MY BEST ...
... Was to pick up the phone. That was it. After I graduated from the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, I had to have quite major surgery - so while all my friends were off auditioning for music videos and cruise ships, I sat at home and focused on planning Living the Dream, the performing arts company and dance school I have been running since I was 16. When I saw a television ad that included a flash mob at Liverpool Street station, I thought, I want to do that.
I picked up the phone to St Pancras International and got through to the right guy, who said absolutely, yeah. He even gave us money to do it. As a result, I've had opportunities to do everything from creating a flash mob for Bluestone and a holiday park in Wales to meeting Richard Branson and representing his Control Shift campaign alongside Vince Cable.
My teachers said I was bright enough to go to Cambridge, but I wanted to improve as a dancer and choreographer. This way, I can provide amazing opportunities for young people.
MY WORST ...
... Was to offer people opportunities when they weren't ready. As a 16-year-old running my first show, I was determined that it should be run by young people for young people, so I offered roles to my friends, who were all performers. Some people are ready to take on responsibilities and others aren't: some of them still work for me, but others just weren't ready.
I was also offered an opportunity earlier this year to be a presenter for a website and to set up a dance competition. We got our Living the Dream media company involved to film some amazing events. Sadly, though, it all went wrong and became very messy. It felt as though the company had taken advantage of me because I was so young.
Happily, though, I've taken the ideas we produced together, in terms of the dance competition and this online dance channel they wanted to produce, and I'm doing it myself - but 10 times better. And while they clearly thought I was naive, it has taught me that I'm not. People won't be able to take advantage of me again.
