Dance Boss is yet to air, but there is already one contestant that has Australia talking – airline engineer Mike. Picking up dancing at the age of 10 after attending his sister’s dance class, Mike is keen to show off his skills alongside his team mates in the Airline Crew.
But for the happy-go-lucky tap dancer, growing up wasn’t always easy. Mike, 27, suffers from a stutter and was targeted by bullies at school.
‘It was a hard time,’ he admits to New Idea. ‘I had amazing friends and family, but kids are kids, they’ll pick on anyone with something different.’
Despite the tough times, Mike stayed positive and he credits it to dancing. ‘I put on my tap shoes and would just dance,’ he reveals.
‘The feeling was absolutely phenomenal – it felt like nothing else really mattered, I was just in the moment and it was fantastic.’
While Mike doesn’t let his stutter affect his day-today life, he reveals that he continues to work on improving it.
‘I am trying a new technique,’ he says. ‘It’s slower and it focuses on my breath… it’s hard to grasp, but it does help a lot.’
Meanwhile, Mike was thrilled to get the chance to show off his moves to former Tap Dog Adam Garcia.
‘That guy’s one of my idols,’ he admits. ‘To be in front of him was awesome, but also nerve-racking as heck.’
But Mike’s nerves were eased by his girlfriend, who was in the audience cheering him every step of the way.
‘She is a really big supporter, so I’m really lucky to have her,’ he says.
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