SAM SALTER
We’re in a spin over the Speedoclad ballet dancer
As a young teenager,
Sam Salter was not comfortable with his sexuality — and that feeling led to addiction problems that could have cost him his dancing career. But now he’s sober, and happy to be able to help others in similar situations
When Sam Salter first realised he liked guys, it was an uncomfortable realisation. In fact, his friends told him he was gay before he figured it out. As we sit down at the prestigious Belmond Reid’s Palace Hotel in Madeira, Sam describes those early days, when he was exploring his sexuality, as scary.
We’ve been up since sunrise, shooting by the hotel pool and in the stunning Churchill Suite, where Sir Winston stayed on his many visits. I wonder what Winnie would make of our shoot with this rising star of the dance world. No doubt he’d be as impressed by Sam’s gentle and earnest nature as I am. “I didn’t want to be gay, to have gay sex,” the dancer reveals.
“It took a while for me to be comfortable in my sexuality,” he adds about those confusing early days when he started dating men.
All the early signs he wasn’t like other boys were there, he admits, from his love of dance and horse riding, to attending the Sylvia Young Theatre School. But those were just things he happened to enjoy, and not immediately related to sexuality. And he’s right: being gay has no connection to those passions, even if society tells us they are not traditionally heterosexual and masculine interests.
Still, it contributed to a confusing time for Sam.
After he left home at the age of 16 and entered the glitzy world of theatre and dance, his social life exploded — leading him down a rocky road of alcohol and drug addiction that nearly derailed his career.
As we wrap up his cover shoot on what happens to be his 25th birthday, Sam is sober and happy, and ready to share his story to help other young people experiencing similar feelings and problems.
“I hooked up with a guy when I was 15 then was in denial about what I’d done”
When did you get into dancing?
I was a competitive horse rider when I was young, then began dancing aged 10, which is quite late. People usually start when they are three, so I had a lot of catching up to do. But I loved it. When you’re young, you’re so naive of what’s ahead and I just worked my arse off to get as good as I could be. I went to the Sylvia Young Theatre School in London and was obsessed. I knew I wanted to dance from the minute I took my first class. People were asking: “What’s your plan B?” and I didn’t have one.
Why are so many gay people fascinated about getting into the dance industry?
I think gay people are fascinated with theatre, dancing and the arts because it’s escapism. In the arts, you can be whoever you want to be. You can get lost in a person’s performance, be moved by something and forget about the outside world for a few hours.
When did you join Matthew Bourne’s company?
I found out I’d got Swan Lake about a year before I started. I was over the moon. It’s every male dancer’s dream and I can remember saying to one of my best friends at Sylvia Young that I’d love to [ work for] Matthew Bourne one day. It was a huge tick off my list. It’s just an amazing show for a guy to do.
What was it like to work with him?
He’s brilliant. He’s the most involved director I’ve ever worked with. Matt has watched more shows than any other director I’ve worked with... easily more than 100 shows during this contract. It’s amazing considering he’s so busy. He’s such a perfectionist, he knows what he wants. He’s also working on Romeo and Juliet now. He’s a very busy man who puts a lot of time and effort into his work and shows. He’s not afraid to break the mould in so many ways. When [ his] Swan Lake came out in 1995, it changed things by adding that gay love story. There were gasps and shock in the audience. He’s changed a lot of things in the dance world. He shares the most Oliviers ever [ eight] with Judi Dench. It’s great when your boss is very cool. I performed at the Oliviers, actually. That was wild.
Your schedule is crazy.
We’re working constantly, rehearsing, doing shows but it gets the show looking so slick. We’ve had a standing ovation every night since we started in August. We start on Tuesday with a technical rehearsal in the venue to do a dress run to make the show go smoothly, then we have a show that night after a 90- minute break. We have one show on Wednesday with a ballet or contemporary class before with a rehearsal, two shows on Thursdays, and Friday is class, rehearsal, show; Saturday class, double show.
It’s relentless.
It’s tough but it’s totally worth it.
I guess in the industry there’s a huge emphasis on looking good.
Definitely. You have to take care of your body, you have to take care of your mind. It’s not the easiest industry, you’ve been training in front of a mirror for years and years saying: “You’ve got to straighten your arm, that’s not right, change this, change that.” You do get a thick skin from that kind of stuff. You get a lot of criticism, which is fine, they’re doing their job to make me better.
How was your childhood?
I grew up in Tunbridge Wells in Kent. My family life was great. My parents split up when I was 18 and have different partners now but they’re both good friends.
When did you realise your sexuality?
My friends realised it for me, and I don’t think I was ready to come out. It affected me quite a lot. I hooked up with a guy when I was about 15 then I was in denial about what I’d done. I said, “Oh, it’s just a mistake. That’ll never happen again.” But, of course, I did it again, but I was not ready
“I had to act tough, be someone I wasn’t. I was
a softy”