Graduate spotlight: Luke Aaron Forbes

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It’s not long now until the August/September issue of Dance Australia hits the stands, which includes our latest Full-Time Studies Guide.

In addition to our extensive list of schools offering full-time training and the various courses offered, we’ve included a number of inspiring examples of graduates who have gone onto fulfilling careers. Here’s a sneak peek at Luke Aaron Forbes’s story:

 

What is your occupation?

Luke Forbes
Luke Forbes

Dance journalist and researcher

 

Where and when did you do your full-time studies?

From 2006-2008 at the École-Atelier Rudra-Béjart in Lausanne, Switzerland. Seeing as the European school year started before I completed year 12 I spent the first three months in Lausanne completely overwhelmed and overworked, adjusting to a new course and country, while finishing coursework at the VCA Secondary School by correspondence and preparing for and sitting VCE exams in the middle of the night.

 

What were your ambitions at the start of your studies?

I didn’t have a clear ambition when I moved to Lausanne, I was just very determined to find work in a ballet company and neither saw myself fitting in at the Australian Ballet School, nor in any Australian ballet companies for that matter. I wasn’t very familiar with Maurice Béjart’s work either, but I was an exchange student in Paris for six weeks in 2004 and coincidentally the Béjart Ballet Lausanne was there on tour during that period. That was my first encounter with his choreography and esteemed reputation (in France, at least) and I got caught up in the excitement surrounding his company. In hindsight I’m amazed by how little I knew about what I was getting myself into before moving overseas. Despite my being very meticulous, platforms like YouTube, for example, had only recently been founded so there weren’t any videos to be found online and I just had to follow my instincts.

 

Did your ambitions change during the course of your studies?

Only two of my classmates were offered contracts with the Béjart Ballet, which under other circumstances could have been disappointing for many of us. However, Maurice Béjart passed away at the end of 2007 and I think a lot of the dancers from the school and company were looking for a fresh start after the prospect of working with a renowned choreographer was removed from the equation. Also, like many dancers who leave their homes to go to ballet school, I realised shortly before graduating that I had been so busy training that I didn’t have the chance to establish any form of a social life. When it came time to look for my first full-time job I had nothing binding me to Lausanne or Switzerland and that’s how I ended up in Germany.

 

Apart from your career skills, what else did you gain from your full-time studies?

I invested a lot of time and effort into learning French and German, which was initially a very pragmatic decision, because I wanted to be able to take care of myself without too much assistance from native speakers, and have a social life outside of the theatre. Since I decided to stop performing full-time, language skills have now opened many professional doors for me too. For example, I recently completed postgraduate studies in Germany, one of several European countries where there are no tuition fees at universities, and during my studies I was able to publish texts and intern behind the scenes in theatres and dance institutions where Australians wouldn’t typically receive such opportunities.

 

Luke Forbes is a regular overseas correspondent for 'Dance Australia'.

Don't miss our Full-time Guide in the August/September issue! Buy it from your favourite magazine retailer or subscribe here, or purchase an online copy via the Dance Australia app.

 Forbes performing with Sayo Yoshida in William Forsythe's Second Detail. Photo by Roberta Vieira.

 

 

 

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