Martin Hargreaves: North-West Side Story (Dancing Class)

About this episode

Martin Hargreaves discusses his journey from a working-class upbringing to becoming Head of the Rose Choreographic School, reflecting on the impact of dance on his identity and confidence as a queer teenager.

In this Dancing Class podcast episode, Martin Hargreaves reflects on his journey from a working-class upbringing in Wallasey near Liverpool to becoming Head of the Rose Choreographic School at Sadler’s Wells. Raised in a family with little direct connection to the arts, his early exposure to dance came indirectly through his sister’s ballet classes and films like West Side Story . He discusses how dance shaped his sense of identity and confidence as a queer teenager, and how it has remained central to his life through writing, teaching, and critical engagement. Image Credit: Jason Dimmock Content Guidance: Recorded 14th March 2025 Sound Recordist: Charlotte Ryan Editing: Dr Laura Taylor Audio accompaniment: Dr Jess Blaise Ward Audio accompaniment mastering: Michael Ward

People in this episode

Guest: Martin Hargreaves

Topics covered

• dance
• identity
• queer culture
• education
• personal journey

Keywords

• dance
• queer identity
• choreography
• education
• personal story

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Rose Choreographic School, Sadler’s Wells

Books & works: West Side Story

Places: Wallasey, Liverpool

More episodes of Beckett Talks

• Brendan Keaney OBE: Not BBC Material (Dancing Class) · May 26, 2026 · 1h 26m
• Farooq Chaudhry: Between the Light and the Shadow (Dancing Class) · May 26, 2026 · 1h 59m
• Dr Kate Marsh: Class, Care and Precarity (Dancing Class) · April 17, 2026 · 1h 33m
• Jonzi D: Breakin Class Convention (Dancing Class) · March 19, 2026 · 1h 33m
• Sarah Blanc: Class Ceiling (Dancing Class) · March 4, 2026 · 1h 22m
• Gary Clarke: A Miner's Gala (Dancing Class) · February 9, 2026 · 1h 51m