Live to Dance: Emily’s Story

If you’ve read Live to dance, Dance to Live then you will know that this is the third installment of four little girls who became dancers. I met them in Paphos, Cyprus. This is Emily King.

 

Source: https://www.starnow.co.nz/emilyking01#photos

Emily was born in Hull, East Yorkshire and twenty years ago her Mum took her to ballet classes. at the Rythm and Dreams Dance Centre  Her Mum thought it would be a fun way of socialising, little did they know what a huge part of Emily’s life dance would become. Emily attended classes three nights a week and Saturday mornings studying dance, ballet, tap & jazz technique through I.D.T.A (International Dance Teachers Association) entering Dance Competitions every year. By 2011 Emily had achieved a Distinction in BTEC National Diploma in Contemporary and Street Dance and eventually went on to study dance & performing arts and a BA Hons Dance Degree at Leeds Metropolitan University.

 

Emily’s goal was to join an entertainment company where she could share her passion and her skills to entertain audiences. As mere mortals we may forget how much hard work, sweat and tears are invested into a performance whilst being entertained. Although Emily is doing something she loves, as with all four girls, there has been a certain amount of sacrifice. Leaving family and friends and venturing out into the wide blue yonder in pursuit of your dreams can be daunting and takes courage, determination and commitment.

 

After appearing in local productions including  Snow White, Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan, Emily got her first opportunity to dance abroad at the Louis Imperial Beach Hotel in 2013 where she performed in shows that included  Grease, Mama Mia, Irish Lord of the Dance, 50s&60s Rock Around the Clock before taking the lead role in Chicago as Velma Kelly. For seven gruelling months she performed nightly, but considers herself lucky to share the stage with her close friend, Kizzy, who you all get to meet next week. I find it amazing that with all four girls this is a recurring theme. Throughout all the studying, hard long hours of training, rehearsals and performance  they are so happy and consider themselves ‘lucky.’

In 2014 Emily was performing six nights week with Agency Funtastic. touring hotels and bars in two shows, the International and the Diva shows. 2015 saw Emily on board the Wave Dancer 1 performing in Strictly Spectacular and One Night Only. These shows had versatile routines from, Jazz, Showgirl, Tap and lyrical. Then in 2016 she achieved Chief Dancer of Entertainment at the Louis Creta Princess Hotel in Crete where not only did she perform but handled everything from the paperwork to hosting the evening performance. The training and hard work was paying off, but as Emily says. ” I’ve been through lows and highs but you have to never give up and show the world what you have learned about dancing over the years and achieve your dreams and goals no matter how long it takes you.” As for the future, Emily would like to  share her passion of choreography and help other young dancers to enjoy, perform and progress. In November of this year Emily had completed 382 Dance Shows in six months, quite an achievement, I think Emily has a long and wonderful career ahead of her 🙂

 

Source: https://www.starnow.co.nz/emilyking01#photos

Source: https://www.starnow.co.nz/emilyking01#photos