Ballet for boys?
Tuesday 16 June 2009
Ballet...isn't that only for Billy Elliot? Not so, says dance coach Darren Panton, formerly of Stockwell Park High School and now at Burlington Danes Academy.
'Learning ballet can give the self-respect and discipline that is now missing in so many young people – especially boys. They look up to rappers and computer-generated characters, so it's time for people who are in the profession to work closely with kids because more positive role models are needed.'
And ballet provides a great foundation for other styles of dance like jazz and street.
Darren, a Royal Ballet School graduate, says:
'I hope we can form a dance troupe of boys to perform at school and other platforms in the community. It's not about making dancers out of them but about helping them to look at life through different eyes...positive eyes.'
