How did you develop your craft?
If we take Argentine Tango as an example, there is no formal or accredited training, at least not locally. You very much have to carve your own route – finding teachers you like, following them, and working with them. Folklore has more options for official qualifications but, again, each individual’s craft comes from finding the teachers who suit them.
In terms of my formal training, it was actually Alan Clarke from Clarke’s Dance Studios who suggested a course for me to apply to. I had completed my A Levels and I knew I didn’t want to go to university because I didn’t know what I wanted to do. If I had have gone I probably would have done English Literature and Spanish and I am sure I would have had a lovely time. But what would I do after that? I just couldn’t see what my future possibilities might be.
I decided to attend lots of dance classes and Alan Clarke mentioned to me that there was a Performing Arts course at the Belfast Met which was in Tower Street at that time. I had never heard about it, so I went for an audition. I vividly remember the Contemporary dance element to it because I was just so confused the whole time. Sandy Cuthbert, the amazing Sandy Cuthbert, was rolling across and falling on the floor. I just couldn’t figure it out. I had spent all of my dancing days working towards being upright, I was always trying to get off the floor. I thought my audition was horrendous, but after it I thought if I get offered a place I’m going to take it because it’s out of my comfort zone. And I was offered a place and I, nervously but determinedly, took it.
Was that a course in all aspects of dance?
It was a National Diploma in Performing Arts. There was a Theatre stream and a Dance stream and I chose dance. The styles we looked at were Ballet and Contemporary Dance. Laura Walker took the Ballet, Sandy took the Contemporary, and Jennifer Rooney came in to do Jazz based work. There were also other tutors for choreography and theory-based parts of the course. Sandy would have overseen the whole thing.
It was a 2 year course and during the first year I was, like in the audition, confused the majority of the time. But in the second year we studied a technique which really started to make sense to me and that was when I started to really enjoy it. I started to understand what I was trying to do. Sandy suggested that I audition for The Place over in London. The Place is the home of London Contemporary Dance School. I auditioned for lots of dance schools and, needless to say, I did not get in.
What did you do after the rejections?
I was quite sick again for a period and after that I sent off applications, attended auditions, and I got into the Scottish School Of Contemporary Dance (Dundee). I did a year there, and a tutor encouraged me to try one more time for The Place in London. I felt at the time that someone should really say to me, like those kids you see in X Factor sometimes, “you should just stop, this isn’t for you” or “unfortunately you just don’t have the skills that you need to do this”. I took the overnight bus down to London for the audition, and I remember almost deciding not to go to the audition. But I did go and I got in. Third time lucky!
You do your degree there?
Yes. I did my degree in Contemporary Dance and I can say that I loved it. The Place was wonderful and there was one other thing which made it the right decision; there was Argentine Tango in London. There was nothing at that time in Dundee. I was able to dance during the day in school and dance tango every night in local milongas. After a couple of years, I was able to work teaching Argentine Tango there which also led to my introduction to Argentine Folklore .
What happens after you finish your degree?
I travelled to Buenos Aires directly after graduation and then stayed in London for a few years. I wanted to experience the city as a non-student. I worked in theatre box offices, front of house at concerts, and in coffee shops, as well as luckily being able to teach more in the tango scene and securing short contracts with contemporary choreographers and companies. I worked particularly often with Moxie Brawl. The Artistic Director is Sarah Blanc, who is from Ireland and has lived in London for many years.
At some point I knew I needed to leave London but wasn’t exactly sure where I would go. Then COVID hit and the decision was, essentially, made for me. I was coming home to Ireland.
