Airdrie Royal Ballet star to bring two exclusive shows to hometown
Reece Clarke will perform two homecoming shows in Airdrie Town Hall celebrating an international career in the Royal Ballet
An Airdrie-born Royal Ballet dancer has told Clyde 1 News that performing for his hometown next Saturday (August 31) will be one of the most important shows of his life.
Principal dancer, Reece Clarke, is bringing two exclusive shows to Airdrie Town Hall in the first Scottish appearance of his career.
Reece began taking dance classes with the Janis Ridley School of Dance at just three-years-old, following in the footsteps of his two older brothers.
Since then, his career has taken him around the world, performing in showcases including Swan Lake, Cinderella and The Nutcracker, but this will be the first time he has helped organise a gala of his own.
The two exclusive showings in Airdrie Town Hall are a homecoming celebration of his international career, of dance and of homegrown talent - as he will be joined by colleagues from the Royal Ballet and Scottish Ballet.
Three live musicians will also play in front of the crowds, with all ticket sale proceeds going to charity, Guide Dogs UK.
'It's going to be very special'
Reece said: "It's going to be my first performance as a professional dancer back in my hometown and even in Scotland at all.
"I'm bringing a wonderful team of dancers from the Royal Ballet, and there's a couple from Scottish ballet going to be joining us, and also three live musicians from the Royal Opera House.
"It's going to be highlights of the classical and modern repertoire that we perform on stage in London and Glasgow, but also around the world. So it's going to be highlights and excerpts of the most beautiful and famous kind of dance repertoire we have.
"It's going to be very special and I can't wait to be back in Airdrie for the audience to see this."
Reece added that the performances are his way of showing gratitude to the local community.
He said: "The town hall would have been the first stage I ever performed on as a dancer.
"To come back as a professional and do these live shows is such a special moment.
"My neighbours in the community were really supportive of myself and my brothers and my family's journey in my career, so it almost feels like a thank you to them."
'I actually feel a bit nervous for this one'
Even after performing on some of the world's biggest stages - Reece admitted this one will be different.
He said: "I actually feel a bit nervous for this one. I'm not gonna lie.
"When I perform, I get a little bit of nerves - that's normal, and then it turns into adrenaline for the performance.
"This is the first time that I've also helped organise one of these Gala performances and I know how much effort and how many details have gone into this.
"So there are a little bit of nerves just to make sure everything comes together, which I'm sure it will, but I'm sure as soon as I step out on stage, I think I'm just going to feel at home.
"I just can't wait for Airdrie to see this type of performance."