Dancer James Hobley talks about how he discovered his talent for dancing, his hopes for the future and what it's like living with autism.
Transcript
Before I started dancing, I wasn't really anything. I was in my own little world I guess running around the house on my tip toes, in splints to help me walk. Autism is like a big learning difficulty, I didn't understand what was really going on, out of that world. Autism affects me socially. Interacting with people, it was, it was very hard, because everybody else, obviously, was making normal conversation and progress. Making friends is that warmth of normal that I get attracted to every time and just want to be, or experience, but I've never really experienced that.
I went to a special school and the people there all had special needs and I knew I really wanted to go to a mainstream school but kids called me names. I went to a special school and the people there all had special needs and I knew I really wanted to go to a mainstream school but kids called me names - really, really horrible names that I'm not going to mention. One day, a boy, he threw lots of paint all over me, acrylic paint. The bullying at the time, it was hard to hide. I did hide it. I always wanted to be normal.
Dancing was the beginning of my new life. The feeling of when I competed against somebody that I thought was normal the possibility that I could be good at something was sort of one in a million. I just really loved the idea of being good at something for the first time in my life. My mum wanted me to apply for 'Britain's got Talent' and I thought it was quite a good idea and I got the audition. Being on TV, it's an amazing experience.
We are normal, but we're normal in a different way to other kids. You've just got to remember that when you're at a mainstream school, getting bullied or something it's not your fault and you are normal but other kids may not understand that. Autistic people, they find it hard to go out the house. You know it's the mental awareness and especially to go out to the town and order fish and chips or pizza or anything, it's very hard. The confidence to just go into a shop and ask for something, never mind having the money or not.
I love dancing and I really wanted to pursue my dream of dance. The second I go on the dance floor, it's sort of like a different persona it's, you have to be very confident with your dancing and what you're doing. It's helped me with, not just my social confidence; I've grown leaps and bounds in my academic work. I started to read and write at school, started to make lots of progress and I came home actually spelling out, my mum says, three letter words and I was communicating a lot more, so it was a big break for me, dancing. You know, over these years I've gained so much confidence, so I'm very grateful. Before I started dancing, you know, I didn't really think about the future at all. When I started dancing, I just started like five, six days a week. To be focused all of the time, it takes hard determination but I've applied what autism has given me.
When I started dancing, I just started like five, six days a week. To be focused all of the time, it takes hard determination but I've applied what autism has given me Autism, in a way has sort of helped me because I didn't have any distractions. The other boys, they'll be watching TV and have girlfriends and have friends round at the house or whatever and they were like, "oh well I can't be bothered to go to dance today". The experiences I've had [Presenters]: "Hello James, nice to meet you" I've made quite a big impact because no normal person would have had these experiences that I've had because, obviously I've been in 'Britain's Got Talent', 'Got To Dance' and so many other things. I'm really grateful and lucky that I've had those experiences because it's just opened my eyes to what else is out there for even autistic people. It's just, there's so much opportunity out there for anybody and everybody and I mean, you just have to, you know, grab the bull by the horns and you just have to get out there I guess. You have to push yourself at what you do.
Do, whatever you do, often. It builds up over time, block by block.I just can't wait to think how I'll be in nine years time. I'm just amazed at how much I've progressed.