My work in Seychelles has been some of the most rewarding of my journey beyond the professional stage. In 2022, I travelled to La Digue, where I introduced ballet to a group of 16 boys who had never danced before. Rather than asking them to simply learn ballet, we created something that connected the technique with their own energy and identity, adapting the Nutcracker Battle Scene into a piece they could make their own. What started as a dance workshop became something much bigger — watching young people who had never considered themselves dancers discover confidence, discipline, creativity and the joy of movement. The following year, I returned to Seychelles, this time to the main island of Mahé, where I worked with more than 30 young people on an Alice in Wonderland production at the National Theatre. We brought together ballet, character work, partner work, b-boying and Moutya, one of Seychelles’ most important traditional dance forms. The children weren’t simply learning steps; they were exploring their own culture alongside new forms of movement and discovering how those worlds could exist together. From the Queen of Moutya to the world of Wonderland, the project became a celebration of Seychellois identity, imagination and young talent. For me, the most powerful part of these projects has always been the exchange. I arrived with my experience as a professional dancer, but I left having learned from the young people, their culture and their way of seeing movement. These experiences reinforced something I strongly believe: