for security reasons i prefer not to disclose my location but i live in the peckham area (whoops  ) i'll have to keep my eyes peeled over the xmas season in case i see jacob in the local supermarket. he was on london itv regional news last week. The Times December 17, 2005
Real Billy Elliots get a chance to dance on Covent Garden's stage
By Alexandra Blair, Education Correspondent
EXERCISING on the bar in the Georgian hunting lodge that houses the Royal Ballet Lower School in Richmond Park, southwest London, Isaac Lee-Baker’s life is a far cry from growing up in Peckham.
Having dreamt of becoming a firefighter, Isaac, 13, is preparing for his role as a soldier in the Nutcracker, which will be staged today in Covent Garden to an audience of almost 2,500.
Six years ago he had never heard of ballet. These days he is an ambassador for Chance to Dance, a Royal Opera House outreach programme, which scouts for dancers in the poorest boroughs of London.
Dressed in navy blue tracksuits after their rehearsal, the boys chatter and laugh as they pass photographs of a youthful Rudolf Nureyev and Antoinette Sibley performing the Jazz Calendar.
Isaac’s epiphany came at the age of 7, when he and JACOB WYE, who plays a rabbit and naughty child in today’s performance, attended Sudbourne Primary School, off Brixton Hill. Neither knew what to expect when the Royal Opera House team of dancers and musicians performed before the select audience.
“I had seen nothing of dance but cartoons on TV, but when the dancers did a few variations for us, I thought it was really interesting,” Isaac said. “Mum and Dad were quite enthusiastic and said I should give it a try.”
Isaac’s father is a security guard, one older brother has just finished a GNVQ in mechanics and the other is looking for a job. Abraham, his younger brother, is also dancing.
Explaining Chance to Dance, Darryl Jaffray, the director of education at the Royal Opera House, who set up the scheme, said: “Sixteen years ago we became aware that many people had an enormous talent and were simply not getting the chance to use it — especially if they were young black boys from Brixton.”
Now, 1,800 seven-year-olds are introduced each year to ballet at 47 schools in Hammersmith and Fulham, Lambeth and Southwark. With 36 per cent of the pupils black, 34 per cent white and 30 per cent Asian or of mixed race, the profile is consciously diverse. Above all, the children must demonstrate star quality.
“It’s not always clear,” Ms Jaffray said, “but some children, even at the age of seven, have star quality. You can see it when they walk into a room.”
While they must show charisma and promise, a physiotherapist will also consider their physique and flexibility, to check that they will be able to exercise comfortably.
Competition is tough. In 14 years, only 29 of 20,000 potential Chance to Dance students have gone on to train at vocational dance schools, with Shevelle Dynott becoming the first to attend the Royal Ballet Upper School, in 2002.
The scheme is small, but Tony Hall, the chief executive of the Royal Opera House, hopes that it may expand nationwide. Dance, he says, has the power to raise children’s self-esteem. “I think we could make a very big impact across the UK,” he said. “I have no doubt in the power of dance to make children grow — physically and emotionally.”radio prog (4.5 years old) : (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links) (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)
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Billy Elliot Musical (Read 19,988 times)
