038: Solomon Golding on The Inner And Outer World Of Dance
In this episode of the Soulfull Sound podcast, I’m joined by the very talented Solomon Golding. London born; Solomon is quickly becoming one of the brightest talents in the dance world and has made history by becoming the first black British born dancer in The Royal Ballet's 85-year history. He has worked with some of the world’s leading choreographers including Wayne McGregor, Crystal Pite and Hofesh Shechter to name a few, casting him in leading roles and world premieres.
He has also begun generating interest in the fashion world having been photographed by some of the world’s top photographers including Harley Weir and David LaChappelle and been featured in fashion films for I-D Magazine and Selfridges. He also had a ten-page spread in BoysbyGirls magazine and was featured in the 2018 September issue of Tatler magazine.
In this episode Solomon talks about his experiences in the dance world so far, from being a black man in ballet to the resilience and stamina needed to become successful in this arena. We talk about not being a victim of your circumstance and the importance of taking responsibility for your own outcomes – both the good and the not so good.
Join us for this real conversation.
Points of Discussion:
- His story and how he fell in love with ballet (02:28)
- How he deals with the demands of the dance world (12:57)
- Overcoming adversity as a black ballet dancer (18:00)
- His thoughts on changes in the industry (27:00)
- Advice for aspiring creatives (34:30)
- Some of the biggest lessons he learned in his career so far (43:40)
- What's next in his career? (52:00)
Resources/Links:
- Learn more about Solomon.
- Connect with Solomon Instagram.
About Solomon Golding
Solomon Golding trained at The Royal Ballet School for 8 years , graduating and joining The Hong Kong Ballet in 2012. Six months into his contract, Solomon was offered jobs at The Boston Ballet in the United States and The Royal ballet in London. Upon finishing the remainder of his contract with The Hong Kong Ballet, Solomo n returned to London to join The Royal Ballet in 2013 becoming the first Black-British born dancer to do so. Solomon was offered a contract to dance with The San Francisco Ballet and has been dancing with them since June 2017.
Solomon’s interest in the creative arts doesn’t stop at ballet – Solomon collaborated with his brother, Amartey Golding, on an art film exploring black male sexuality and masculinity and its representation within modern day narratives. The film was shown at The London Art Fair 2017 garnering rave reviews and being hailed as “The London Art Fair showstopper…” by The Art Newspaper. Solomon also has a keen interest in fashion. In 2015 Solomon had a two week internship with Anna Valentine, designer of The Duchess of Cornwalls wedding gown, which included helping create garments and set-up the seasonal fashion show at the brands atelier in Baker Street, London.
If you enjoyed this episode, check out the show notes and more at https://www.simoneniles.com/blog/the-inner-and-outer-world-of-dance and follow at https://www.instagram.com/simone_niles/
