Dancing for his city: Meet Birmingham Royal Ballet’s home-bred member

Tom Rogers is a something of a rarity in the Birmingham Royal Ballet. He was born and brought up in Birmingham and later returned to his hometown to dance in the world-class company. Now, as First Artist in the company, he will be dancing the Prince in this year’s festive favourite The Nutcracker, opening on Friday 27 October. He talked to West Midlands Dance about the role and coming back to Brum.

Growing up in Selly Oak and attending Bournville Primary School, Rogers says the fact he stayed in Birmingham after training at White Lodge wasn’t a conscious decision. At 18, he was applying to jobs all over the country – it just so happened David Bintley wanted to give him an offer.

Now living with his girlfriend in Digbeth, Rogers still goes out with old friends he grew up with in the area and relaxes by going on rock climbing escapades in the Peak district and Scotland. Although he can’t do everything – a football match would take him weeks to recover from.

The Birmingham Royal Ballet have been touring the UK with Quantum Leaps, and now return to their home at the Hippodrome on Hurst Street to deliver the Christmas classic. This is the third year Tom has danced the Prince – but he still feels a little daunted by the solo dances on stage. He said:

“Because I’m tall I find partnering work a lot easier. For me it’s been solo work which I’ve always found more challenging – I think it’s a self-confidence issue coming back again. I’m never used to dancing much on my own.

“We’re doing a ballet at the moment called Powder and I’ve never moved in a strictly neo-classical way – so it was really enjoyable to do something like that. The steps were individual and even the lifting techniques were different.

“As the Prince, the hardest bit is the solo because it’s straight after the pas de deux. But I’m a classical dancer and I love doing the Prince.”

Tom’s modesty is part of his charm. In the flesh he is just as princely as on stage – with a full head of dark curls and pure complexion, he could have easily walked straight out of a fairytale. Laid back in jeans and a hoodie, Tom looks mdeium-sized until he stands up with his perfect posture and you realise just how tall his is at 6’4″ – a height which can sometimes put off choreographers working with him. But he enjoys dancing the classical techniques he was trained in and the fairly simplistic character of the Prince, he says, is ideal for his first main role.

Tom joined the Birmingham Royal Ballet in 2004 and became a First Artist this year. He looks forward to taking on more leading roles as a natural progression in his career.

“When you’ve done one Prince, you want to do another one,” he said.

Tom is conscious of the expiry date on his career as a ballet dancer – he’s had his fair share of knee and ankle injuries – but is still young in ballet years at 25 and prefers not to think about it. He does, however, look forward to trying new things later in life. He said:

“I’d love to do something in design – like set design. Not necessarily be involved with dancing. But it’s healthy to do something else with your life. It’s such an amazing job we have, but it doesn’t last forever and you can’t cling onto it.”

The regime of working in the company can be difficult at times – especially on tour when stages and theatres change – sometimes leaving dancers without anywhere to stretch. But Tom says it’s always worth it.

“You would always have days, especially when you were younger, when you thought ‘Is this really worth it’? I think anyone who says they haven’t thought about that is lying.

“But even if you have a horrible day there’s always some enjoyment about it. If I wake aching I know I’ve been working hard and I think secretly everyone loves that. It’s when I wake up and feel I haven’t been working when it’s harder.

“When we go on tour and there are one hundred people in the audience it’s hard to motivate yourself. In America the audiences are packed out and you get a cheer everytime you jump – but that’s just national characteristics. British audiences can be like that – but not all the time.”

Tom is adamant without the support of his friends and family he couldn’t have got to where he is. His dad, he says, took him to performances as a child and has been a regular theatre-goer since.

“I’m lucky to have the supportive family I have.”

Watching Tom dance in rehearsals, I noticed his chivalry runs through his own character outside his role of the Prince. He is attentive to the needs of his partner – often giving them constructive advice on how small changes could make things easier. He said this sense of mutual understanding runs through the veins of the Birmingham Royal Ballet:

“There’s a really nice atmosphere in the company. It’s a healthy competition – everyone is out to help everyone else and is really friendly. To have that in a company is a unique thing and not something I’ve experienced in other company classes. It’s a collective enthusiasm.”

If you haven’t seen The Nutcracker before it is the perfect way to crack into Christmas. Based on a tale by Hoffman, the story has inspired several choreographers since the first production by Lev Ivanov. The mix of music by Tchaikovsky, designs by John F MacFarlane, magic and dance has roused the talents of George Balanchine, John Cranko and Rudolf Nureyev.

Birmingham Royal Ballet’s The Nutcracker has been running successfully for nearly 20 years since Director Laureate Sir Peter Wright first choreographed it following their move from Sadler’s Wells.

It is no mean feat to get the production together each time round. Before the curtain goes up on the first performance, hours of work have been undertaken behind the scenes. The sets, props and lights for the show travel to Birmingham Hippodrome in five trucks from BRB’s stores in Dudley. When the sets arrive work will begin on the ‘get-in’ and ‘fit-up’, which takes about three days. Another two days are usually required for technical and stage rehearsals. See this snappy little video which shows who the company bring the show together.