Ballet dancer inspired by you know who.

[MJJA]

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/new...k=8c690e4249885599bc75f11caef9c797-1480737806

 

[Michaels Lover]

"You've reached a subscriber-only article."

 

[barbee0715]

Ballarat brickie’s boy wins Telstra Ballet Dancer award in thriller

Callum Linnane wants to be starting something after winning the Telstra Ballet Dancer Award. Picture: Renee Nowytarger​

• The Australian
• <time datetime="2016-12-02T13:00:00.000Z" datelive="2016-12-02T13:00:00.000Z" class="date-and-time" style="box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0px;">12:00AM December 3, 2016</time>
• SHARON VERGHIS
  
  
  
  Arts reporter
  Sydney
  
  @SVerghis
  
  
  
  

Ballarat boy Callum Linnane, 21, comes from a bricklaying family and taught himself to dance by copying Michael Jackson moves.

It’s not the most orthodox of backgrounds for a ballet dancer, but Linnane has made the leap into the classical dance spotlight with ease.
Last night, fresh from his performance in Coppelia, the young Australian Ballet corps de ballet dancer was crowned winner of the $20,000 Telstra Ballet Dancer Award at the Sydney Opera House.
Another country boy, Wau*chope soloist Jarryd Madden, was awarded the People’s Choice Award, making it a family affair after his wife, Amy Harris, won the top gong in 2012.
David McAllister, the artistic director of the Australian Ballet, told The Weekend Australian Linnane had “that ‘it’ factor … he is a dancer to watch”.
“He’s got that sort of charisma and presence both on and off the stage that is quite captivating,” he said. “He’s also got a great natural ability with partnering. To see that potential at this age is ... very exciting.”
It’s been a quick rise to public notice for the country boy, who began tap-dancing classes at the age of seven and started ballet classes when he was 11. His father reportedly learnt to love ballet and even made the sets for his performances as a child.
After training with Lauren Young, he joined the Australian Ballet School in 2008 and toured with the Dancers Company in 2013 and 2014 before joining the Australian Ballet in 2015.
A recent highlight was the *demanding lead role in the company’s season of John Neumeier’s Nijinsky: a “huge role” for any dancer, says McAllister.
Hamburg Ballet director Neumeier was one of several leading international ballet names, including Wendy Ellis Somes, worldwide producer of Frederick Ashton’s ballets, to have cast Linnane after spotting his talent. This is the first time the award has featured an equal split of male and *female nominees, with Linnane representing a new surge of top-level ballet boys into the Australian Ballet and companies around the world.
McAllister said that industry peers such as The Nederlands’ Dans Theatre director Paul Lightfoot had recently discussed the rising male talent at auditions. “We had a similar situation at an audition we had in London — the boys actually were much more *interesting than the women.”
He attributes it to a mix of *factors including a change in parental culture and a softening of once rigid attitudes towards gender roles.
“Parents now are a lot more permissive and supportive of their sons doing things that were maybe previously seen as not *appropriate,” he said.
“We had 16 graduates from the Australian Ballet School this year and it was equal men and women. We took two boys and two girls.
“What I’ve noticed is the quality and the expectations for the men are rising. The boys now have to be equally as good, whereas there was a time when the girls were obviously much more talented than the boys.”








Sounds like he has quite a background in ballet class-doesn't really mention Michael's moves-except for that headline.

 

[SarahJ]

Love how MJ inspires artists among all genres. I love ballet.