Today we’d like to introduce you to Jakob Burke.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
When I was 2 years old I started out playing soccer and one day I decided I wanted to dance. So I told my parents I wanted to dance. They signed me up for ballet classes at Tampa Ballet Theatre. I loved ballet class. When I’m dancing I feel secure. Dance class is my safe space. Tampa Ballet Theatre closed during Covid. When things started to open again I started dancing at The Dance Company. At TDC I had a lot more options for classes than I did at TBT. When I fell in love with ballet I found out that it was a lot harder than I thought it might be. But I love pushing myself to my limits. The teachers are all so nice and want to make me the best I can be. When I was 7 my teachers asked me and my parents if I would like to start partnering with my friend Hazel and work on a pas de duex. We’ve worked together for the past 3 seasons. This past summer I auditioned for the TDC Ballet Company. I got chosen to learn a ballet solo called a variation, a contemporary solo, work with Hazel to extend our pas de duex and be a part of the junior ballet ensamble. Ms. Jillian and Ms. Daryn told me that I was selected with 3 of my friends to attend the Youth American Grand Prix in Atlanta in January. I started learning my solos and expending my duet in June. Ms. Daryn taught me my ballet solo, Ms. Jillian taught me and Hazel our pas and Ms. Alitza taught me my contemporary solo. I felt really ready for YAGP after working for 7 months. The night before YAGP my friends and I got together with Ms. Jillian and ran through our dances. The next day I woke up early in the morning to get my hair and makeup done and headed to the Rialto Center to warm up and then I was ready to go on stage at YAGP. It was really scary and I had a lot of nerves at first but after warming up on stage I felt really focused and secure. After doing my dances I felt really good. It filled me with joy to see all the other boy dancers because I’m one of the only boys at TDC. It was inspiring to see so many amazing dancers. It made me feel like I accomplished my dreams to be able to dance in such an important competition. I hope that I can keep dancing and improving and someday be a professional dancer in a ballet company.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
One of my first challenges was my first studio closing and taking time off for Covid. But it all worked out because I found my home at TDC. Sometimes it’s hard because I take so many classes and spend a lot of time at the studio but I love being there so it’s easy to push though. Going to YAGP really made me feel like I was doing the right thing. It made dance feel like even more of my passion than it already was.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I take 13 dances classes a week, that includes technique classes to make sure I’m the most well rounded dancer possible. I participate in several competitions a year and also participate in TDC’s Nutcracker every winter. I also love making videos for my Instagram page! @JakobBestDancer
How do you think about luck?
I think I work really hard to accomplish my goals. I am lucky that I’m a boy dancer because there aren’t as many of us. But that doesn’t mean I don’t work just as hard as the girls.
I was super lucky B Dancewear happened to see a photo that YAGP shared of me in their shorts and asked me to be a partner! I love being a B Dancewear partner and getting to tell the world about their amazing options for boys! It’s been so exciting to see myself on their webpage and their social media. It can be so hard to find dance wear as a boy so I’m really happy to be a part of a company who gets it!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jakobbestdancer?igsh=dmZybXllcDdueDY4&utm_source=qr
- Other: https://www.bdancewear.com/
Image Credits
Bill Krutler Photography for photo shoots and YAGP for stage photos
