Jake Burden

To start off, is there anything in particular that you would like to share?

“Throughout my life as a dancer I have personally experienced quite a lot of negative hate towards boys and men who dance. I started training in the UK when I was nine years old, and was the only boy at my school that did ballet. The moment people found out that I danced the bullying began. The bullying eventually got quite severe especially when I began high school. I was punched, kicked, strangled, and locked in lockers…One winter, a gang of bullies beat me up in the back of a bus and threw me out of the bus purely because I did ballet….[Despite all of this], not once did I think that I was going to quit ballet just to fit in. I realized that [ballet] was something that I couldn’t let go of, otherwise I would regret it for the rest of my life. So, I attended two professional dance schools for six years before accepting a job in Germany...During my career I had the greatest pleasure of dancing for four different companies, traveling the world, and performing for two royal families.”

How did Ballet Brothers come to be?

“I was inspired to start Ballet Brothers by boys who experienced similar traumas and situations, and after talking to them, I wanted to figure out: what is the best way to make them feel supported and empowered? So, I advertised for a workshop on Facebook, and almost 25 to 30 boys turned up…It was amazing to hear the personal journeys of boys from all different backgrounds, and see how supportive and empathic everyone was…The key takeaway from this workshop was the understanding what it takes to be a male in dance, because it's not easy. Some of those experienced physical brutality or were disowned by their parents. But, I told them that at the end of the day, the bullying and negative stigma of being a male dancer is always going to be present, but you can’t let it affect your dreams.”

You mentioned that you faced some harsh treatment for simply being a ballet dancer. How did those experiences impact your life? How did they inspire you to create Ballet Brothers?

“The reason it got out there in the first place was very secretive. When I was younger, I used to love anything to do with the arts. I used to love gymnastics, and I did it for a long time. But, I never really had dance on my radar. My older cousin did dance and one day she just dared me to do her class, and I was like, ‘I'm not doing that. There's no way I'm going to do that.’ And she was like, ‘Fine, it’s like you could do it anyways.’ And me being really stubborn, I was like, ‘Fine, I’ll do it.’ So, I went in and I absolutely fell in love with [dance] from the very first class. But, I didn't tell my parents that I was doing this for a long time. My auntie would take me to all the classes and would keep all my dance clothes in the back of her car, just to keep it secret from my dad…As I started to do more and more, and love it more and more, I decided to tell my parents, and they told me, ‘Look, be really careful out there, because society is not very open to men dancing. So, enjoy it, go for it. But, at the end of the day, be really mindful of who you tell.’...But, one day I told one of my really good friends at school that I was dancing and it was fine, but five or six weeks later, the whole school knew…It just so happened that a group of people decided to take it upon themselves to harass me on the daily…If I look back now, it's like a film. I would try and do anything just to stay away from people. I'd hide in the bathrooms or on the far end of the field during recess, just so people wouldn't see me, because I knew I was a target constantly. The turning point for me was when it became physical every single day. At one point, there was not one day that went by without getting beat up or punched or kicked or anything, you name it. That took a real toll on me, especially only being 11 or 12 years old. So, one day, I just broke down, and I told my parents, ‘I can't do this anymore. Either I have to stop dancing or I just have to quit school. I don't know what to do. I can't keep doing this.’ So, my parents sat down one day and they presented me with some options for boarding schools, because they realized that dance was something that I just had to continue, even if that would be leaving home…I ended up moving away and I went to a boarding school. It was a real eye opener for me because it was the first time that I was surrounded by my people—dancers. And I just felt safe and inspired.”

“Even now, when I look back, I realize how much those experiences have changed my life and me as a person…My biggest takeaway was that I needed to help other boys in dance to ensure that no matter what they're going through, they have a safe space to come to, where they can speak openly and feel they are supported.”

“Ballet Brothers is all about inspiring, helping, and supporting, not only [young boys], but also their parents. A lot of parents don't know what being a boy in ballet entails or how to help their sons with whatever they are dealing with. My parents didn't know. They just tried to find anything they possibly could. I think educating parents is really important.”

Your website states that your mission is to “support and encourage all boys who love to dance” and “create a support network…for male dancers to share experiences and wisdom with each other.” How have you been able to achieve this?

“I think by having the workshops and allowing everyone to share their personal experiences has been really impactful. In the workshops, we had a big discussion about what's missing for male dancers.Some things definitely that came up were dancewear in particular…When I first started Ballet Brothers, it kept coming up all the time that dancewear wasn't available for the boys. So, I took it upon myself to then source materials, source a designer, and a costume maker, and create my own dancewear line, and that was really successful. All the products sold out within the first year.”

“I think the organization has inspired a lot of boys. Some of them didn't even realize that they wanted to be dancers until they got [to one of the workshops]. And when we would have conversations, or dance together, or watch videos of male dancers from around the world and also videos of myself dancing, I think it really opened their eyes to what is really out there, and lit a fire inside them.”

“There was a male dancer, who just did Prix de Lausanne, and is now in the Australian Ballet School, and he just wrote to me and said, ‘Thank you. I don't think I would have been where I am today if I didn’t have that workshop in Melbourne when he was ten or eleven. That one workshop really inspired me to keep going and pushing, so thank you.’ After hearing something like that, you kind of have to pinch yourself a little bit and just think, ‘Okay, what I’m doing is making a difference. I’m inspiring these boys to keep going and actually pursue a career in dance.’ So, that was a definite pinch me moment, for sure. And there have been many other pinch me moments. If I look at some of my past students that I've taught, they're dancing all over the world, and it's just such a rewarding thing to see. It's like food for the soul. I'm just really proud of all of them. And I'm just really happy that I have been able to provide something to all these boys that I wish I would have had when I was younger.”

How far is your reach, being that you are centered in Australia and this is a global issue?

“I was quite surprised…[After] the incident on Good Morning America with Prince George…I ended up ranting about it and sharing it everywhere. Shared it to Ballet Brothers, and then Ashley Boulder reshared it…and it just kept getting reshared and reshared and reshared. I got so many messages of thanks and positivity from people all over the world.”

“I also worked on Danseur…the director traveled to Australia, and we sat together and had an extensive conversation about the film. And when the film was presented, I was asked to be on the panel with him to talk about my personal experiences and the film as well.

“It's still in the works. But, I’m looking to deliver some sort of syllabus to schools on how to educate and teach male dancers, especially when they're younger…This includes the use of vocabulary…Some boys find it really offensive if [they’re] the only boy in the class and [their] teacher will out of habit say, ‘Okay, girls’ or something along those lines.”

“A couple of years ago, I worked closely with the Royal Academy of Dance, in both Australia and England. We had a lot of discussions and open workshops.”

“I wouldn't say that [Ballet Brothers] has gone global, but it's gone here and there. Of course, if I had more time and more access to funds to support the program, I would definitely try and make it as big as possible.”

Do you have aspirations to grow the program into other parts of the world?

“Yeah, for sure. Within the next, let's say, three to five years, my aim is to definitely expand [Ballet Brothers] outside of Australia, but it all comes back to funds. I'm an independent organization, so funding is tough…We'll see what happens, but I would still love to.”

Have you ever looked to collaborate with other organizations or people?

“'I worked with the Royal Academy of Dance, and collaborated on a few things here and there.”

“Unfortunately, for a lot of bigger organizations, they purely look at your social media and your following, and have this expectation that your organization must have between 10,000 to 20,000 plus followers, and then they said they’ll have a conversation about collaborating.”

“I've had teachers teach male specific technique classes at my workshops…I've gotten a dietitian to come in to talk to them about what they should eat for development and to fuel their bodies. I also get a physio to help them learn how to lift properly and how to jump properly”

What has been the main obstacle that you've run into since founding Ballet Brothers?

“A few things, actually. One, competitive schools. Schools are very reluctant to allow their boys to attend these programs, because they see it as trying to poach their boys away from them, but that's not the case. I just want all the boys to have the opportunity to come together and have fun…[Two], now, more so than ever, it's navigating the industry and also society. They are constantly changing…[Lastly], finances are the hardest thing, especially for a small, independent organization like Ballet Brothers.”

What would be considered a success for you and your organization?

“After the first workshop, Ballet Brothers took off…Anywhere from 300 to 400 boys have attended the workshops ever since, some even driving six or seven hours. So, I would consider being able to reach that many people a success…[But unfortunately], over 75% of those boys have quit since, and I have to ask myself: ‘why?’ Is it the bullying aspect? The competitive nature of the dance industry? The pandemic?”

What is your end goal?

“The end goal? That's a good question. I've never been asked that…My end goal, truthfully, is not for everyone to know me or the organization, or make money, or anything like that. My end goal is to continue to provide quality education for boys, teachers, and parents, and support [these young boys] in as many ways as possible and help them navigate through what can be a very difficult path…That's what I want—to be able to help.”

Are there any stories that you have in mind of individuals whose lives have been changed by your organization?

“There've been many boys that have come through [Ballet Brothers] that have gone through a lot of different personal situations. Some of them have dealt with depression, self-harmful, or suicidal thought. You name it, I've pretty much seen it. I think the biggest ones are definitely stress and anxiety…You have to stare at yourself in the mirror every day and criticize yourself, and then outside of the studio you've still got people criticizing you…[So], it's all about having that safe space and trusted person that you can go to and feel comfortable talking openly to.”

“There have been boys that have gone through, but still quit dancing after a while. But, they've told me how the workshops have helped them…in their everyday jobs and relationships. It has set them up to become strong, independent people.”

What do you think the biggest misconception about men in dance is?

“There's hundreds of things, but the top thing I can think of right now is the assumption that just because you're a male dancer, you're gay. Which drives me up the wall. It drives me so crazy, because it's irrelevant. It's irrelevant who you are and what you're into. And personally, it's no one else's business, you know what I mean? So, that's the biggest thing that people always say.

“If people ask me, ‘What do you do?’ I responded, ‘I'm the Creative Director of a school, and I also run a Male Dance Organization.’ And they go, ‘Is that a job? Really? Is that what you do?’ And I'm like, ‘Yes.’ And they're like, ‘Oh, so you don't want to work as a tradesman or something?’ And I'm like, ‘No, why would I want to do that?’”

“There is that stigma that men in general can't show their emotions or be sensitive. [In ballet], I think that's actually what makes an artist. Artists are those who can tap into their emotions and [portray] them to the audience.”

Your organization primarily helps support and educate the both parents of the dancers and the dancers themselves. What do you think is the best approach to educate the public?

“It's about educating the public, because that's where it all stems from. It's education…The more exposure, the better. There’s advertisements once in a while that feature ballet dancers…and obviously we’ve got things like America's Got Talent, and I think that's a start. I think it's also about implementing more programs within [academic] schools, [and] there are more now in Australia than there ever were before.”

“In terms of educating [the broader community]…it's a difficult thing. I don't think there's an easy fix. I just think society just needs to stop being so judgmental and just be more open to the arts in general. And then the support and appreciation will come with it.”

What would you say to those who believe those misconceptions and stereotypes?

“I've got to be professional here…What would I say to them? I would say that they need to check themselves because they don't know what it takes. They don't know the strength and power that is required. And I'd love to see them lift a girl above their head and tell me how easy it is. That was me being politically correct.”

What would you say to boys that currently face those challenges or those misconceptions?

“Speak up. Not necessarily to any bullies [they] may face, but I don’t want [them] to keep it in. That's probably the worst thing [they] could do…the biggest revelation I experienced was when I opened up to my parents and told them everything that was happening. It was a huge relief. Straight away, I felt so much more open, and relaxed…Open up, speak up, don't hold it in.”

Do you have any tips for parents with sons enrolled in dance and who face these issues?

“It sounds hard, but try and understand what your child is getting into. Try and understand the male dancer, try and understand the industry, and understand what it takes to succeed, because it can be a really difficult path.”

“Try to find networks, dance schools, and educators that can help you and support you.”

Why does the world and the ballet community need ballet brothers?

“Without the support network, inspiration, and connections [that Ballet Brothers provides]...all of [the young male dancers] out there are by [themselves], [they’re] alone, and [they] really need support…This organization doesn’t just help [them], but [their] families and the dance industry [as a whole].”

find more about Jake Burden and Ballet Brothers here

interview by William McClure Stout