Karen Berry is in love with the whole world of dance.
And she has been spreading that passion for rhythm and fluidity to youngsters from all over the north of Scotland – and further afield – for more than a quarter of a century.
It’s a journey which has taken her around the world and one where she has witnessed plenty of negative reactions to the idea of boys developing a passion for dance.
And yet, as the head of Aberdeen’s thriving Danscentre establishment, she is delighted that the old stereotypes are being dismantled while young men flock to the dance floor.
They have been influenced by the success of Billy Elliot and by the upsurge of publicity surrounding male ballet dancers such as Steven McRae and Sergei Polunin, who has been dubbed “the bad boy of ballet”.
Indeed, when one looks at the number of boys who are flinging themselves enthusiastically into the fray, it’s impossible to ignore this new phenomenon of males taking over dance classes.
And in the case of Aberdeen’s Harris Beattie, the north-east has unearthed a performer with the single-minded dedication and determination to be the Andy Murray of his milieu in the years ahead.
Danscentre has been heavily involved in the development of Harris, a prodigious talent who has just made history by winning all three major awards at a prestigious global festival.
The 18-year-old from the Granite City, who is currently in the final year of his studies at the Central School of Ballet in London, picked up the Gold Medal, the Margot Fonteyn Audience Choice Award and the Choreographic Award at the Genee International Ballet Competition.
It is the first occasion in the history of the 86-year-old event, run by the Royal Academy of Dance, where one person has gained all these honours.
And, given the combination of silk and steel which has embodied his development, he believes he has nowhere else to go but up in the future.
Harris said: “I am shocked and very happy, even though I couldn’t believe that I won all three awards. But I trained six days a week from morning until night.
“I had to continue during my summer break, but it has been very fulfilling, because I feel I have really progressed and improved as a result.
“I decided to take part in the competition two years ago and, although I didn’t reach the final at that stage, it just gave me the motivation to work even harder and improve in order to reach the final this time around.”
As somebody with a love of arts and culture, the youngster looks to the example of such stellar dance icons as the aforementioned McRae, Ivan Vasiliev, Marcelino Sambé and Alexander Campbell and said he admires them because of their “unique way of moving” and the fact they are technically “inspiring”.
The Scot’s mantras are clearly defined and have guaranteed that, in his world, genius is an infinite capacity for taking pains.
As he added: “You have to have a goal and strategies to reach your goal – if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
“It is easy to work hard when things go right, but it is harder when they don’t, so you need to have perseverance and the knowledge that things may take time to change.
“But you can have confidence that they will as long as you are committed to your training.”
The teenager’s lustre was spotted early on by Karen, who has been thrilled at the progress which he has made on the international stage during the last decade.
She flits regularly between Aberdeen and London and is rightly proud of her involvement with Danscentre, which is a thriving hub of activity on the city’s Hutcheon Street.
She is also involved as a teacher training manager at the Royal Ballet School and, although it might offer a hectic life, Karen is thrilled at how it comes with a multitude of benefits.
As she explained: “I have worked in Scotland and abroad and I honestly think there is something special about Aberdonians when it comes to dance.
“You don’t find the same prejudices here as in some other places. There isn’t any trace of the notion that dance classes are just for girls.
“If anything, it is the boys who have the fire in their bellies in this part of the world and have the right build to do well, whereas it’s the girls who tend to be a bit more meek and mild.
“It is no longer something which needs to be argued about. Dance is becoming more and more popular among boys and there is an awful lot of talent in their ranks.”
As one of life’s collegiate spirits, she stressed that the success of Danscentre was a collaborative effort.
Yet there is no denying the impact this redoubtable character has made in an area where male participation used to be viewed with something approaching derision.
And, as you might anticipate, she is particularly proud of the progress achieved by Harris since he took his first steps at Danscentre eight years ago.
She said: “He is a very special individual and he is a great person to teach, because he soaks up knowledge like a sponge. With young dancers, it’s not just about talent, it’s about work ethic and he is outstanding in that regard.
“Every day, he works, he trains, he flings himself into practice and he is reaping the rewards in front of the judges, because he spends so many hours out of the spotlight.
“The analogy with Andy Murray is a good one. Harris isn’t interested in being a star or becoming famous for its own sake; he is only interested in being the very best he can be and I have seen he is 100% prepared to make the sacrifices required to bring that to fruition.
“It is a privilege to watch these youngsters develop and blossom and notice how much they love dancing.”
There is no longer any stigma attached to boys wearing tights in this sphere, but that isn’t always a feature of contemporary dance in any case.
Ms Berry said: “It’s no coincidence that so many sports stars have shown a flair for dancing, because many of the skills required are the same.
“You have timing, co-ordination, movement, basic athleticism . . . there is definitely a link between sport and dance.
“And we have boys coming in wearing shorts rather than tights and loving doing what they are doing.”
Danscentre and diversity have gone hand in hand over the past two decades. In which light, perhaps the emergence of this new generation of Doric dance maestros is only to be expected.
And, as Karen concluded, the most exciting thing about Harris Beattie is that he knows he is only at the beginning of his journey.
As she said: “I’ve marvelled at his attitude and how he has responded to pursuing his dancing career. A lot of youngsters would have been deflated or depressed after not making the final two years ago.
“Instead, he just came back with the approach he would do whatever it took to get there the next time. And he won it.
“As to the future, let’s not put too much pressure on him. Harris is already very talented and when he comes back to classes here in Aberdeen, it’s as if he has never really left.
“I’m proud of him. And he hasn’t reached his full potential yet.”
Quick-fire round with Harris
- How do you relax when you’re not dancing?
I don’t get a lot of time off as I have classes and rehearsals from Monday to Saturday, but when I do, I like to read and watch TV and generally switch off. I go to the theatre a lot to see a range of dance performances. The Royal Ballet’s Woolf Works by Wayne McGregor – it just drew me in. It was like watching something I could really relate to and understand. As if someone understood my language and me, and was talking to me. I was so shocked it took me a few days to understand what had happened. I have now seen it three times and, every time, I understood it more and more.
- What music are you listening to at the moment?
I like a huge range of music styles from classical to current, so it’s difficult to say as I don’t focus on any one thing. However, at the moment, I am choreographing a piece for a girl within my year, so I am listening a lot to Departure by Max Richter. Bands I particularly like are Ash, Vaccines and Arctic Monkeys.
- Favourite films/TV shows?
I like a range of things from documentaries to comedy. I really like Mock the Week and a recent film I watched and enjoyed was The Angels’ Share.
- What do you miss about being away from Aberdeen?
The people! I really miss Danscentre and I go back to continue training when I return in the holidays. I like seeing how the younger students there have changed every time I’m home. I also miss the space, air and the sky – there is just so much more space and feeling of energy, compared to London. I just generally miss the feeling of being
at home.
