WHY WE LOVE BALLET

by pupils and parents from the Royal Academy of Dance LARA ESCHLER DE RIS from Cambridge ‘We started ballet when Tristan [left, with Lara, and right] was little, with lots of girls wearing pink tutus, and, naturally, he wasn’t joining in. He did a ballet after-school club but he was aware he was the only boy. Doing an RAD boys’ class has been really helpful.’ TRISTAN, seven ‘I like moving. I like ballet a lot.’ JILL JARVIS from Surrey ‘After Scott [left, with his parents, and right] did a musical theatre class, the teacher told us, “You’ve got a dancer on your hands.” It’s not easy for him at school sometimes – Scott was teased a bit. But he told his class that Rio Ferdinand did ballet and that helped.’ SCOTT, ten ‘From when I was little, I wanted to dance.’ SOLOMON OKOREFE from London ‘I’ve always wanted to see more boys doing ballet. The taboo of it just being a girls’ dance is outdated. Jaad [left, with Solomon] is also top in his class at rugby and that is because of his ballet.’ JAAD, ten ‘It all started at the age of two when I watched The Nutcracker at the theatre and loved it. I started ballet classes when I was four. I like how when you’re dancing you can just zone out. It’s amazing. I wouldn’t think of doing anything else in the world.’