Will Kemp & Brenda Lee Grech S2E2

In this episode of Super Humans, Rambert dancer Brenda Lee Grech chats with dancer turned actor, Will Kemp. As a principal dancer with AMP, Will danced The Swan in Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake, before transitioning to a successful career in Hollywood, acting alongside the likes of Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale in Van Helsing, and Val Kilmer and Christian Slater in Mindhunters.

Here, Will and Brenda recount their journey into dance and dance training, which Will brilliantly describes as ‘the army in tights’. They talk about the confidence of youth (is it ignorance or arrogance, and why do we lose it?), the ‘Boys Dance Too’ movement, as well as the pressures of the professional dance world, particularly for women. It’s a conversation full of funny anecdotes, as well as vulnerability. How outside events impact the choices we make, the value of creativity during the adversity of adolescence, and finding inspiration in the day-to-day.

Notes for the listener:

Brenda mentions in the podcast the brilliant Helen McCrory, who she worked with on Peaky Blinders. This podcast was recorded before Helen’s sad passing, and our thoughts are with her family.

This podcast was recorded in one sitting, but you’ll notice Brenda’s microphone sound changes about ¾ of the way through due to her switching headphones.