We had a 5 minutes chat with dancer Naomi Weiland who is dancing for FKA Twigs, Take That and Years & Years. Photograped by Sophie Hemels.
How I came to dance for FKA Twigs?
I auditioned for her, like you would for mostly of the jobs you do as a dancer. I had worked with the choreographer, Aaron Sillis on quite a few jobs already and he asked me to audition for her after I’d also been her stand in in rehearsals for her show ‘ congregata’.
How did I fall in love with dance ?
I guess very cliche … But actually true: My grandmother and mother used to take me to the ballet when I was a little girl and I used to sit there without blinking especially with the nutcracker. My grandmother had a version of the nutcracker on film and I used to watch it over and over again. That’s where my love for dance began.
“The hardest thing for me is versatility. You have to be outstanding in every style and every kind of movement when maybe your facility doesn’t allow you to or your training hasn’t been in all these styles and movement.”
Talk about your training:
I trained in London at Bird College of performing arts. You’re trained in musical theatre so in all subjects : dancing singing and acting. But at Bird it was heavy dance based and you get trained in all styles, jazz ballet, contemporary and tap. Before I came to London I trained at the 5 O’clock at the Amsterdamse Hogeschool van de Kunsten and danced there every day after school hours in jazz ballet and contemporary.
What is the hardest thing about dance ?
That’s a very hard question, for me personally I think versatility. You have to be / want to be outstanding in
every style and every kind of movement when maybe your facility doesn’t allow you to or your training hasn’t been in all these styles and movement.
Other interests?
Im interested in all forms of art, love going to all kind of shows or art Gallery/shows. And I have an old love that will always stay with me, which is horses. When I was younger I had a lease horse and taking care and riding it was the absolute best thing. So I would still love some day to be able to work with or take care of horses again.
Inspirations?
Talent from people in all sorts of ways actually, may it be a singer, musician, photographer or designer you name it. But yeah seeing talent from other people I find really inspiring and to see what they do or achieve with it.
“Im interested in all forms of art, love going to all kind art gallery shows. And I have an old love that will always stay with me, which is horses.”
Photography by Sophie Hemels – www.sophiehemels.com -@francismorrismorrison
Naomi: @naomiweijand
