Music & Performing Arts – B2 English Listening Exercise

9 older brother 10 community centre 11 Footsteps 12 four / 4

13 social media 14 confidence 15 rhythm

16 summer festival 17 acting 18 pride

Jason: Hi everyone. My name’s Jason, and I’m here today to talk about my career as a street-dance instructor and how I went about setting up my own performing arts academy.

I’ve been dancing since I was a kid. People always assume I picked up my first moves from watching music videos online, or maybe from friends at school. But in fact, it was my older brother who got me into it. He was always practising in the garden, and I just used to copy whatever he did.

When I decided to turn my passion into a career and open my own academy, the first major hurdle was finding a suitable venue. I initially considered renting an empty warehouse on an industrial estate because of the space. Instead, I managed to secure a large room in a community centre, which is much warmer and more accessible for families.

Then came the challenge of coming up with a brand identity. I spent ages trying to think of a catchy name. I toyed with names like ‘Urban Moves’ and ‘Street Beats’, which sounded a bit too typical. Eventually, my sister suggested Footsteps, and I knew instantly that was the one, so that’s what we christened it.

In the beginning, I had originally intended to teach teenagers, simply because that’s the age group I was most used to dealing with. However, so many parents asked about classes for little ones that we designed the academy to instruct children from the age of four upwards. It’s chaotic, but incredibly rewarding!

Of course, I needed to attract students. To get the word out, I printed thousands of flyers to hand out in town, and even considered a local newspaper advert. In reality, though, relying on social media did the trick and brought in the most enquiries. It’s amazing how quickly word spreads online.

Teaching kids street-dance is about more than just movement. Obviously, dancing improves their physical fitness and flexibility. But what they really build up is confidence, and that’s far more valuable in everyday life. Seeing a shy child suddenly come out of their shell is the best part of my job.

It isn’t always easy for them, though. When they first start, some kids struggle with learning the exact routines and remembering where to stand. But actually, getting the right rhythm is what takes the most practice for a lot of them. Once they find the beat, the rest just falls into place.

We recently had our end-of-year showcase. We were originally supposed to do our first public show at a local school assembly. Unfortunately, that got cancelled at the last minute, so we performed at a summer festival instead. It was terrifying for the kids to be in front of such a massive crowd, but they were absolutely amazing.

Looking ahead, I want to expand what the academy offers. At the moment we focus purely on street-dance, though we did briefly try singing lessons a while back. Next year, however, I’m planning to introduce acting, to give the students a broader theatrical education and help them with their stage presence.

Standing at the side of the stage watching them do their thing is incredibly emotional. You’d think I’d just feel relief that nobody forgot their steps or tripped over, but the overwhelming feeling is pride. I can’t wait to see where my students go next!

9  ballet    10  freedom    11  financial support    12  stamina

13  community centre    14  trainers    15  self-esteem

16  summer festival    17  documentary    18  tour

Liam: Hi everyone, my name is Liam, and I’m a professional choreographer and street-dance instructor. I’m here today to talk to you about an exciting initiative I’m running for young people. Now, when people see me doing street-dance, they often assume I started out breakdancing in a park as a kid. Actually, I studied contemporary dance briefly, but my primary training was in ballet, which I did for over ten years. That classical background gave me a great foundation, but I eventually realised street-dance was my true passion.

What I love about street-dance, and why it appeals so much to the youth demographic, is its image. It is universally perceived as being ‘cool’. With classical styles, you are often bound by very rigid rules and traditions. While discipline is certainly important, teenagers really appreciate the freedom they get with street-dance. They can adapt the moves to express their own individuality and personality, which is crucial at that age.

Because it is so popular, street-dance is a fantastic, highly effective tool to get young people away from their screens and physically active. The local council recognised this potential. We had plenty of enthusiasm, and we initially asked if they could provide us with some donated equipment. Instead, we were absolutely thrilled when they offered us substantial financial support to officially expand our youth programme. It was a massive validation of our work.

Make no mistake, though—street-dance is incredibly physically demanding. It promotes intense physical exertion. Many people think that having upper body strength is the main requirement, and while that certainly helps for certain acrobatic moves, what you really need above all else is incredible stamina. Getting through a high-energy, three-minute routine without collapsing takes serious cardiovascular endurance!

To make the project as accessible as possible, we needed the right venue. We looked into renting a professional dance studio downtown, and we also considered using the local high school gym. However, we ultimately decided to base our classes at a community centre right in the heart of the neighbourhood. It just felt much more welcoming and easy for the kids to get to.

When it comes to gear, the great thing about street-dance is that you don’t need to buy expensive, specialised outfits. Baggy tracksuits and comfortable t-shirts are the norm. However, if you are going to spend money on anything, I always tell my students that a high-quality pair of trainers is an absolute must. You have to protect your feet and joints from the hard impact of the floor. Things like knee pads or cool baseball caps are strictly optional.

The physical fitness aspect is obvious, but the psychological benefits are just as significant, if not more so. I’ve watched shy kids who wouldn’t even look anyone in the eye completely transform over a few months. While it’s great when they master a difficult routine, the visible boost to their self-esteem is what I find most rewarding about my job.

We also want the kids to have goals to work towards, so we regularly organise public performances. We decided not to enter the regional dance championships this year as it felt a bit too competitive. Instead, we put on a massive showcase at a summer festival last month. The atmosphere was electric, and the crowd was incredibly supportive.

The public reaction has been brilliant. We got a lovely write-up in the local newspaper, which we were happy with. But even better, an independent filmmaker approached us and shot a short documentary about our initiative! We put it online, and it’s already had thousands of views. A few people even asked if we had been on television!

So, what are our plans for the future? We are looking at the possibility of starting teacher training courses. But my main priority right now is organising a tour for our senior dance crew next spring. We want to travel around the country, performing and inspiring other young people to get moving. It’s going to be a lot of work, but totally worth it.