22.1.2008 Stop PressBrandon Lawrence is winner of the 2007 Award and a fifteen year-old sensation from Bradford who is already being hailed as a future star.
Why is it OK for a boy to be involved in sport at school but not dance when the skills and training are almost identical? Is it that dance expresses emotions that boys are taught are unmanly? The more you think about it the less sense it makes!
'Billy Elliot the Musical' and the Critics Circle National Dance Awards intend to dispel forever this ridiculous prejudice. During our search for the next 'Billy Elliot's' we discovered the high standard of dance in Britain and the incredible interest dance now has for boys! We and the British dance world vigorously challenge the stigma attached to boys who dance and focus on the athleticism and pure hard work that brings success in this field. Extreme physical demands plus acute emotional awareness makes dance a tough path for anyone to follow. We are therefore delighted to offer this Award which will be given at the discretion of broadcaster Angela Rippon OBE, Jeffery Taylor, dance critic of the Sunday Express, and Mike Dixon Chairman of the National Dance Awards.
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