Scholarship is confidence push for Inverness TFX Peforming Arts Academy acrobatic arts pupil
AN INVERNESS acrobatic arts student says winning a scholarship in partnership with The Inverness Courier has helped boost his self confidence.
Kayian Shareef’s passion for acrobatic started early as he found a passion for dancing and tumbling at nursery.
Now 11 years old, he said: “I started gymnastics when I was four and also loved trampoline. I loved watching dance programmes and would watch the tricks and moves and then learn them on my trampoline in the garden.
“I would keep trying until I could do them properly, and then started putting moves and tumbles together and made up my own moves.
“I taught myself how to do aerials and flips and, with gymnastics, my flexibility and balance improved and I would try lots of contortion.”
Kayian joined TFX Performing Arts Academy last year at the suggestion of a friend and said: “Since joining TFX I have been able to learn properly, strengthen my moves, make them correct, learn new moves and dances and do my exams in acro.”
“It has really helped my conference and the stage show was amazing, I was so scared but with all my friends and teachers I was able to do it.”
Kayian’s performance at a TFX stage show earlier this year, an impressive self-choreographed acro dance piece, was so strong the school’s director Sally Robertson decided to create an additional scholarship for him.
Together with other scholarship winners Amy Beattie and Edward Mackenzie, he now receives a weekly three-hour musical theatre class and a uniform.
Of great inspiration to the young talent are Briar Nolet’s performances, and he said he loves to watch The Next Step, World of Dance and Diversity, as well as The Cirque.
“I am also a great fan of Elizabeth Olsen and Karen Gillan as Scarlet Witch and Nebula,” he added.
He said: “I feel so lucky that TFX think I am good at what I love and have given me the chance to do it more often and learn new skills and improve. It really has made me believe in myself and I love spending time practising and learning.
“I am still so excited that I can spend more time learning to dance, act and sing. Without the scholarship I couldn’t have done this. I have already learnt loads more and made new friends. It makes me feel really happy and helps me be more confident in school and my life. I love my fashion and just being me and this has helped me be me and not worry what others think.
“I would love to be a dancer and be in shows when I am older. Dance school full time would also be one of my dreams.”
Kaiyan’s mother, Linda MacLennan, said: “He was determined to do the audition videos when he heard about them. He chose his music and then practiced until he was happy for me to record them.
“We had always encouraged him and thought he was amazing as he was self-taught. I really had no idea what potential he had until one of his acro teachers at TFX told me.
“The stage show was an amazing experience for his family to attend and it was one of our proudest moments when he performed. I was so excited when he won the scholarship and couldn’t wait to tell everyone. We can’t thank TFX enough as it has given Kaiyan a real chance to learn and improve.”
