Ep:11 Miss Jasmine - From Student to Teacher!

🎙️ In this episode of Dance Talks, Laura and Michelle sit down with the wonderful Miss Jasmine to chat about her inspiring journey from student to teacher! 💫

From first meeting Jasmine when teaching at her high school, to supporting her through dance college and university, this episode is a lovely full-circle moment as we look back on her journey, growth and passion for dance.

It’s a fun, honest and heartwarming conversation and a chance to get to know Miss Jasmine a little better both inside and outside the studio 🖤

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:07

Hello and welcome to the Freedom to Dance Podcast. This is the place where we talk about absolutely everything in our little crazy world of dance. From what goes on inside our studio to the wider dance industry, too. You'll get to know your teachers, hear from real-life dance parents, and maybe even some of our pupils. And who knows what they'll have to say. So grab your dancing shoes or maybe just a copper. Join us for all the laughs, stories, and behind-the-scenes fun at Freedom to Dance. Hi everyone, and welcome back to another edition of Dance Talks. Today we've got a very special guest, someone who has come full circle at Freedom to Dance. Yes, she's gone from student to teacher, so please welcome Jasmine. Hello. Hey, this is X-Man. Yeah. So she's Super Posh Podcast. So now we've got you. Let's take it right back. We're gonna jump straight into this interview with Mr. Jasmine. When did you first start dancing?

SPEAKER_01 1:16

So I started musical theatre about four years old at a stagecoach. Um I used to live in Bradford, so I started it in Bradford. Um and then when I moved to Castleford, I did it again at a different company. And then I actually started dancing with properly with Freedom to Dance at school, cheerleading at 11 years old. Um, because on a Saturday it was just an hour of your typical jazz musical theatre. And then it was about 13-14 when I started doing traditional styles like ballet, um, modern, acro, jazz properly. Um so I was quite a lot older than everybody else, and then I started at Freedom to Dance after lockdown instead of school.

SPEAKER_00 1:53

I can remember meeting you Castleford. Yeah, had to mate. Um I think you were in year seven. Yeah, I was in year seven. So you were 11 years old, um, like just so keen and smile and full of energy. Um, and then yeah, after lock once lockdown finished, it was really hard to get back in at school. Yeah, and so when you turned up um at the studio, it was it was fabulous. It was it was very, very happy. Um so talking of obviously that you found dance primarily at school, but obviously you were doing a lot prior outside of school, um you you hit lockdown while still um at school at sort of secondary school age. Um and we've all we've done an episode on this and about sort of the you know, when it comes to exam time and important exam time such as GCSEs and A levels, you know, what's the right or wrong thing? Is the right or wrong thing? How do you make decisions about continuing any sort of hobbies or dance and things like that outside um of school and GCSEs and A levels? So um we know that you did stick with it um through those um exams. So could you maybe for any of our younger listeners and any younger listeners listening is what I'm trying to say with this ether. I put a lot of teeth in there. Um what made you stick with your dancing, your acting during your GCSEs and your A levels?

SPEAKER_01 3:23

It was more for a lit release after stress of exams because I was a teacher's pet and I constantly was revising from like 24-7, and it was just a nice release of doing something actually enjoy taking a break. And yeah, it was just that stress release, actually doing something found fun instead of just revising all the time.

SPEAKER_00 3:43

Yeah, yeah. And remember um when you were at school, you were very committed and very studious and yeah, um committed to working hard, I think that's when they followed you through. Um, but was there ever a moment at any point since starting dancing to now to this point where you ever thought about giving dance up and performing? Because I know you're not just the dancer, you are a triple threat to performing. So did you ever think about beating any of it up?

SPEAKER_01 4:14

Um I think right before starting college, when it was a big decision of do I do it as a career or do I just do it as a hobby? I think a lot of teachers or like parents' family were concerned about, which I think a lot of parents are in this career. Um, so that was a big decision, and I did decide to follow it through to college. And then when I was at college, it was a lot different from what I expected. I enjoyed it, I loved college, but it was I was a little fish in a big pond, and I was like, Well, I've never been with this many people who do the same thing as me. They've got so much more experience. I thought maybe I'm not experienced enough, maybe I'm this, maybe I started doubting myself, and that's when I was like, maybe I shouldn't be doing this, but I kept going.

SPEAKER_00 4:54

So your answer then, your training and career. Yeah. If you hadn't have done this, if you hadn't have chosen, right, I'm gonna perform, I'm going to dance, I'm going to act as a career. What was the other thing? I hate working with plan A, plan B, we hate those words, but realistically, like you've said, there is those concerns from PECs a lot of the time. So were you did you have to think about that? If you did, what was it?

SPEAKER_01 5:23

Well, I always got told since I was younger that I'd be a good teacher. So I'd be like primary school teacher or a drama teacher, or the complete other option. I was gonna go into sociology or criminology.

SPEAKER_02 5:35

Yeah, I know.

SPEAKER_01 5:36

I thought it was very hard, but then I realised I'm really not academic enough for it. So I thought I'll just stick to performing.

SPEAKER_00 5:44

Fabulous. Moving on then to your training. Yeah. Yeah. So you've just mentioned that obviously after high school you went on um to college. So um obviously you went on to study musical theatre at Kappa and at Shock Out. So what was that like? You've spoken a little bit probably about what college was like already and the shock factor of that, and all of a sudden feeling like a small fish in a big bowl, and that you've got, you know, all these other amazing talents around you. What about then when it went on to uni?

SPEAKER_01 6:18

So I think because it was uni in general, it was a whole different experience because I moved away from home, it was in Manchester, so it was also starting the new part of my life of cooking for myself on a night, so taking myself um to uni, walking everywhere. Um obviously there's a lot of trams in Manchester, but uni itself. Um again, it was just a whole different you've gone from college and everyone's taking it serious now. This is what people want to do, and because it was a dance-heavy uni as well, it was very commercialised, which wasn't what I was used to. It was a bit of a shock factor thinking, well, these people are good, they know good people, they know a lot of agents. A lot of people have been in music videos for people like Tyler, um, just so many people. I thought there was already networks. Yeah, there was networks, and I thought, well, this is this is serious now. Um so it was getting used to that and then getting into the mindset of because it was long hours as well. It was nine till six every day, you had one day off a week, I worked weekends, it was it was a lot, but I really enjoyed it.

SPEAKER_00 7:16

I did it was alongside the training, you were to work, you had to work on it.

SPEAKER_01 7:20

Yeah, I worked to afford myself in Manchester, yeah. So I worked part-time on a weekend at a travelling park.

SPEAKER_00 7:29

Yeah, I think people realise, and I think as well. Um I mean, you were explaining that and I were getting excited. I'm like, oh this sounds amazing, because I like to surround myself with people who are achieving, who are one step ahead because that um drives me to to keep going. Um and there is a saying that um it's something I love a good saying, don't I? But it's it's like the seven people that you surround yourself with are the people that you become. So um I always try and think, right, who am I surrounding myself with and how am I becoming better? And um I think that's kind of like when you go on to do a performing arts or a dance course at uni. Um it's so easy to retreat and go into your shell and go, actually, oh gosh, no, I'm I'm not where they are, or the other alternative is right, that's where I'm getting to. I'm just gonna say it's it's like uh you know, you obviously have to overcome a mindset of all these people from it, they've got the vote they're already you already probably felt that there was so many steps in front of you, they have the agents, they'd done the networking, they'd already, you know, achieved um great things. How how did you fit how what did you do to catch up?

SPEAKER_01 8:50

I think I realised that everyone's there for the same thing, everyone's training still. Um, and it was good the way the uni did it, they placed you in the right class with the right people of your level, or um similar abilities, so you weren't constantly in your own head, but you'd see everyone around uni and you'd see performance opportunities and it would make it give you that drive of, well, I want to be like them. Um so it was more in that sense as well. And the same with everyone had the same mindset, they wanted to work hard. That's why it was I enjoyed it more than in school because in school everyone wants different things, not everyone's as motivated. Whereas when you go there and it's it's it's a hard job, but everyone has to work hard to get to be good at what you want to do. So it was nice being in that environment of everyone wants to do the same thing as me, everyone wants to work hard, it's nice that I'm in that environment.

SPEAKER_00 9:37

How do you think freedom to downs prepared you for that? So you were with us at our studio um for a while. I I can remember you when you came and told us I've auditioned, I've made it into Catherine, and then hey, I'm I'm going to shock how and we were so proud. So so proud. But how did your time with us as a student prepare you for that moment?

SPEAKER_01 10:03

I think the support and reassurance, you always made me believe in myself when I didn't, when I did go through the time of wanting to give up, you guys were the ones that pushed me to not made sure bang my head together. I think you're not doing this. And even at the comps, it just gave me more confidence in myself. I think that was a big thing because I had a time where I was constantly I didn't believe in myself at all, and you two were the ones that constantly lifting me up when I was feeling down. So yeah. Oh my god. I know a bit of thought here, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:38

Um so obviously that spoke quite a bit about the dancing side, but um I can remember when we first met you, Jasmine, it you were more sort of TV heavy and active, wanting to go into that side of things. Um so can you tell us a little bit about sort of your TV work, the probably endless auditions and the process that you had to go through in that side of the industry and any performance jobs that you that you did do?

SPEAKER_01 11:04

Yeah, so I started acting with um the stagecoach at the musical theatre, and I always found it something I really enjoyed, and it was my strongest area for a long time. Um I started picking up little TV jobs just from like adverts and like newspapers. Um, like when I lived in Bradford, there's a lot, especially nowadays, a lot of filming in like West Yorkshire areas. Um there's websites, casting websites. Um I did industry weeks in London with big acting agents. Um I remember every summer. I did, yeah. It was really good. It was a full week of just constant lessons because it was like like a boarding school, and they teach new things every day. They bring in like um accent people and everything. It was really good. So that was really good. I've done some things with BBC and it's good to just see how they work and because I wanted to build up to be in one of the speaking roles. It was nice to see as a like background artist what it takes to do that, even if I wanted to work behind the scenes, what the producers do, everything. Um auditions-wise, I'm mainly auditioned for I've done some self-tapes for TV. That's you get the strangest thing sometimes. Like I remember one I got and I had to just follow a balloon and I had to pretend I was looking at a balloon across like the sky and then be really sad that it's gone. And it's just I don't even know what advent is for an advert. I don't know what this is for, but I'm watching a balloon, I'm gonna give it my best shot.

SPEAKER_00 12:26

For people listening who might not know what a self-tape is. Um, do you want to just explain? Because it's very now, and with the um the advancements of technology, you don't always do face-to-face auditions, so just explain what a self-tape is.

SPEAKER_01 12:42

Yeah, so a self-tape is a video you take of an audition instead of going to an in-person. It's mainly used in the industry nowadays, so you can get people auditioning from everywhere all over the world, especially in big Netflix series, Amazon series, so you can get more people auditioning than just in your town or anyone, and it's better affordability-wise, so people aren't travelling all the way to London or to another country just to audition. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:05

I remember you once asking, can I use the studio for a self tape? And we're like, Yeah, no problem, we kind of let you in. Yeah. And I said, just let me know when you're done. And it was like five hours. Oh, it was so long. Forever. Um it's kind of you do get the option of stop star again with a self-tape, don't you?

SPEAKER_01 13:26

Yeah, and that was for uni as well, that audition in the studio. That was like dancing-wise. Yeah, so auditions-wise, I did a lot of travelling down to London, I think to Leicester at one point, um, Manchester obviously, but some of them were self-tapes, some of the bigger ones in London. I think that was for I'm trying to think what one that was for. Italia Conti, I think.

SPEAKER_00 13:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:45

Yeah, that was a self-tape. Um it's quite a long experience auditioning for you and his, I remember it. It's fan over it was from January time until about May, I think. I finished my last audition. That was for Shock Art, my last audition.

SPEAKER_02 14:00

Wow.

SPEAKER_01 14:00

Um, my dad blessed him, drove me down to London quite a few times. He didn't want me going in by myself.

SPEAKER_00 14:08

I don't think um there's ever been anything that we've done where your dad hasn't been there cheering you on, and he's always up for a party dance. Yeah, he is.

SPEAKER_01 14:23

I've got a picture somewhere of him with a foam finger, an FTD foam finger. Yeah, it is, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:30

And you're sure he came along to pride. Yeah, he did, he did alongside the so what most people might not know is that you have you still work part-time in a trampoline pack. Yeah, don't well-known Castle Funwall. So if you go in there, you might see mischief. Yeah. Um, but you also work part-time as a party. Yes, I do.

SPEAKER_01 14:59

It's quite funny. I know. Tell us a little bit about that. It's so fun. Um, this is where connections come in because I knew someone from Kappa who works at S. I just followed them because I just thought it's cool and it's something I like. I wanted to do it since I was little. I just thought it's so fun. Who doesn't like it? I know, I always wanted to be a princess. So then I saw that they were doing a casting opportunity, so I just messaged them. And it's actually in Barnsley, so it's quite like out the way for me. Um, so it was quite a challenge trying to work everything out. Um, but yeah, I had just a little Zoom interview with the boss who's actually called Laura as well.

SPEAKER_00 15:34

Good day.

SPEAKER_01 15:35

Yeah. Um, and yeah, I had a little um costume fitting, they kind of sorted what princesses I'd look right for. And I had my first job as Mirabelle. Um and I was 16, I'd just finished my GTSEs. Wow. Um, I loved it. It was it's so fun to this day. It's so fun. I just get to dress up and it's ri it has really increased my confidence because I I have to work on the spot, I have to know the movies inside out, and it's sucking that I'm a Disney fan because I constantly have to re-watch movies. I need to know because if some kids ask you the like most intricate questions, and if you don't know it, they'll find you suspicious.

SPEAKER_00 16:09

Yeah, they'll look at you like what's your favourite character play character to play?

SPEAKER_01 16:14

Well, I'm usually mirror bard, I think that is it is so fun because you can just be crazy. Yeah, but I do really like do Belle. Belle's half, elegant, just floating about in a dress.

SPEAKER_00 16:25

Yes. Yes. I think Belle was one of the first, couldn't be wrong, Belle was one of the first Disney princesses with brown hair. I think that I think actually the actual brown hair, an actual fact of the hair. She had the black bob, didn't all she've got. She had blue eyes, I think. It was the brown eyes. Crazy facts going out now. Okay, so attitude and professionalism. Let's let's talk a little bit uh about that. It's an important part. It really is, and I think one thing that we can say about Miss Jasmine is whether it's been as a pupil and now um as an employee, that you've always had a great attitude, an attitude, a hard-working attitude. Um, where does that come from?

SPEAKER_01 17:12

So I think the way my parents have brought me up, they always want taught me to work hard, especially with things like school, they've told me to work hard. If things don't work out, they don't work out as long as I've tried my best. That's been a very strong attitude from my parents. And my own morals, I want to work hard for myself, I want to do the best I can. I don't want to let people down, I want to try the best. Um, but also I think it is from training at such a young young age. I had quite strict teachers in musical theatre. They always made your audition ready from the day you were born, pretty much.

SPEAKER_02 17:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:42

Um pretty much present yourself to anyone, um, anyone that comes your way. So I think training is a big part of it as well.

SPEAKER_00 17:49

Yeah, I think people underestimate the discipline in the world. Yeah, that's right, yeah. That has. I mean, uh parents that children are just coming on to a dance class or a drama class um to learn the steps, but actually the it it's the other disciplines. It's the disciplines, yeah, it's very hard. Are you coachable? Are you working on and we're not just saying this, you know, to send people out into the dance industry or any industry to go out into the world? We want a society where people are, you know, on time, right attitude. Yeah, you know, they hard work, hard work is a versatile, you know, all of those things. Um so how important do you think attitude is versus talent?

SPEAKER_01 18:39

Oh, it's so so important. You can be the best in the room if you've not got the right attitude. No one will want to work with you.

SPEAKER_00 18:46

Exactly, exactly that. Yeah. I always um say, why is why do I have so many sayings? We'll we'll do a book of them. Life I always say hire for attitude, train for skills. So I would hire someone based on their attitude because I am convinced that you can train someone, you can train someone to do majority, but you can't change someone's attitude and their great attitude, but it's so much more workable. Yeah. But that's the same when attending, even going back to before you get to that point and attending your class. If you attend your class with those um positive attitudes, with the hard working attitudes, um you're already one step ahead, you've already succeeded.

SPEAKER_01 19:43

I don't think you realise it in when you're a kid in a dance class when everyone's quite big personalities, but even at school, like I remember when I was at school, I was such a big personality because I had all the traits of like working hard and confidence and the attitude, and it stood out in a school environment and even like into a working environment because I've had all the training and discipline. Whereas in a it's dance school you probably don't notice it as much because everyone's the same. Yeah. So that's when you branch out even into working life. I remember in high school, like a lot of people who did performing arts have stood out more in the mock interviews we had for college because into a room with you.

SPEAKER_00 20:21

You've almost you like every door that opens is a door to a stage. Yeah. Everything is a performer. Everything is a performance. Everything is a performer. And I think we've sort of answered um my next question, really, Jasmine, in in some of the things that you've just said, because um, you know, we're gonna go on to say that we always knew you'd be an asset for freedom to dance. We obviously always hoped that you would come back and the door always remained open. I think we did used to say when you're back, let us break the chair. Certainly once you went off to Manchester and you then were sort of further out of reach, it was like, Well, if you just uh if you're home in the summer and you're visiting, let us know. Yeah, I remember messaging be like, I'm back and I'm open. Yeah, and you know, and I'm all gonna go and say, you know, ask what is it that you think makes you workable and employable? But I think you've answered some of that already in in the previous um conversation, just with regards to your attitude, hard working, standing out for the right reasons, how you conduct yourself in a room, how you approach people. I think, you know, I mean the big smile helps. I mean the big smile. That's that's been training to assist. Yeah. Um, so what made you want to come back to F2D as a teacher?

SPEAKER_01 21:45

The environment, like I said before, is just so supportive in in a big industry with different attitudes towards working. I think you two have got the most positive one. Honestly, I feel so softy when I say it. But it's true. I guess I've been in I've been in a lot of places and I've never felt more at home than I have here. And I thought I wouldn't want to work anywhere else. It's lovely. Yeah, and I like to same with the kids because you've like I said, you made me feel so supported and confident. That's uh the group of people that I'd want to work with and help do the same thing.

SPEAKER_00 22:23

Yeah, and now like do you feel like that's what you want to bring for the kids though?

SPEAKER_01 22:29

Yeah, 100%. Yeah, definitely.

SPEAKER_00 22:38

I've got a screen. Um so obviously you are now on the other side. Yeah. But you know, do does it make you see the school differently? Does it make you see Freedom Stance differently? Um, do you see us differently now that you, you know, you've expressed how we made you feel as a pupil and that's what drew you back. What, you know, how different is it being on the other side?

SPEAKER_01 23:10

I still call you like Miss Laura to my dad. I'm like Miss Laura, Miss Bell. You can call them the name, she never was like, I know, I can't. But um I think just more in a mature mindset, rather than being a pupil, it's just I can talk to you on a more mature level and in a more friendly way than a teacher student way.

SPEAKER_00 23:28

Yeah, and true about the running of the dance school as in. Obviously, when you attend as a pupil and you just turn up and you think we're just here delivering dance classes, and now you've got to see kind of the behind the scenes of a dance studio in operation. Have they been a shock or not really, I don't think.

SPEAKER_01 23:50

I think it's just because I did cheer, I I didn't really know what the other side of the like styles worked like, really, and maybe more of the other teachers because I only had both of you and sometimes Miss Olivia as a teacher. It was nice seeing like Lauren and Amanda and um Sarah do their thing because I've not seen that side.

SPEAKER_00 24:08

The only staff member, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:15

Yeah. So that's the only um difference, really, just seeing how the other styles work.

SPEAKER_00 24:20

Okay, so do you have any advice for any of our dancers listening uh that would like career in dance, performing, teaching? What's your advice?

SPEAKER_01 24:30

I could say it's just the way you carry yourself in the room. That's always advice I've been told. When you walk as soon as you walk into the building of an audition, smile on your face, posture, carry yourself well, be polite, say hello to everyone in the room. Um, yeah, I'm just trying to think of some more. Um, perform when you're dancing, just perform. Um, no matter what you do, when you're practicing, don't go full out, strong arms, just strengthen, just have an aura about you that will make people want to work with you. It's energy, it is energy, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:04

Always. And on the flip side of that, obviously now that you're you're in teaching and you you get to see that that we have pupils that come that are wanting that drive and and wanting that future. Um, but what we love about freedom to dance is that we are also a very recreational dance school and we encourage children to attend dance classes who just want to come for a bit of fun, to make friends and to be here, um moving to music um for fun. Um so what sort of advice would you give to a dancer wanting to come just for fun?

SPEAKER_01 25:37

Just never give up, just keep going because if you're doing it for fun, you're doing it for fun. It's a break from your everyday life, whether it's college, school, that's something you'd want to carry for the rest of your life, if you do it as a career or not. It's it's something if it's something you enjoy, keep it up and try hard no matter what. You want to be best at your hobby, even if you're not trying to do it as a career.

SPEAKER_00 25:58

Yeah, yeah. So one thing you wish you knew earlier. That's a tricky one, isn't it? That is really hard. Add one thing that you knew before.

SPEAKER_01 26:08

I think confidence is so key. Don't let yourself don't let it drop 100% because it can it can knock you back. I think make sure you've got a good support system around you.

SPEAKER_00 26:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 26:19

So then if you do feel yourself dropping, you can build yourself back up and you can keep progressing.

SPEAKER_00 26:24

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You can't be alone, you can't.

SPEAKER_01 26:27

No, you can, you know, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 26:29

It's such a big business, but it you can feel very low. Yeah. So, like you say, I do think a good support network. 100%. Um, so obviously, before we let you go, Jasmine, we want to do a quick fire question round. That's gonna be the first thing that comes to quick fire. I'm sorry, quick fire because I have to I'm rubbish as well. And evaluate, I'm really bad. And you're not allowed. Oh no. Um so favourite dance style. Oh uh jazz, I think. Maybe jazz. Okay, what's like your pop up song? What's the song that gets you going?

SPEAKER_01 27:11

Oh, it's it's a new one, but I can't remember the the song of it. It's uh it's like a house. I think it's called Free Your Mind. Free Free Your Mind. It's it's really it's really good. I put it on the other day and I felt really ill and I put it on and I just got up and started dancing. Really?

SPEAKER_00 27:26

It's really good. Okay. Describe an F2D in one word. Supportive. Awesome. And finally, Strictly or West End. West End.

SPEAKER_01 27:39

We tried to keep it easy for you, Jack. Tried to help you out. I'm not seeing much strictly, I'm not seeing much of it.

SPEAKER_00 27:46

We have actually got a question in for you on Instagram. One of our pupils, Phoebe, sent in a question on Instagram, and Phoebe would like to ask you um her question, Quinkle, if you have to feel the pressure. When did you know that dance was the thing for you?

SPEAKER_01 28:08

I think it was so during the time of GCSEs when I realised it was the only thing that made me feel relieved.

SPEAKER_00 28:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 28:15

To have a break. I didn't want to just chill, I didn't want to just go to bed. It was I wanted to dance. And I think that was like when I knew it was something I really it was a bit of me. Yeah. Yeah. It's the only option. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:29

No other option. Yeah. First of all, thank you for joining us. Yeah, it's been long. I've enjoyed it. It's been lovely. We've not cried. No. Almost. The first question. So thank you, Jasmine. I hope you have all enjoyed listening to Jasmine and probably finding a little bit more about her than you did before. Don't forget to follow Dan's talks, and we'll see you again soon. Bye.