Sunday 26th June

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Champion of the dance

We meet dancer Tom Shilock

I heard Tom Shilcock talking about his forthcoming dance workshop on Radio Leicester. On air, he sounded like a bright, sparky person, bubbling with ideas and enthusiasm, so I decided to meet him to find out more about what he is doing to boost Leicester's dance scene.

At 23, Tom Shilcock has achieved an awful lot. You might have seen him on the BBC television programme So You Think You Can Dance where got into the top five in the boys section. With other artists he also took part in a group dance in the finals show.Today he was running a workshop for young dancers at Studio 79, just over the road from the Phoenix.

As a backing dancer, he has worked with top artists, including Jamelia and even Meatloaf. He has worked on TV adverts, catwalks and with some of the top UK choreographers. His skills in teaching come from having worked with top US choreographers.

Born and raised in Leicester, his home was in London for four years while he was in a show. He now hopes to stay in Leicester; he sees a lot of potential in the city and knows how rich it is in emerging talent.

A working dancer, he has a passion for teaching and loves seeing young dancers growing. "Leicester does not do enough to encourage youngsters to dance", he told me. He wants to open up the dance scene here and get more people to support it.

His passion for dance is impressive. He told me about his desire to put on shows to showcase the work of young dancers. Hopefully he will stick around in Leicester and revitalise the dance scene here. He brims with youthful energy and ideas; I sensed someone with ambition and commitment, so I will be watching his progress with considerable interest.

In a city so rich in music, I for one would like to see more dancers and more shows where dancers can add movements to the beats and rhythms that we hear from our musicians and singers.

Tom is planning another workshop on 22nd to 26th August under his banner Next Generation Performing Arts.

Pages to explore

Dupont Dance School | Next Generation Performing Arts | Watch some dance | Studio 79 | Follow Tom Shilcock on Facebook

Other pages this weekend

Friday 24th June | Saturday 25th June