- More training.- More training. - Definitely. Like...
0:27:38 > 0:27:41I think you can't learn enough. I feel as if I don't actually know
0:27:41 > 0:27:45- techniques, because I am self-taught.- Yeah.- So, in terms of,
0:27:45 > 0:27:49like, the academic side, I think, at the moment, it's more training.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52- More classes and stuff like that, like...- So, immersing...immersing
0:27:52 > 0:27:55- yourself in lots of different methods...- Yeah!
0:27:55 > 0:27:58- ..different approaches. - Getting lessons from different...
0:27:58 > 0:28:00Lessons from different people.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03- Seeing different work.- Yeah.- This kind of stuff?- Yeah. Definitely.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09Yandas's passion and her ability to overcome hardship and use it
0:28:09 > 0:28:12to inspire her dance has clearly got to Kevin.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16Yandas has the drive and commitment Kevin was looking for,
0:28:16 > 0:28:20but she wants more guidance and professional experience
0:28:20 > 0:28:22to allow her to grow as a performer.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25From what you've been telling me and from what my understanding is,
0:28:25 > 0:28:28you've got quite an original and unique style, because you're
0:28:28 > 0:28:32self-taught, which is fantastic. Now, would you be open to the idea
0:28:32 > 0:28:36- of showing me a bit of your dance? - Erm, yeah. Yeah, sure.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38Oh, fantastic. I can't wait.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42Of course, Yandas doesn't know it,
0:28:42 > 0:28:46but this is effectively the audition of a lifetime.
0:29:06 > 0:29:10- Yes, Yandas. That was beautiful. I loved it.- Thank you.
0:29:10 > 0:29:13Wow, so much rawness. So much intensity. So much power.
0:29:13 > 0:29:16I loved how you incorporated popping and locking and krumping.
0:29:16 > 0:29:20But it's got that African flavour in there, too. Some nice footwork.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22- It was really lovely to see you dance.- A bit of me,
0:29:22 > 0:29:24- isn't it?- Yeah, that's it. It's you, isn't it?
0:29:24 > 0:29:27"This is what I'm about. This is my dance." And I loved it.
0:29:27 > 0:29:30It's been an absolute pleasure meeting you, getting to hear
0:29:30 > 0:29:32a little bit about your story, about your past.
0:29:32 > 0:29:34It's just been amazing, so thank you very much.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37- Thank you.- Yeah, come on, give us a hug. Come on. Shall we go?
0:29:37 > 0:29:39- Yeah.- Come on.
0:29:39 > 0:29:41There is no doubt this has been
0:29:41 > 0:29:43a powerful and moving meeting for Kevin.
0:29:43 > 0:29:48Meeting Yandas today really reminded me of me, actually,
0:29:48 > 0:29:52a good few years ago now. I can see that she's this
0:29:52 > 0:29:56powderkeg of creativity and passion, and she really wants to kind of
0:29:56 > 0:30:00achieve and develop herself as an artist, and I can really see
0:30:00 > 0:30:04that there are some parallels between my story and her story.
0:30:04 > 0:30:07I love the rawness in her movement. She has so much potential.
0:30:07 > 0:30:11I think she's fantastic. I love her passion.
0:30:13 > 0:30:17The synergy between Kevin and Yandas is so uncanny.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20They both have a raw talent for dance
0:30:20 > 0:30:22which transformed their young lives
0:30:22 > 0:30:26and a mutual passion and energy to create powerful performances.
0:30:27 > 0:30:33But being 100% sure Yandas is the one he should help is a big ask,
0:30:33 > 0:30:36so Kevin is seeking advice from one person who was there to support
0:30:36 > 0:30:39and guide him all along -
0:30:39 > 0:30:41his mum, Avis.
0:30:41 > 0:30:44- So, I've been on this journey, Mum...- Mm-hm.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47..going back, and it was...
0:30:47 > 0:30:49It's been really lovely, actually. We went back to
0:30:49 > 0:30:52- Wellington High School.- Not been there for a long time.- It's been
0:30:52 > 0:30:55- years, actually.- Absolutely, yeah. - Absolutely years. It just brought
0:30:55 > 0:30:59back so many different memories for me about how I felt
0:30:59 > 0:31:03stepping into that dance space and just basically opened a whole
0:31:03 > 0:31:07new world of art and creativity for me, so all these stories came
0:31:07 > 0:31:10flooding back. And after that, we went over to the Dancehouse,
0:31:10 > 0:31:13- and Linda was there.- Wow.- Linda... - I've not seen Linda for ages.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16- How's she doing?- She's doing really well, Mum. She's doing really well.
0:31:16 > 0:31:20It was great to see her. And it was really nice to kind of think about
0:31:20 > 0:31:22where I was then and where I am now.
0:31:22 > 0:31:24And if you'd said to that eight-year-old boy,
0:31:24 > 0:31:26I wouldn't have believed it.
0:31:26 > 0:31:28But you always had that faith in me, Mum.
0:31:28 > 0:31:30- Always had that faith in you, darling.- Thanks, Mum.
0:31:30 > 0:31:34I met this really wonderful, interesting young artist.
0:31:34 > 0:31:37- Her name's Yandas.- Mm-hm. - And she reminds me so much
0:31:37 > 0:31:42of myself, you know, when I was her age, like this big bag, a bundle of
0:31:42 > 0:31:46energy, you know? She's just got so many creative ideas, and she's just
0:31:46 > 0:31:50got so much passion and enthusiasm for what she wants to do.
0:31:50 > 0:31:54- I was really inspired by her today. - I think that's lovely, that you have
0:31:54 > 0:31:57been dancing for so long and you can still be inspired by somebody else,
0:31:57 > 0:31:59cos that's what it means,
0:31:59 > 0:32:03because it brings back what YOU wanted to dance for.
0:32:03 > 0:32:06And I was trying to get, like, to understand a little bit about
0:32:06 > 0:32:10where she's from and what's her background and how that is linked
0:32:10 > 0:32:15to the dance that she does. And I think she's overcome quite a lot of
0:32:15 > 0:32:19- challenges, cos she moved here when she was 12.- Right.- She didn't speak
0:32:19 > 0:32:21English at all. And I think that was a difficult transition for her.
0:32:21 > 0:32:24Imagine the culture shock, Mum. She went from a place where people were
0:32:24 > 0:32:29singing, dancing on street corners, to rainy Manchester. Do you know
0:32:29 > 0:32:32what I mean? You know, we have that fire inside us but it's not quite
0:32:32 > 0:32:37- the same, is it?- I know what you mean.- It was just hearing about
0:32:37 > 0:32:41what she had to say about her life and talking about where she wants
0:32:41 > 0:32:44to go and what her dreams and ambitions are.
0:32:44 > 0:32:50I really feel that there's things that I can do
0:32:50 > 0:32:53to maybe help support her on her journey a little bit.
0:32:53 > 0:32:57She's got a lot of ambitions, things that she wants to achieve.
0:32:57 > 0:33:01I really feel like I'm in a place to help her, help guide her.
0:33:01 > 0:33:05Linda did that for me and I kind of feel like it's my responsibility
0:33:05 > 0:33:09- and my duty to do that for someone else.- You wouldn't have achieved
0:33:09 > 0:33:13what you achieved if somebody hadn't come in to help you,
0:33:13 > 0:33:18so, therefore, if somebody was kind enough to help you along the way,
0:33:18 > 0:33:24then it's only right that therefore you can pass that on and help them
0:33:24 > 0:33:27and give them your experience. So I think that'll be awesome.
0:33:27 > 0:33:31- I think that's really brilliant. - You're totally right, Mum.
0:33:31 > 0:33:36- That's fantastic, Mum. Thank you so much. I love you.- Love you, darling.
0:33:41 > 0:33:45Getting Mum Avis's blessing is so important to Kevin.
0:33:45 > 0:33:47Now it's time for him to work out
0:33:47 > 0:33:50exactly how he can transform Yandas's life.
0:34:03 > 0:34:05So, I'm on my way to catch up with Kevin, who I know,
0:34:05 > 0:34:09since we've last met has spent some time with the lovely Yandas.
0:34:09 > 0:34:11They're like kindred spirits when it comes to their love of dance.
0:34:11 > 0:34:15The only difference, I suppose, is Kevin gets to make it his passion,
0:34:15 > 0:34:18his livelihood. I wonder if he can see a way to help Yandas
0:34:18 > 0:34:21do the same. Let's go and find out, shall we?
0:34:23 > 0:34:26Kevin is waiting for me close to where Yandas is in rehearsals for
0:34:26 > 0:34:30a youth production, so it's time to discover what Kevin
0:34:30 > 0:34:34has got planned to help Yandas make it in the dance world.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41- Hey, Kevin.- Hi, Aled.- Nice to see you.- Good to see you, too, pal.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44- How's it going?- Yeah, very well, very well. How about yourself?- Good.
0:34:44 > 0:34:47- So, you've met up with Yandas. How did it go?- It went really well.
0:34:47 > 0:34:51It was really lovely to meet her. She's such an interesting and unique
0:34:51 > 0:34:56individual and she's just a little bundle of energy and enthusiasm.
0:34:56 > 0:34:59She's just got that desire to want to go out and better herself.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02- It was really lovely to meet her. - How do you think you could help her?
0:35:02 > 0:35:05I think there's a few ways I can help Yandas. One of the things
0:35:05 > 0:35:08that I found out when I spoke to her is that she's really interested in
0:35:08 > 0:35:12performing and making, so... I recognise how important it was
0:35:12 > 0:35:16for me in my development to have mentors, so I think the first thing
0:35:16 > 0:35:20is to be a mentor, to have some time where we meet up and I can be
0:35:20 > 0:35:23a sounding board for her, she can run ideas past me, I can watch
0:35:23 > 0:35:27her choreography, watch her performances, she can talk to me
0:35:27 > 0:35:30about where she wants to go, what's important to her and then I can help
0:35:30 > 0:35:33her shape and steer her and create a strategy for her in order to reach
0:35:33 > 0:35:37- some of those development goals. - OK.- The second thing is
0:35:37 > 0:35:40I'd like to give her a paid opportunity to teach the company,
0:35:40 > 0:35:44Company Chameleon, the company I founded and I'm part of.
0:35:44 > 0:35:46Well, that's going to be huge.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49Yeah, and I think what my role is in that situation is to see
0:35:49 > 0:35:53how she teaches and give her things to think about in order to push
0:35:53 > 0:35:57her unique style. The third thing that I think we can help with is
0:35:57 > 0:36:00to give her some time with the company in order to do some research
0:36:00 > 0:36:03for her to develop some of her choreographic ideas.
0:36:03 > 0:36:07And then the last thing is to give her a £500 gift
0:36:07 > 0:36:10and during these mentoring sessions
0:36:10 > 0:36:15identify what kind of classes she wants to do.
0:36:15 > 0:36:18Is there a certain choreographer she wants to go and spend time with?
0:36:18 > 0:36:21Is there an international dance festival she wants to go
0:36:21 > 0:36:23- and take workshops and watch performances?- OK.
0:36:23 > 0:36:28'The value of what Kevin is offering Yandas would amount to £1,500.'
0:36:28 > 0:36:31It's amazing, because I can just see that you're opening up the whole of
0:36:31 > 0:36:34the dance world, the whole possibility of dance to her.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37- Well, I'm trying to, yeah. - That's going to be amazing.
0:36:37 > 0:36:38- Oh, thanks, man.- But it really is,
0:36:38 > 0:36:41because you know that she's got the passion to do it,
0:36:41 > 0:36:44so you're now giving her the opportunity to prove
0:36:44 > 0:36:46how passionate she is.
0:36:46 > 0:36:48Well, listen, that's brilliant. Have you put all your thoughts
0:36:48 > 0:36:50- down in a letter, by the way? - I have.
0:36:50 > 0:36:53I know for a fact that she's dancing at the moment in an arts centre
0:36:53 > 0:36:56- literally 500 yards away.- Right, cool.- Shall we go and surprise her?
0:36:56 > 0:36:58- Yeah, yeah. That'll be great. - Let's go.- Thanks, man.
0:37:01 > 0:37:04'The big moment has come - coming clean to Yandas and revealing
0:37:04 > 0:37:08'that she's going to get the biggest opportunity of a lifetime.'
0:37:10 > 0:37:14- So, she's in the arts centre just ahead, practising.- Oh, fantastic.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17- She has no idea we're coming. - Doesn't she?- No.- Oh, great.
0:37:17 > 0:37:19- That'll be a nice surprise. - Big surprise. I hope so.
0:37:19 > 0:37:22- How are you feeling? - I'm feeling good. Looking forward
0:37:22 > 0:37:24- to speaking with her. - I'm a bit nervous.- Are you?
0:37:24 > 0:37:26Yeah! I always get nervous at this point.
0:37:27 > 0:37:30'Yandas and her friends are deep into final rehearsals for their
0:37:30 > 0:37:35'opening night, which is just a few hours away.'
0:37:39 > 0:37:41Five, six, seven, eight.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44One, two, three, four, five...
0:37:44 > 0:37:46Hello!
0:37:46 > 0:37:51- Hi!- Hiya.- Yandas, how are you? - I'm good, good.- I'm Aled Jones
0:37:51 > 0:37:53- from the BBC.- Hello.- Hi, guys. How are you?- Hello, everyone.
0:37:53 > 0:37:56Now, listen, you thought we were making a programme about
0:37:56 > 0:38:01- aspiring dancers. Is that right? - Yeah.- It's not the whole truth,
0:38:01 > 0:38:04- is it, Kev?- It's not entirely the truth, Yandas.
0:38:04 > 0:38:08It's been really wonderful getting to know you, and I find you
0:38:08 > 0:38:12and your story really, really inspiring, so I have a letter here
0:38:12 > 0:38:16for you and I'd like you to have a little read of it, if that's OK.
0:38:16 > 0:38:19- Will you read it out loud, as well, for us?- Yeah.
0:38:19 > 0:38:23- You look a little bit shocked. - "Dear Yandas, it's been a real
0:38:23 > 0:38:26"pleasure meeting you and having the opportunity
0:38:26 > 0:38:29"to find out about you, your life and your art.
0:38:29 > 0:38:33"In life, it is special when you come across somebody who has
0:38:33 > 0:38:38"overcome challenges that life has thrown at them and...
0:38:39 > 0:38:44"..and used those experiences to fuel their art.
0:38:44 > 0:38:48"I think this is an area we have in common..."
0:38:48 > 0:38:50- TEARFULLY:- Sorry.
0:38:50 > 0:38:52"I've had the..."
0:38:52 > 0:38:55- It's OK.- Take your time. - Just take your time, love.
0:38:55 > 0:38:57It's all right.
0:38:57 > 0:39:01"I've had the great fortune in my life to have had the guidance, love,
0:39:01 > 0:39:05"support and encouragement from some wonderful mentors, artists
0:39:05 > 0:39:09"and people. If I did not have these wonderful mentors in my life,
0:39:09 > 0:39:12"there's a good chance my career would not have happened and my life
0:39:12 > 0:39:16"would be in a very different place. I know you are searching for
0:39:16 > 0:39:19"some professional development, so I'd like to help you with that.
0:39:20 > 0:39:25"I would like to offer you my time to you as a mentor."
0:39:26 > 0:39:28"..be..." Sorry.
0:39:28 > 0:39:30- It's OK! It's OK.- It's all right.
0:39:30 > 0:39:35"..be a sounding board for you, a person to run things by,
0:39:35 > 0:39:40"bounce ideas off as well as help guide your professional development
0:39:40 > 0:39:42"and define some of your future..."
0:39:43 > 0:39:45My God!
0:39:46 > 0:39:49"I would like to give you a paid opportunity to have some teaching
0:39:49 > 0:39:55"experience and help you develop your unique choreographic practice.
0:39:55 > 0:39:59"The last thing I would love to offer you is a gift of £500
0:39:59 > 0:40:03"to help support your professional development, whether that is
0:40:03 > 0:40:06"taking classes, workshops, watching performances or attending
0:40:06 > 0:40:09"international dance and performance festivals.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12"I hope that you see what I see in you, Yandas.
0:40:12 > 0:40:16"You are unique, and you have something special to offer.
0:40:16 > 0:40:19"Talent opens doors, passion makes opportunity,
0:40:19 > 0:40:22"hard work makes it happen. I look forward to working with you.
0:40:22 > 0:40:25"Warm regards, Kevin Edward Turner."
0:40:25 > 0:40:27CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:40:29 > 0:40:34- You all right? Does that make you happy?- Yeah! Yeah!- How do you feel?
0:40:34 > 0:40:36Buzzing, mate. Like, I am buzzing.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39- Wow!- What difference do you think that will make to you?
0:40:39 > 0:40:41Bro, like...
0:40:42 > 0:40:46Ohhh! I don't know. Like, everything, man!
0:40:46 > 0:40:49Like, that is actually what I have been asking for, innit?
0:40:49 > 0:40:52And there's nothing better than being given what you genuinely
0:40:52 > 0:40:55- have been asking for, do you know what I mean?- It's a dream come true.
0:40:55 > 0:40:59Innit? It genuinely, actually is. Literally, like...
0:40:59 > 0:41:00I'm buzzing for your work. Ask him.
0:41:00 > 0:41:03I was watching your videos all yesterday. Honestly.
0:41:03 > 0:41:05Ohhh!
0:41:05 > 0:41:08- Sorry.- There's nothing to be sorry about. Nothing to be sorry about
0:41:08 > 0:41:11at all. It's great to know you, Yandas. It's great to meet somebody
0:41:11 > 0:41:14with so much talent and so much passion and so much enthusiasm.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17You remind me a lot of myself, and now what we need to do is
0:41:17 > 0:41:21take all that energy, take all those ideas, shape and guide it and
0:41:21 > 0:41:25- push it where you need to go.- Yeah. - Listen, I'm so pleased things have
0:41:25 > 0:41:28worked out this way for you, because, as Kevin said,
0:41:28 > 0:41:32- the world's your oyster now.- It is. - It really is.- There you go.
0:41:32 > 0:41:36- Nice to meet you. - Nice to meet you, as well.
0:41:36 > 0:41:40- Thanks a lot, Aled.- Cheers, mate. Thanks a lot.- Cheers, guys.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43- Come on, then, Kev. Let's head off. - Take care, mate.- Take care, guys.
0:41:43 > 0:41:44See you!
0:41:46 > 0:41:48Beautiful.
0:41:53 > 0:41:57I can't express it, I literally can't express it.
0:41:57 > 0:41:59I keep thinking back to those nights where I was like,
0:41:59 > 0:42:01"Is it actually going to get better?"...
0:42:01 > 0:42:04and when my friends were there saying, "Just keep fighting."
0:42:04 > 0:42:06Got you crying, though, hasn't it?
0:42:06 > 0:42:08Wow, man...!
0:42:08 > 0:42:09'Her reaction says it all.'
0:42:09 > 0:42:14It shows how important it is to her and how much she wants to succeed.
0:42:14 > 0:42:17A hell of a nice moment. That was insane.
0:42:20 > 0:42:23She deserves it. Out of us all, she deserves it.
0:42:23 > 0:42:25Being able to choreograph and teach others
0:42:25 > 0:42:29and spread her dance vibe round is just incredible.
0:42:29 > 0:42:31She's going to be amazing.
0:42:32 > 0:42:36It's that break, isn't it? This is her break and now she has, like,
0:42:36 > 0:42:41an opportunity to do this thing she absolutely loves properly.
0:42:41 > 0:42:44I've had an absolutely fantastic time on this journey.
0:42:44 > 0:42:46I'm buzzing, I'm actually buzzing.
0:42:46 > 0:42:48It's an honour and privilege to make sure
0:42:48 > 0:42:51that I give back to the next generation.
0:42:51 > 0:42:54I can't wait. I just want to get in the dance studio now and just dance.
0:43:02 > 0:43:06Wasn't Yandas's reaction just wonderful? You could tell how much
0:43:06 > 0:43:10Kevin's generosity meant, too. Dancing's always been her passion,
0:43:10 > 0:43:13her hobby. Now she has the opportunity of making it her life.