Princely Nutcracker role is dream come true for Birmingham's Aaron Robison

Nov 27 2009 by Diane Parkes, Birmingham Mail

AARON Robison was just nine years old the first time he danced in The Nutcracker - now 14 years later he is taking one of the lead roles in the Christmas spectacular.

Aaron, a first artist with Birmingham Royal Ballet, began dancing as a four year old. Born and living in Coventry, he joined the company’s Junior Associates, a dance scheme for children, and was offered the chance to perform on stage at Birmingham Hippodrome as one of the children in The Nutcracker.

And, as he watched the grown-up dancers, he aimed to one day become one of them.

When his family moved to Barcelona in Spain Aaron continued to dance, training at the Conservatorio de Barcelona before gaining a scholarship to the Royal Ballet School back in the UK.

It was when, as a student, that he won the Young British Dancer award, that BRB director David Bintley spotted his talent and offered him a job back in the Midlands.

“It was a great opportunity as BRB is one of the best companies,” says Aaron, now 23. “It is one of the few companies which has a director who is actually a choreographer and it produces lots of new and exciting work while still doing the classics.”

And one of the those classics is its Sir Peter Wright production of The Nutcracker, now in its 19th year and a firm festive favourite in the city.