Matt Shilcock lives to dance — and he will break his bones to prove it.
Key points:
- Matt Shilcock was born with osteogenesis imperfecta, or brittle bone disorder
- He abandoned his wheelchair at age 15 and has been pursuing his dream
- He landed a mentorship with the acclaimed Australian Dance Threatre
"Every single show I've done so far I've broken something and my niche has kind of been to adapt to that in some way — I think that's what sells tickets," he joked.
Shilcock, 33, was born with osteogenesis imperfecta, which is commonly known as brittle bone disorder.
It is effectively inevitable that bones in his body will break.
Shilcock was in a wheelchair as he grew up in Adelaide, until the determined teenager abandoned it when he was aged 15.
"I just sort of got sick of seeing all my friends catching buses to go hang out at the movies or go take girls out on dates," he said.
"I just felt like being in a wheelchair was stopping me from being able to participate in things, so I was like if I just don't take it [his wheelchair] to school, then that's going to be the start of some kind of change."
Dancing 'cheaper than physio'
He admits the decision led to "complications" and since that time, the North Adelaide resident has spent plenty of time in hospitals.
But if you spend enough time around Matt Shilcock, you will quickly come to admire his tenacity.
"If you experience something enough it becomes your norm, so I guess breaking bones is just part of my norm really."
Having a regular day job was never going to happen once dance captured Shilcock's mind and battered body.
"I initially took up dancing because it was just cheaper than physiotherapy and as I started to gain more confidence and competence moving my body, adapting to injuries and coming back from injuries and learning my physical potential, just that excitement that came with that was really addictive," he said
And so began a career on the stage, with an 18-month acting course progressing to his first dance show in 2010 with the Restless Dance company.
He admits not all have applauded his career choice, including doctors.
"A doctor wouldn't say it's the wisest decision, but it's like poker — the higher the stakes, the higher the reward," he said.
And then there's his mother.
"I can't say my mum is too excited about the career I've chosen for myself and definitely the risks that come with that," he said.
"But, hey, I'm the only person I think who realises the extent of the rewards that come from it, so I'll keep plugging away."
A dream come true
Shilcock has gone from project to project for a decade before landing the big one, a mentorship with the acclaimed Australian Dance Theatre (ADT) last year.
He quickly made an impression on artistic director Garry Stewart.
"What's extraordinary about Matt is that he'll come to the ADT studios with his leg in a splint one day or on crutches and then as we're about to rehearse Matt told me, 'Oh, I've kind of fractured two vertebrae in my back last week, so I'm just dealing with that,'" he confided.
Shilcock has turned his hand to choreography, with his debut work to be unveiled as part of ADT's season called The World's Smallest Stage.
The unique dance collaborations were initially created online and will also make their first stage appearance in October.
It has offered Shilcock the priceless opportunity to team up with veteran ADT dancer Kimball Wong.
The stark contrast between Shilcock and one of the world's most physical dancers was not lost on him as he devised the performance.
"Someone who can just seem to do anything that my imagination conjures up, that's always been a challenge for me, but suddenly the sky's the limit," he said.
"I'm working with a very super-able-bodied dancer and I'm working on a piece that's come out of my imagination.
"It's like I'm trying to write a book in French, but I don't know a word of French," he gleefully admitted.
Wong is fully committed to making Shilcock's dream come true.
"For Matt to be able to have me to physicalise it in ways that he perhaps can't, I think that's a really great opportunity to combine the two of us, therefore the process can kind of see its physical maximum level," he said.
Shilcock said he has given himself both permission to fail or be great, when audiences judge his choreographic work.
It is the start of a gradual transition out of dancing that he admits will be easier for his body to take.
Oh, and if you are wondering how he fared with catching buses, hanging out at movies and dating?
He says two out of three ain't bad, but he is single as he waits for the "right bus".
The World's Smallest Stage will be performed on October 1-2 at The Odeon in Norwood.
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2020-08-22 22:57:00Z
CBMiXmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIwLTA4LTIzL3NvdXRoLWF1c3RyYWxpYW4tZGFuY2VyLWJyb2tlbi1ib25lcy1iaWctYnJlYWsvMTI1ODE5MDLSASdodHRwczovL2FtcC5hYmMubmV0LmF1L2FydGljbGUvMTI1ODE5MDI
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