Dancer Jakob Wheway Hughes watched the prestigious Prix de Lausanne competition at home as a young dancer every year. Little did he know that at just 17, he would go on to take part in the competition and scoop three prestigious awards. Growing up, he only allowed himself to see it as a dream. Fast forward to 2025, Hughes was the only dancer from the UK in the competition. Making it to the final 20, he received the Contemporary Dance Award, the Web Audience Favourite and the Aud Jebsen Scholarship. Here, he shares what advice his father gave to help keep him grounded and teases what’s next.
You must be on cloud nine! How does it feel to have won three awards at this year’s Prix de Lausanne in early February?
“I haven’t comprehended it yet. I’m just here going along. But when it hits me, it will hit hard, and I will probably start crying. At the moment, I have kept those tears inside, as I didn’t think I would make it that far if I am honest. I have held it together and been stone cold, but I am really pleased and grateful. I had a bit of a year last year with injury, and now I have come back; it’s great that the team at Tring Park School, where I train, my teachers and Anthony Dowson [Director of Encore and Graduates Programme] believed in me enough to put me in to do this.”
What was it like being exposed to the dance world on such a global platform?
“It was really weird. I think it was because I didn’t have my normal daily routine of grad class, the people I am used to being around, and my regular teachers. It was great to experience, but I was taken aback by how the pressure got to me the first couple of days.”
How did you prepare for the competition and cope with the pressure?
“I prepared through months of drilling the same solos with my teacher and through weeks of running with my sister, who is like a track star. She’s younger than me, so it’s embarrassing as I am slow compared to her.
One thing that helped with the pressure was something my dad always says: ‘At the end of the day, whatever it is you do as a career or have a passion for, you are a human being, and not a human doing. So, no matter what you do, you are enough.’ That’s something I repeat to myself and recite, which helped.”
Picking up the Web Audience Favourite Awards shows that you had strong online support. What was it like winning that award knowing that you were so well-received by fans?
“I was quite shocked. I was terrified that it would be live, and that people worldwide would see it. When I watched it as a kid, I used to watch and analyse to high heaven what everyone was doing, and now people analysed me and voted for me! I don’t know what happened, but I am so grateful that people liked me enough to do so.”
Digital as a platform for dance helps with accessibility and showcases dance to a wider audience, but it can also cause issues. What are your thoughts on social media and dance?
“I have decided to step back a little from social media for the time being. At the moment, I am not really acknowledging it. I am taking a moment to live life normally, get back into the swing of things and into rehearsals, and be around people I am used to being around. Social media can be scary; I don’t want to delve too much into it and become too attached. But a big thank you to the competition’s online supporters.”
You mentioned that this had been a ‘dream since you were a child.’ What would you say to your younger self now that you are out the other side?
“I would say, ‘Listen, be kind to the people who have participated in the competition the years before you because it’s terrifying.’ It’s paralyzingly terrifying going on that stage — well, at least it was for me because I held it to such a high standard. I would also say to my younger self, ‘It will all go well. Keep working hard and enjoy it. You will do it one day.’ I would be excited to know I would take part.
It’s odd because I had always seen it as a ‘let’s work towards this goal,’ and now I have to work towards something else. I never saw it as a tangible thing; it was just a dream. I would think, ‘Let’s work, and hopefully, one day, it will happen.’ Now, it has happened.”
What is a typical day-to-day like for you post-competition?
“On a typical day, I wake up at 6.45 am, get ready and go to class for 8 am. We warm up, and class starts at 8.30 am and goes until 10 am. We then have a short break, continue class until noon, and then lunch. Currently, I am in show rehearsals between 1.45 pm and 5 pm, and after rehearsals, I usually stretch, work out, or go to physio. It sounds really vigorous, but we get through. Then it’s time for dinner, followed by going back to the studio for an hour or two, then collapsing in bed, ready to repeat it all the next day. I enjoy it and appreciate everything I am learning.”
What are the next steps after securing the Aud Jebsen Scholarship?
“I am going to a company and hope to work with them for as long as I can and learn as much as I can. I also hope to see the world, make new friends, and enjoy it.”
Can you tell us what company?
“I wish I could, but I can’t tell you. It’s under embargo.”
By Jamie Body of Dance Informa.
