BBC Young Dancer 2017: To The Pointe Interviews Shobana Jeyasingh

The BBC Young Dancer Grand Final 2017 is approaching fast and steady. It’s a wonderful competition, celebrating the talent of young and aspiring dancers from different genres of dance from all over the UK. You can watch the Grand Final this Saturday on BBC Two; however, I am curious about what goes on behind the scenes. How does one judge such a prestigious competition? I spoke to Shobana Jeyasingh, Chair of the Jury, to find out more.

Shobana Jeyasingh is an established choreographer with years of experience. Classically trained in Indian dance forms and drawing on ballet and contemporary styles in her choreography, Shobana’s knowledge of dance is vast. I wonder, however, if we could rewind the clock would there be any advice that she would give to herself. “You tend to think about yourself a lot as a dancer and often you become very self-critical. I am prone to being dissatisfied and self-critical about my work but I think it’s important to learn more about what is going on outside of what you are doing. I focused on making sure everything was always correct and perfect, but I think it’s important to watch the news and keep yourself informed. It’s helpful to understand your sector and to see where dance sits in politics. Brexit, immigration, minimum wage – these are all things that affect dance. So I would advise to keep well informed and not focus too much on being perfect.” It’s a powerful message and one that I admire. There is often an expectation for dancers to always be perfect and technically exquisite, but to step away from this pressure sometimes and look at how dance is being represented in today’s current climate is an integral part of being a dancer and being involved in dance. “Being a dancer is so difficult and it takes a lot of hard work. It’s a very personal journey as you explore your own body, your own biology. I think you need to remind yourself why you chose to dance in the first place and what it is that’s driving you and you need to be determined and tough.” I feel a bit inadequate when I listen to Shobana. She has such a powerful voice, firm but nurturing and as she talks about her achievements and the challenges of being a dancer, I blush at how I thought my half hour commute into work each morning is above all other strains. It’s clear the more I listen to Shobana how clever she is. A natural intellect, she tells me of her passion for architecture and art and how much she enjoys creating work in different environments. She says that site specific works have given her the greatest pleasure over the years and she tells me about her experiences choreographing fountains at Somerset House or staging her work at the San Giorgio monastery in Venice. “That was an incredible experience. It was a mix of history and new technology. We were in a beautiful building, surrounded by works of art, located in Venice – it was great. Architecture gives a great dialogue for new work.” We talk some more about our shared passion for architecture but Shobana always seems to come back to her biggest inspiration. “Dance is what inspires me. Working with dancers, being in the studio and creating great things is very special. Dancers are very special people. They are dedicated, passionate and caring and you can see this in our Finalists.” It’s here that I remember the point of our conversation.

Although I could listen to Shobana’s experiences all day, we are really in conversation to discuss the BBC Young Dancer 2017 competition. When I first heard of the competition, my initial reaction was that it couldn’t work. I didn’t understand how you could judge and mark a street dance performance alongside classical ballet and have to choose a winner out of such a diverse melting pot of talent. This seems like such a difficult task – to use the same set of judging guidelines across all of the categories. Aren’t the rules different for each style of dance? Shobana tells me that the judges all have set rules for their marking and that there is an objective template that they must use when judging. “Dance can be separated into different categories but this competition is a platform which brings them all together. The dancers are from different backgrounds but here they are a unit.” I ask whether it is challenging to judge the different dance styles but I feel Shobana smile on the other end of the phone. “It isn’t really challenging because all dancers have something in common. They have different techniques and the rules are different but they are performers. I take it all into account when I judge, but for me I’m looking at their performance skills and how they communicate.” This concept of communicating dance from the body to the audience really puts the competition in perspective for me. This is clearly what brings it all together. You can have dancers from all different genres and categories on stage dancing different choreography in a different style, but what brings them together is feeling and their quality as a performer. “There is a combination of elements that we are looking for to decide who will be the winner”, Shobana tells me: “the technical standard must be very high and we look for line, control, clarity and speed. We also look at the choreography and the piece they have chosen. We want to see dancers push themselves and not choose something safe. Communication, however, is so important and I am looking for how they get all of this across on stage.” I ask Shobana what the most challenging aspect of judging the competition is and I am not surprised by her answer. “Having to choose! They are all special dancers and I have been involved with all of the categories. It is so difficult to make an objective judgement as each person brings something special and amazing to their performance.” So although all the categories can be brought together for the competition, making a decision on a winner clearly isn’t an easy exercise. Shobana stresses that although it’s difficult, it is also a very rewarding task. “Seeing the dancers getting ready and feeling them in the wings is very exciting. They are all very young and so there is this heightened energy. Just being there is a magical experience. They are all very close and when the winner is announced they are happy for each other. Seeing all of their faces is a very enduring moment.” When you think of a dance competition, you might think of something more pushy and bitchy where kids with bad attitudes and super involved parents are all screaming in the wings. Perhaps this is just what I think of as my experience with a dance competition is spun more from watching ‘Centre Stage’ or ‘Step Up 2.’ So how nice it is to hear Shobana mention the camaraderie between the dancers and how they support each other. Although there is a wonderful level of support, a winner must be chosen.

So what will it mean to win BBC Young Dancer 2017? How can it change a dancer’s career? “Psychologically it is an incredible boost and it will help the dancer's confidence and determination to continue their journey in dance”, Shobana tells me. “It is a good boost to know that you have triumphed and won this prestigious award and it’s likely that their attitude will change forever. The competition is such a brilliant programme and it gives dance a national awareness.” I couldn’t agree more. I sometimes wonder how beneficial competitions really are and ask myself why we see so many on television. Bake Off, Masterchef, Sewing Bee.....hell, there’s even a Tattoo one! What separates BBC Young Dancer though is that it celebrates and encourages young dancers and broadens awareness of dance in this country. There are no Simon Cowell-esque quips from any of the judges to make for ‘good TV.’ Instead, each judge is experienced in their field and is looking for a dancer who really stands out and shines and whose career will grow. It’s a respected competition that can really push each dancer and that is why I like it. If you’re unsure of what to do this Saturday and the thought of watching Britain’s Got Talent is bringing you down, then why not tune in to a different kind of competition? It may even get you up dancing in your living room.

The Grand Final of BBC Young Dancer 2017 will be broadcast on BBC Two at 8pm on Saturday 22 April

*Copyright Julia Dixon

*Image copyright of BBC

*Thanks to the BBC and to Eva Mason and of course Shobana Jeyasingh