Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2010 | Page 52

interview

Island Life - August/September 2010
Robert Robinson,
Winner of Southern
Finals - Nureyev
Award

Joel Morris dancing in CATS, Johannesburg, S. Africa

straight away ‘yes, that is a dancer’.”

child with the most fantastic body

“I was lucky that people recognised

and talent, but they are just too lazy.

my talent, and I think this school is

Often the good ones are the lazy ones

different from a lot of others in as

Joel Morris, who is now 28, and a

because life has been easy for them.

much as we do recognise talent.

professional dancer with the Sout h

It is the passion that is the important

One such talent was Islander

African Ballet. He went to Gillian when

“You get a lot of teachers who just
teach and don’t actually realise the

he was just 10, and she said: “I just

talent they have in front of them. So it's

knew at the time that I had a brilliant

excitements in her profession is that she

tremendously exciting when you have

talent. He walked in and I just knew.

can spot ‘a good one’. She explains:

a child who walks in and you know

ingredient.”
Gillian says one of the greatest

“When people come here I just look
at their head, their eyes and
their back, and I just know
if a talent has come through
the door. If there is any talent
there I will do my utmost to
bring it out.
“Joel was a late developer,
but boys can be a bit later
than girls, and we have had
tremendous success with boys.
Another was Ryan Jenkins
who came to me when he
was 12, and he has never
been out of work since.” Ryan
has appeared in ‘Cabaret’
in the West End, and is now
choreographing on cruise

Gillian Cartwright teaching at her studio
in Shanklin, 2002
52

ships.
Many more of Gillian’s
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