Jim Nowakowski, Houston ballet dancer, made a splash when he auditioned for the reality TV show “So You Think You Can Dance.” He received great reviews and some say he might make it all the way to the top ten – or win the whole thing. Nowakowski talked to Texas Standard about his distinct background and dancing experience.
On his life before living in Houston:
“I was adopted into an American family at the age of like six-and-a-half months old and I have an older sister who is also adopted who started dancing first. I was just very active and always copied her, and my parents were like ‘Let’s just thrown him into a dance class for fun’ and I loved it.”
On how dancing became a respite from the doctors appointments and surgeries:
“Dancing was kind of a therapeutic way, an escape for me as child. At the end of the day it was always like ‘After this, I get to go dance.’ After this surgery, after this recovery, after this appointment, I get to go do what I love and go dance so dancing was, you know, my way to kind of cope and deal with all of those struggles growing up.”
On his dream to dance in Europe:
“I really want to be a part of that world, even if it’s four to five years. It’s so different and the arts kind of are appreciated in a different way there and I want to be apart of that and be in a different atmosphere, I would love to dance in Europe for a bit so that’s like my goal.”
Listen to the full interview in the player above.
