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Brandon was bullied at school, but now he’s a professional dancer.
Plenty of enthused students came up to Brandon after his performance.
Plenty of enthused students came up to Brandon after his performance.
It’s okay for boys to dance. That’s the message that Sandspit’s Brandon Lewis, 17, wants young men to hear. He should know. He now has a successful career in dance despite being harassed by bullies at school.
“I was beaten up at school, just because I danced and people had a problem with it,” he says.
Brandon recalls that when he was nine years old a lot of his male friends danced, but one by one they gave it up due to bullying.
He says everyone inherently has a love of dance, but for some reason at college-age young men are told that “popular kids” play rugby or football and that dancing is for girls.
Nevertheless Brandon persevered with his dancing and has landed his dream job with the Identity Dance Company in Kingsland, Auckland.
He practices with a dance crew three nights a week, which performs at events and in guest appearances at competitions.
“We’re not as big as Parris Goebel, but we’re the next best thing,” he says.
Brandon is also studying with the Royal Academy of Dance to become qualified as a classical ballet teacher.
Due to the fact that there are very few opportunities for boys to learn dance in northern communities, Brandon’s instruction has already been in high demand.
He is running two boy’s hip hop classes in Silverdale, two in Warkworth and has some individual students in Ruakaka.
Brandon says dancing is great for fitness and builds confidence, especially among boys who might not consider themselves as natural performers or public speakers.
Yet Brandon hears from mothers of his students that bullying continues to be a problem – something that Brandon says has to stop.
“I was bullied, but once I reached a certain point people started to build me up, and I realised it could be a career. Now when I’m on stage everyone is screaming ‘yo, this is awesome’.”
He says that when hip hop dancing originated in the United States, it was popular among men who would dance on concrete with a cardboard mat in the street.
“Guys can just hang out in the garage and dance if they want to.”
Last month, Brandon performed for an assembly at Warkworth School and got an enthusiastic reception. Many boys gathered around Brandon afterwards to find out more.
Brandon hopes that the next generation of boys will encourage their peers to dance and that perceptions will change.
Brandon teaches hip hop dancing for boys in the Warkworth Methodist Church on Wednesdays. Junior classes ages (5-8) are at 3.30pm and intermediates (9-13) at 4.15pm.
Info: 021 061 2270.
