Trained at: Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA)
Presently: Young Artist at West Australian Ballet
What is your best memory of your full-time dance studies?
My best memory from my full-time dance training at WAAPA was performing the Nutcracker grand pas de deux. It was my graduating performance and we were lucky to have the opportunity to perform at the State Theatre Centre of WA. What made this performance so memorable was the overwhelming sense of joy I felt during and after the show. Even though rehearsing and performing a grand pas de deux can be quite stressful, once I was on stage it was like I couldn’t resist smiling and the time of my life.
What was the most significant creative or artistic challenge you faced during your studies, and how did you navigate it? What did you learn from that experience?
During my studies at WAAPA the most significant artistic challenge I personally faced was learning to make my dance more expressively and to actually dance rather than perform a routine of steps in order. Its a hard concept to explain, and was quite difficult for me to navigate and improve. I found technique gets better from training class everyday, but comparatively to dance trying to express with more emotion and aesthetics from my experience required more thought and intention to specifically improve. I was very fortunate to have the teachers at WAAPA assist me and help me navigate this artistic challenge, without their knowledge and experience it would have been a lot tougher. What I learnt from this experience is that I can always do a ballet step but I have to perform it as well.
Follow:
Dancer Instagram: @thatlincolnguy
School Instagram: @dance-waapa