Deedee Clark, a 27-year-old dancer, moved to Los Angeles to improve her dancing skills at a world renowned dance school.
Dancing in Los Angeles has been a dream of mine for over 10 years. Being older and not having anything holding me back meant that if I didn't do it now, I'd end up never doing it, so I took the leap and left at the end of August.
I wanted to learn more, and I wasn't able to do so in Malta anymore. I love being a student and I believe in continuous learning, but it reached a point where there weren't any classes where I felt I was learning something new, except for the odd workshop here and there run by international teachers.
I started dancing at the age of three. My parents started me off with ballet and then I moved on to musical theatre. When I turned 12 I tried jazz and finally settled on my preferred style: jazz funk/hip hop, at age 15. I always loved dancing and I would look forward to lessons, rehearsals and performances.
Together with my best friends I founded The Unit Collective, a dance collaborative, in 2017. We focused on our own projects and after a few months, we started receiving job offers for music videos and showcases among others. We were also very lucky to be one of the groups responsible for choreographing and dancing in The X Factor live shows.
The Unit Collective performance with Owen Leuellen during X Factor Malta season 1Life in LA is fairly relaxed. The weather is great, people are super friendly, and the overall vibe is very positive. Cost of living is very high.
Dancing at the Millennium Dance Complex is incredible. It's just such a lovely environment to be in. There are classes of all dance styles and of all levels and people from everywhere in the world come to train, whether it is for a week, a month, a year or indefinitely.
The classes are so challenging, and no two teachers are alike. I always leave each class feeling tired but accomplished - it's such a great feeling knowing you've given your utmost and learnt so much in such a short span of time.
I have assisted Hamilton Evans and Dana Alexa, two major teachers at Millennium. I've had the chance to be involved in various choreography sessions. It also meant that I got to demonstrate the choreography with them during the classes. I'm really grateful to them for believing in me enough to give me such opportunities.
I really do believe in chasing your dreams, no matter your age or professional level. The only way to improve is to put yourself in situations that are out of your comfort zone. I feel like I've improved so much just by putting myself in classes that either weren't my preferred style or were harder than what I am used to.
I do miss Malta at times. I have my moments, I miss my family, friends and my cats. I also miss how easy it is to meet up with friends since everyone lives so close. But the one thing I miss the most is my mother's cooking. It is unparalleled.
I am spending the holidays in Malta and coming back to LA indefinitely sometime in February. I'm still in the process of getting my green card sorted out. I do think I'll settle back in Malta one day as I've always said I'd love to have a family there but right now I'm not limiting myself - it depends on a lot of factors. I'm just enjoying the process at the moment.
Are you a Maltese person living abroad? Contact malteseabroad@timesofmalta.com