Vogue and ballroom may have started in the US, but it’s now international. The pandemic-formed Welsh Ballroom Community are making connections with other small nations, in service of the culture. Founder Leighton Wall and co-director Tayo Sanwo tell all.
This article has been powered by Reset! network.
Author: Emma Warren
What is the origin story of the Welsh Ballroom Community?
Leighton: I grew up in Bute Town, Cardiff. It’s a very mixed community, where I get my love of community because that’s what I grew up with. Started dancing at a youth centre, I then went on to study dance. I went to London as a teenager, which is when I got introduced to the wider dance industry and I could see you could have a profession in dance. In Wales, you couldn’t really see dancers leading by example. My eyes were opened.
And that led to the WBC starting?
L: In 2018, I went to LA to train and I came back really inspired. There’s a ballroom community in Bristol and I was teaching there – but I’m from Cardiff, so I was communing every week. I thought: ‘you know what, let me see if anyone would be interested in having something in Wales.’ I had so many people interested. It was during the pande...
This content is restricted to subscribers. If you have already subscribed, please log in. New users may freely register below.