Difficulty: Challenger (Level 2)

When you think of ballerinas, what comes to mind first? Many people envision beautiful women dancing in pink tutus.

But Lemuel Ma and Wesley Matsuharu Lai, two teens training in the Hong Kong Ballet’s Classical Training Programme, know boys can also do ballet well.

Lemuel, 14, started ballet around the age of four after seeing his sister try it. Wesley, also 14, was only two years old when he began his ballet journey. While ballet has been integral to their lives growing up, both boys said their peers would tease them for it.

Wesley shared, “I told my school classmates that I do ballet, and they thought doing ballet is weak and ... that it’s not for guys and it’s only for girls. So they were very confused about why guys are doing it.”

“At a younger age … I remember one time, I told people I did ballet,” Lemuel recalled. “And I remember hearing people laugh.”

He said that one reason why he joined the Hong Kong Ballet’s Classical Training Programme was because they have a boys-only class.

“My family had been searching for a ballet class that’s only for boys,” Lemuel said. “And this programme provided that kind of class which is rare among other ballet schools in Hong Kong.”

Hard work pays off

The young ballerinas have been able to participate in several performances, from The Nutcracker and Cinderella to their annual year-end performances.

Wesley explained that he has shown off his ballet skills to his classmates during performances at school.

Lemuel revealed that, despite being teased as a child, he has grown confident in his passion.

“Over time, I think I just got used to it,” he said. “And I learned to not care because it doesn’t really matter what [others] think. You can just do your own thing.”

When asked for advice for other male ballerinas, Lemuel replied, “If you have a passion for whatever you do ... and you get criticised for it, just be yourself. and keep going.”

Wesley added: “Keep going. Never listen to those negative comments.”

Use the puzzle below to test your knowledge of the vocabulary words in the story.

Suggested answers

• Before you read: Answers will vary.

• Stop and think: Lemuel said that he and his family were trying to find an all-boys ballet class, which is something that this programme offered.

• Consider: Both have been able to participate in renowned performances such as The Nutcracker, and Wesley has even been able to perform at school.