Real Stories: Black British male ballet dancer makes history
Tonight on Real Stories we follow two male ballet dancers as they chase their dreams of becoming the real life Billy Elliot.
The first part of our story features 22-year-old Solomon, who is making history as the first black British male dancer at The Royal Ballet, one of the world’s most prestigious companies.
The Tottenham born dancer fell in love with ballet at the age of ten and credits the film Billy Elliot as his inspiration.
He became a full member of the Royal Ballet company in 2013 - but his journey to the top wasn’t without its struggles - he grew up with many negative comments about his passion to dance.
Tonight, Michael Underwood also visits Tooting in South London, which is home to one of a new generation of ballet dancers.
This is where we meet our second dancer, 11-year-old Destiny, who has always had a desire to perform.
Despite Destiny’s love of dance, he never thought ballet could be for him but his views changed forever when a ballet workshop turned up at his school.
Destiny and Solomon are both at different stages in their ballet lives but they both help send a clear message - if you’ve got the talent, you can succeed.
Watch the video below to see what is to come in tonight’s episode of Real Stories.
Don’t miss, Real Stories with Ranvir Singh on ITV at 7:30pm as Michael Underwood follows the dancers breaking down barriers in the world of ballet. Let us know your thoughts using #RealStories on social media.
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