Gill Beattie

Gill was born in 1971 and lived with her parents and elder brother in Fazakerley, Liverpool. A lifelong love of dance and drama has led to a career as a professional dancer and choreographer.

Her most recent work is a project about perceptions of Liverpool and is called A Generation of Visions.

"I wanted to show Liverpool in a positive light, as I have been born, brought up, educated and trained in Liverpool, although my work has taken me abroad and all over England, I wanted to give something back"

Copies of this film are available free of charge within the 08 shop in Liverpool.

Gill has donated a pair of ballet shoes she used during the project.

early school

"St Chads Primary School in Kirkby was great, I loved playing all day, tossing up on the wall, playing 'floretta' on the grass hill slope (a handstand game - who can stay up the longest) and chasing Nicky, a boy who all the girls had a crush on. Although I used to get into trouble with the girls I hung around with nearing the end of my time there, I had lots of FUN.

I was quite active and used to love running, PE, dancing, role-play, music and art. My mum, then studying at Elsie Smiths Dance College in Oakfield, began a dance school one or two evenings a week for extra income. She would take Steven and me along to the church hall and community club; the earliest one I can remember was Cantrill Farm, which is now Stockbridge Village. (Ste and I were about 7 years and 4 years old).

I loved dancing and began getting a lot of medals and exams, but the pitfalls for me began early. I could never do anything right, or if I did, I would get comments like, "what do you expect, she's the dancing teacher's daughter". This comment and expectation has stuck throughout most of my work and made it hard for me to work independently within the same sector as my mum."

secondary school

"Secondary school was frightening, Ruffwood Comprehensive School was a massive growing up experience. I think it's where most of my 'social adaptations' where formed, that has helped me handle any situation and social occasion throughout my life.

Ruffwood seemed like a jail at times with restrictions and rules on what you can and can't do. There was no encouragement to try different things. I was not very academic, although I tried hard. There were no options for you to take dance, drama or music, which is what I wanted to do, but teachers tried to advise me by saying "you need to have proper qualifications to work". I must admit, I did argue the fact that my mum makes a living, to no avail. So I found myself doing Biology and Chemistry (what's that about!). My grades in these subjects were low (actually, I think I failed my Chemistry O Level) and I hated being told what to do and people thinking they knew what was best for me. Or is this just every teenage experience?

I danced in the evenings, went to Gymnastics at weekends and for my age I was advanced. It was at this time that bullying started .

Gill Beattie

I fell under the "if I fit in, it will all stop" and found myself being less interested in dance, more mischievous and bunking school when I could. Eventually I gave dancing up and spent most of my time hanging around our streets with friends in big gangs (I was between 13 and 14 years old). I must have been mad, as nothing ever happened and we were freezing most of the time.

All we used to do was talk about boys and walk around the block I got fed up of doing nothing and going nowhere, all I wanted to do was do my 'own' thing (boys didn't enter my head as they were just torments and a pain in the neck). I wanted a dance and drama career, and I wanted it now! This didn't go down well at school with the bullies. But at this point I didn't care, I knew what I wanted to do and I was happy. Riding out the bullying was hard, but in the end worth it.

Fortunately I personally think this experience made me a stronger person and I've been able to use my experiences to devise various drama bullying workshops, which looks at all the 'positive' solutions."

training to become a professional dancer

"Joining the Everyman Youth Theatre at 14 years old was one of the new beginnings for me. This place offered me opportunity, experience and the most valuable tool (for me, who used to get small panic attacks of paranoia and be quite shy at times) a 'mask' to act through any shyness and hide my vulnerability. I kept the drama and contemporary dance up till I was 19 years old.

At last it was time for college. College was FANTASTIC. I auditioned (without my parents knowing) at Merseyside Dance and Drama Centre in Camden Street, Liverpool and got accepted. Obviously my parents found out when I had to ask them to help find me a grant to attend and buy the attire. Thankfully they supported me and have supported me in everything I've done (although my dad moans about me getting a 'real' job from time to time).

The choreography interest began here and I wanted to deliver hard skilled work, that proved the dancers skills and ability. At times this backfired as some of the work was 'too hard' for them, so it didn't have the impact I expected. Maybe this was a my attempt of jumping too fast with little experience (I was in my first year at college) .

I was a bit of a confident and competitive dancer. I loved auditions, but used to get upset when they'd pick a dancer who was wasn't as good, just because she fitted the 'costume tag'. I must admit, I have come to understand that side of things now, as having a small theatre company I have done the same thing to stick to my budgets.

My brother after his time in the King's Regiment as a Marine, had now got himself a 'proper job' to my dad's delight, in London. More importantly to me, he owned (with his girlfriend) a Battersea house! I had a great time auditioning, catching up with friends and going out. I was fortunate to have somewhere to stay in London, but I used to get frustrated that there was a 'divide' between the North and the South and the big contracts never auditioned out of London."

relationships, family, security

The toes of Gill's ballet shoes

"When I reached 25 it was a major turning point in my life. I didn't want to be the 'puppet' any longer (meaning I didn't want to be used for others' gains). I wanted to create things on my terms for myself, also I wanted more in my life - relationships, family, security. It was this time between 25 and 27 years old that I sought out as much information as I could during my working contracts about business, possible ideas of work and opportunities.

I had so many options and ideas of what to do, that I have shelves of files just for 'business possibilities', however with no focus they just sat there.

I met my husband in 1997 (I was 26) and we dated for four years (wow a long term relationship!) I knew he was the one for me because he was so easy-going and a good laugh. I never got bored and I still don't.

My priorities changed and I needed a stable job (with us buying a house and having two cars), so continued with my dance qualifications at college (studying to become an examiner) and producing small productions for dance schools and educational schools, and teaching too.

Over the next year or so I educated myself in computers, business and finance. I structured programmes, evaluated business strategies and began working on a business possibility I had on my shelf of a theatre company.

In April 2000 I married Ian to my Nan's delight as she was ashamed of us living 'under the brush'! Then in September 2000 Arts2u Theatre Company opened for business. This was a service solely to give pupils (gifted and talented) within schools the experience and expertise of working with professional artists (which is in all aspects of theatre arts). Working hard in one place (for myself) kept me happy and busy, two years on I had my first child. My timing in starting the theatre company was crucial, as it meant that I had to have a steady income from the theatre company before my first child, otherwise we'd struggle. I was still teaching and choreographing but this was not a permanent income.

I have since had two children (3 years and 1 year old), I have written children's productions and choreographed for hundreds of dancers. At 34 years old my latest project is A Generation of Visions. A dance-on-film sponsored by the Culture Company, Creative Communities Programme and Premier Studios.

The film shows a devised piece called 'Veins' (about Liverpool and Everton football clubs) then follows into 'See My Liverpool'.

I am already itching to do more choreography work and have plans for a project that looks at the negative media that drives our society, and how it unconsciously changes us."