A PROMISING young dancer is hoping to follow in the footsteps of his showbiz heroes after jetting off to the US to take part in a Broadway dance workshop.
Brett Shiels (20), of Ryecroft, Harlow, was offered an all-expenses-paid trip to New York by the top Stateside dancer and choreographer Tony Stevens after impressing the dance coach with a starring role in Colin's Performing Arts College's end-of-year show.
The starstruck youngster, pictured right, has spent the past two weeks rubbing shoulders with some of Broadway's elite and got the chance to take part in a series of intensive pre-rehearsals for forthcoming musical Over Here, in which he is all but guaranteed a role if it crosses the pond for a run in London’s West End.
Although his New York experience was a far cry from the somewhat less glamourous setting of Harlow, Brett told the
Star he owes much of his success to the training and support he received while a student of the town's Makin' Steps School Of Dance, in Parsloe Road.
“I was absolutely thrilled to get the chance to go to New York,” he said. “I got this job through the work ethic I took to college, a work ethic that I learnt through my time with Makin’ Steps.
“I am so thankful for everything they gave me and I believe I wouldn’t have got to where I am today if it wasn’t for the school and its level of professional training.”
Despite his young age, Brett has already appeared in the music video for the Lily Allen single No Fear and starred alongside Cilla Black in a Liverpool pantomime production of Cinderella. Now he hopes his American adventure will open the door to a successful career in the theatreland spotlight.
“The 12 years I spent training at Makin’ Steps really prepared me to take the next steps towards becoming a professional performer and I couldn’t think of a better place to give you the opportunity to forge a career in the entertainment industry.
“It’s up to me now to make the most of the skills I have learnt.”