Graduate story: Felix Sampson

What is the main overall lesson you learnt?

I learnt that I was on a journey. That the in-between moments, or the present moments, were important rather than the destination. It sounds like a cliché but I feel like this related to me in a few different ways, for example:

On a purely physical level, sometimes I would move through the in-between movements so quickly to get to the big tricks/moves I really enjoyed, I would forget to find the nuance to join them together (which is where I think the gold is!).

On a mental level, it is easy to compare yourself to others, to judge yourself in relation to how someone else is performing and think “oh gosh I'm not as good as them/I wish I was better than I am right now”. This kind of thought process is easy to get lost in and I had a lot of these thoughts when I first started full-time training. However, I remember a distinct moment of saying to myself “okay, I’m just going to try and be present with where I am right now, enjoy dancing every day and trust that I’ll get to where I need to be”. Which was a huge lesson, because it allowed me to be freer with my training. We can often get so caught up in goals and expectations that it's easy to lose sight of the fact that we might be doing the thing we love already. 

What is your best memory of your full-time dance studies?

The best memories I have from training are of the people. We quickly became a family and formed such special friendships with one another. We experience the highs, the lows and everything in-between on such a deep level (there were also heaps of laughs!). And all the tutors/guests/choreographers who provided such an amazing level of insight, nurture, inspiration, challenge and care. 

Felix is just one of many graduates who tell their stories in the Full-Time Studies Guide in the current issue of Dance Australia (July/August/September). Print is for keeps! Buy your issue in your favourite newsagent or dance retailer or online here or here.