Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2010 | Page 53

interview

Island Life - August/September 2010
pupils go on to get scholarships, and at the
age of 16 – some of them much younger

Gillian Cartwright dancing in
Harlequin Aid in Germany 1980

– they have to move off the Island, and go
into full-time professional dance training.
However, those who don’t leave can continue
to dance at Gillian’s school.
Perhaps her most famous pupil is Laura
Michelle Kelly. She was initially a singer and
actress, but attended the school knowing
that if she was to be successful in the West
End she had to learn to dance. Gillian recalls:
“As soon as she walked into the studio we
knew she was a very talented girl.”
Gillian is somewhat sceptical about the
TV Talent Shows that often portray dancers
as being able to come from nowhere to
overnight stardom. She believes there
is no short cut to success, pointing out:
“Sometimes I think the shows make children
think it is instant talent.

I just wonder how long some of these little

“When you look at the top dancers they

dance groups will last.”

have trained intensively for many years,

Gillian believes around 10 per cent of her

and they have worked hard. Some of these

pupils go on to become professional dancers,

programmes give kids fame, but how long is

whether it is in ballet companies, the West

it going to last? You need that training, and

end or cruise liners. Others

Eleanor Forrest
(Front) Kirsty Dyer
(Rear) associates
at the Royal Ballet
School 1995

have opened their own dance
schools on the mainland, and
understandably she is proud
of her success rate.
But she says: “We also have
the hobby children, and with
all the talk about youngsters
not being fit these days, it is
a wonderful hobby because
it is good for fitness levels
and does teach them self
discipline. It also gives them
an incentive, which is really
important.”
She added: “Modern is very
popular, but ballet is the
basis of all dance, if anyone
is going on to a career, they
have to do ballet. We have
had a lot of success in ballet,
so it is popular in this school.
“We have always had a
lot of boys, and successful
ones, so I don’t think there is
any stigma attached to boys
coming along to dance.”

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