Connor talks dancing, cleft, and Strictly

December 13, 2024

Ahead of tonight’s Strictly Come Dancing final we spoke to CLAPA supporter and professional dancer Connor, who gave us his winning tip:

“I think Tasha should win, I love her and think she deserves the Strictly trophy. People say it’s not fair she’s already a trained dancer but she trained in commercial dance. It’s totally different learning ballroom.”

Connor founded Adore Dance London in Hackney Wick, near CLAPA’s office, with his husband Joe in 2021.

“I got in touch with CLAPA as we wanted to give something back to the community. Having a cleft has always played, and still does play, a big part of my life, so it was a no brainer, and we set up a regular monthly donation.”

“I got in touch with CLAPA as we wanted to give something back to the community. Having a cleft has always played, and still does play, a big part of my life, so it was a no brainer, and we set up a regular monthly donation.”

Connor was born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate.

“I had the full works. I’ll never forget all the surgeries as a kid – going into a room of like 12 medics, and they’re discussing how they’re going to fix you. Obviously, it’s their job, but it’s a weird thing to go through, having so many people nitpicking at your face.

“I was always insecure about my face, and it had a big knock-on effect to my confidence. I think that’s why CLAPA is really important for the way it gets its positive messages across.”

Connor had around 14 surgeries in total, including “redo” surgeries after he accidentally broke his nose in the last year of primary school.

“Growing up with a cleft was hard, with all the surgeries, orthodontic braces, speech therapy, and day to day stuff like eating with a hole in my palate so food came out my nose.

“Food was always a struggle, and up until about 14 I was really skinny. I also started intense dance training when I was 10 so was burning a lot of calories.”

Connor turned down further surgery as an adult.

“I thought ‘am I doing this for approval from other people?’ There was a 30 per cent chance of it being fully successful so I was like, ‘well, that’s me done’. If people have a problem with my cleft as an adult, I’m more confident to just tell them than when I was as a child.

“I think I’m always going to struggle a little deep down, because it’s your face, but it’s made me who I am, and I think it’s toughened me up. It’s also made me a lot more accepting of others.”

“I think I’m always going to struggle a little deep down, because it’s your face, but it’s made me who I am, and I think it’s toughened me up. It’s also made me a lot more accepting of others.”

Connor started ballet when he was seven, at his local dance school in Doncaster, South Yorkshire.

He laughed: “My mum didn’t want me to do ballet at first, as she thought I’d turn out gay – sorry mum! I’m from near Conisbrough and Denaby, proper Yorkshire pit towns, so a real Billy Elliot story.”

Connor trained with Northern Ballet Academy in Leeds, aged 10 to 16, and then attended London’s prestigious Central School of Ballet.

“I moved at 16 to London on my own, to study professional ballet. It was the best thing I did, it was really fun, one of my favorite memories.

“I was out of that high school mentality and bullying. They’re just teenagers, and I got on with it, but it was a bit nasty at times. When I moved to London it was a fresh start. Dancers are accepting and dance is inclusive. It brings people together from all backgrounds.”

After graduating, Connor toured across the UK with renowned dance companies, including New Adventures/ Matthew Bourne, The Royal Opera House, and Sadlers Wells. He spent his last year of professional dancing at Alberta Ballet in Canada.

Although he loves dancing, Connor’s self-confidence affected his performances on stage, and he left to pursue a teaching career.

“I really didn’t enjoy performing. I enjoyed dancing but I was self-conscious of how my face looks on stage. I was so in my head and worried about using my face in performances.

Now, when I’m teaching, I’ll use my face when dancing and not think twice about it, but I think there was a period of my life when I was really insecure about how I looked. Having a cleft, and being insecure about it, made me leave the stage when I was 21.”

“Now, when I’m teaching, I’ll use my face when dancing and not think twice about it, but I think there was a period of my life when I was really insecure about how I looked. Having a cleft, and being insecure about it, made me leave the stage when I was 21.

“But I always wanted to teach, and always wanted a dance studio. That was my number one goal in life. My goal wasn’t ever to tour the world dancing.

“I love being in a studio, much more than being on stage. Always have done. I’m a very good dancer, not the best, and I had a good run, but I just wanted to teach.”

Connor now teaches around 400 children and adults in ballet, jazz, tap and commercial, a fusion pop style.

“I love where I am in my life right now, with my studio, teaching young children and teenagers who want a career in dance, to adults who’ve never danced before. It takes a lot of balls to do dance. It forces you to push yourself.

“We’ve just started teaching ballroom dancing at the studio. My husband Joe’s mum and nana are from the ballroom world. Joe’s nana trained some of the strictly professional dancers, including James Jordan and Anton Du Beke. She was also one of the first westerners to go into China and teach ballroom after the Cultural Revolution.

“We’re all huge Strictly fans and can’t wait to see the final.”