over the next few nights, the nairobi audiences are in for a treat. people are freaking out, joel. they thought that this our main and developing story this was the best show ever. but that's only cause they weren't hour is the fifth night of protests here for last night. yeah, and they don't know when it's not good or not. in cities right across america. we can only pray. romeo &juliet, balcony scene. after the death of george floyd. he died after being held on the back of the neck to the ground by a police officer in minneapolis. that sparked protests in that city and they have now spread to dozens and dozens of cities right across the country. cu rfews have been cities right across the country. curfews have been in place in scores of cities and some people have it was amazing to watch, honestly. obeyed those cu rfews of cities and some people have obeyed those curfews and left the streets after protesting peacefully just spectacular. this afternoon. but others have from the last time i saw him dance to now, his skill remained on the streets and there level has improved. it's just fascinating to watch. are tonight clashes between i thought it was amazing. protesters and police forces across i enjoyed every second. america. and it was such a pleasure to look at.

here, private tenants are more likely to be in financial difficulty the first night of the performance, than home owners because of opening night, my mum was there, the pandemic, according my sister was there. to a new study. and i didn't know that she was going the report by the think tank the resolution foundation says many to come onstage and give me flowers renters have seen afterwards the performance, their incomes fall. which was pretty cool, because i had never gotten the government insists it's taken action to support tenants, including banning evictions a chance like that. for three months, as our business correspondent katy austin explains. so it was lovely for herjust to be on stage with me and give me flowers paying the rent has become too much at the end of the performance in nairobi at the kenyan national for denny while her hair salon is shut. theatre and it was pretty cool. her landlord has agreed to postpone two months‘ rent, to be paid back in future. i enjoyed it. at the moment, we owe april and may, and thenjune is due back in london just a week later, the 1st ofjune. the harsh reality of exams, assessments, and auditions i feel sick, actually. is beginning to hit home. because at the moment, now, that's obviously one of our biggest outgoings, the rent. today i'm doing a class with alexander whitley citizens advice estimates 2.6 at the wayne mcgregor studios, million tenants expect to fall because i'm graduating behind on rent because of in three months' time. coronavirus, and the resolution foundation think tank says one in five private renters have been basically the students furloughed or lost their job. are auditioning for certain it says they are struggling companies, ballet companies, with payments more than homeowners.

going into the crisis, they had lower levels of savings, contemporary companies. for example and, critically, they also spent considerably more of their income on housing costs in the first place. government has brought in measures considering this is the first time he's done class with us, to try and help struggling tenants. i think a lot of it isjust in march, evictions were banned for three months, but a committee being familiar enough with the kind of mps has warned a crisis of exercises to be able is looming in the private rental to learn them and do them sector. quickly, you know. one, two, three, back... he's got the willingness and the aptitude to try and take risks and explore new things. when we're out there citizens advice says further just doing our thing, measures will be needed you're happy, you're when the eviction ban smiling, so i think — no, i know that it's ends in late june. going to be amazing. whether he decides to do what we want the government to do ballet or contemporary, one things for sure, is make sure that there joel's dancing career will take off is protection for people who have once this lockdown is over. fallen into arrears due but, for now, as with most of us, to coronavirus, and then also joel and his friends in kenya to accept and make sure the landlords have to put spend their time online taking in place things like classes and looking forward affordable repayment plans. to the day they can take landlords say they are working out solutions with tenants wherever possible. to the stage again. the ministry responsible for housing said support for renters joel, would you like to be our first guest teacher next week? and landlords is being kept under review. katy austin, bbc news. um, sure, yes, please. actually, no, i've changed my mind,because they've had you recently for romeo and juliet. now on bbc news, before the coronavirus lockdown, professional dancerjoel kioko all the boys. returned to his home city, ten push—ups.

nairobi, meeting dance students face your camera down. emerging from a thriving classical ballet scene in kenya. you ready? ready? laughter. and one and two... oh, i miss this. i used to do this! four, five, six... seven, eight... one month since the coronavirus nine... lockdown started, 19—year—old joel kioko completes daily ballet classes at his home in london, with instructions coming in from his teacher via zoom. come on! demi—detourne. derriere. stretch out a little bit. ten! oh, no. switch davant fondu. you only get ten. you're only getting ten. second. all right. let go of the bar. that's fine. that's about nine. front reverse the port de bras... back in february, joel was taking his final classes hello there. at the english national ballet saturday brought more school and preparing for a major dry, sunny, and warm challenge — the leading weather across the whole of the united kingdom. role in romeo and juliet now, it was a fine end to the day in london at the kenyan national theatre. and west london did quite well for temperatures.

with classical ballet, heathrow got up to 26 degrees. you're always learning something. but for the most part on saturday, the highest temperatures were across that's how i see it — the north and the west i don't know how other of the uk with kinloch here in the highlands people see it — of scotland, the nation's and especially for me, hotspot with highs of 27. because i started late, we're going to see similar kind i have so much to learn. joel has come a long way since his upbringing in the kuwinda of temperatures for these slums, where his incredible talent was spotted. he's the first student western areas as we get from an emerging classical ballet on into sunday as well. now over the next few hours, scene in nairobi to train most of us are going to keep professionally in london. the clear skies but probably some low cloud and some sometimes, when i am fog begin to push onto the eastern shores of scotland in class, i am like — and although temperatures i have never seen that in the towns and cities between around 8—13 degrees, in the countryside the coldest spots get down to about 3 before but i have to play degrees so it will be quite chilly for some of you to with it because later on, i'll go start sunday morning. sunday, well, that low cloud into the studios and i'll play and fog can take the first with a certain movement that i've few hours of seen that i've never seen before, the morning to clear away from east scotland. and i'll practice and i'll do until it will be perfect. but i think i'm comfortable to go out there and start dancing. maybe a bit of misting this i just want everyone to just get a job and dance. as well in north—east england. to reach this stage in the competitive ballet world has

been hard work, and the dancers will take up places in international but otherwise, a sunny start to companies when the current the day and a sunny afternoon. isolation ends. now, the highest temperatures —— companies when the current in scotland probably again to the north—west isolation period ends. of the country, the highlands doing ok with highs probably so our third years will be taking reaching around 25—26 degrees celsius here. auditions for companies outside, you might see another 23 or 2a for westernmost areas of northern ireland. so they would have finished, and some of the highest temperatures in england they would have got — across western areas and wales too. they would get their diploma you could see highs locally hitting around 27. injuly, after a school performance. now for monday's forecast, they are already auditioning the high pressure is still for all sorts of different companies in charge of our weather, all over the world so, so we've got more of that dry weather to come. you know, to find a job. more of the sunshine as well. temperatures still on the high side for the time of year, that's everybody. looking at highs of 2a in glasgow, 26 or so head of year and joel's tutor mr yow in cardiff, but from then on we're going to start to see has guided them throughout. the weather changing somewhat because an area of low pressure is going to start to develop ok, so last time we got to see to the north of the uk you doing nutcracker... and move in as we head this afternoon, the class towards tuesday and wednesday. so, that is going to be bringing some cloudy skies rehearsed pas de deux. with rain or showers pushing southwards and as well as that, the area is going to piano plays. be getting cooler. so temperatures will be coming back down close to normal for the time of year and normal isn't something we've seen for quite a long time. so, scotland is going to be cooling down as you can see, there will be some rain

and showers around as well as we go through tuesday and wednesday. perhaps some of the heaviest rain actually working through during tuesday night. it is quite scary for the students further southwards to go out there in the big world across england and wales, still hanging onto some warm sunshine on tuesday after being in a school for three but the change comes really on wednesday with thicker cloud. years with the same friends. again, rain or showers working in. that's your latest weather. but once you're out there, you have to look after yourself. so we actually, as a school, try to prepare them for that. joel is one of our students. he is very professional. after hours of technical classes, later in the day the students get to practise their own choreography. third—year innis‘s piece is based on swan lake. five, six, seven, eight! you can choose any music and then you get four dancers or more, if you want.

i have three. i don't have a name for it yet but i've chosen indian music. it is based on contemporary and kathak. you need that... i need that passe. oh, wait, shouldn't we do this? we did a passe! yeah, yeah, we did it. this is the beginning. yeah. as well as the movements, joel is working out the soundtrack with his classmate ludmila. it's one of their last projects together before they leave college. it's a bit sad, because we've known each other for a long time good morning. and knowing that from next year, welcome to breakfast with ben thompson and sally nugent. we're not going to have each other our headlines today: to come to talk to, so it's curfews across america as a fifth going to be very sad. night of protests spread to more than 30 cities. as this chapter of their lives, the bonds formed police cars are set on fire — during their halcyon days at college will stay with the students long riot officers respond with tear gas. after they have left.

we are very close. demonstrators converge on the white house in washington. the unrest follows the death of an african—american man in the hands of the police. we — i think we've grown more into, like, very good friends. when i first metjoel, after ten weeks at home, more than two million people it was so interesting to hear in england who've been stories of, you know, shielding during lockdown, where he'd came from. are told they can go outdoors it is really quite amazing and inspiring how far he has come and how lovely he is as a person and a dancer. we share a passion. i think i've gotten closer with most of my school classmates. everyone has started getting close but in the beginning, because it was new competition, no—one really wanted to talk to anyone else, it's really lonely. sometimes you get homesick, i am not going to lie. sometimes, when i've been walking around london and i see a picture of my mum on facebook while i'm on facebook, and i am like, "oh, yeah, i miss my mum". for three years, joel has been

living with a london family, so he has four new surrogate sisters. but now, joel will soon be reunited with his family as he has been offered a unique opportunity to return to nairobi to play romeo, with the dancer who first discovered him playing juliet. it is going to be boiling all day long doing ballet. it's going to be emotional because we share so much and, especially with romeo and juliet, it's like — it's all about love. i know something good is going to be created. soon, joel will once again meet the dancers who discovered him as a boy. touchdown. so we're going to one of the studios, which is in hardy. that's where we're going. we're going to rehearsal because we only have a week to put this on. romeo and juliet is being staged

under the directorship of american ballet dancer cooper rust, who founded dance centre kenya. dance is taking over nairobi and even spreading beyond. the employment opportunities in the city that has 40% unemployment and now all of a sudden, there's dance teachers and it is an opportunity for people to make a living through dance and i am just as excited about training future dance teachers and having more of these little studios around nairobi and around kenya as i am about training dancers that are leaving kenya and going abroad, likejoel. annabel shaw, playing juliet, from the northern and manchester city ballet is on hand to greet him. romeo and juliet is my favourite ballet. i think the score, prokofiev's music, isjust to die for. i think it's gorgeous. when cooper told me kind of, yeah, only five weeks ago,

"oh, you're going to do romeo and juliet. you're going to be juliet. joel is coming but he is not arriving until a week before the show," i was kind of like "oh, 0k!" the cast have already been rehearsing for three weeks asjoel arrives, with the opening nightjust seven days away. for now, i want you to get your tights and your dance pointe on. i don't have to put my tights, no? uh, yeah, we have rehearsal until seven. go ahead, next section. everybody go with your partners. michelle, you work with pamela, but michelle can help you discuss a lot. joel is thrown straight in at the deep end as the company begin rehearsals for the ball scene, where romeo falls forjuliet. i learned a lot of the choreography beforehand because at least, if one of you knows it, you've got at least something to fall back on. but what's really nice is that, because we do know each other so well, a lot of the figuring out has kind of already been done over the years, so a lot of the kind

of partnership and predicting where the other is going to be and how we're going to fit together, we've kind of already done all of that, so that definitely makes it easier, as well. do it again. back up and set her back down. i would recommend not trying this the first time with a skirt on. 0k. joel and annabel have just six more days to learn a one hour and 50 minute ballet. let go of your dancers around... things do not always go quite to plan, even for experienced dancers like joel. so let's hear this musically, this whole section. step, up, up. dance. music playing. by the end of the first day,

joel has already learnt the first pas de deux. i do not even think about it. i see it's just a dance — that's it. as long as i keep on repeating it, that's why we have rehearsals, it will be there. the movements, i have seen them, and i think that is why i remember them. i have seen them before, you know the names, you know the terminology and i guess that is why it is easier to remember. through artists for africa, a charity set up by cooper, more children from the slums are hoping for a career in dance. cooper fosters eight of them, including 12—year—old michelle and 13—year—old lavender, who regularly travel to rehearsals after visits to their families in kibera. i'm from kibera slums, which is one of biggest slums in kenya, and i love it there because i was born there and i'm from there. and that is why i started dancing.

you, like, have to do everything correctly, like, arms and put your legs where they are supposed to be but then africa is like, you are just free, you can do anything. for now, i want to be a professional dancer when i grow up, because i love it so much. keep them — it's very hard... withjoel as their role model, the young people cooper has fostered from the slums, and others like them, believe a career in dance and an escape from poverty is possible. joel's friend silas is the first certified male ballet teacher in kenya. it is a growth for me. i see it as a growth of talent and growth of art in our country, not only here at dck, but as a country. it shows that there is a bright future ahead. dance teachers going out into schools around nairobi through artists for africa are inspiring the next generation of children from the slums. 1,2 -i, 2... sometimes the kids come from slums,

they have a lot in their heads so when they dance they free up their minds. the kids can choose what they want after a dance. maybe others want to be an engineer, maybe others want to take dance as a career. so it is up to us to show them the way. today the cast are learning the scene where tybalt kills romeo's friend mercutio and, in turn, romeo exacts his revenge and is banished from verona. five, six, seven, eight. one, two, three, four, down, up, down up. learning the fights is hard, not to mention the acting. you want him and them to be friends now after 20 years of hating each other. so don't grab it. na—uh—uh! it's even the fingers in the... don't. i'm serious. details matter. it's not fingers in front as if you're grabbing it.

it's fingers in back as if you're saying "hey, excuse me". it's a very different gesture. as well as the fight scenes, joel must learn the harlot‘s dance with benvolio and mercutio. romeo &juliet - morning dance. when they're not in the main rehearsals, joel and annabel practice in a side studio. it has gotten on ok. tiring. but i'm getting there. almost done with, like, with the first act — almost finished. by the end of the third day,

joel almost has the ballet done. this is absolutely insane. him learning all of romeo and juliet in three days. we've got about six minutes left here. an hour and 56 minutes or something like that. he just has a few minutes left to learn. and it'll be done this evening. with the castjust needing to fine tune their routines, joel is absolutely exhausted. getting the show onto the stage at the kenyan national theatre seems a long way off. finally, there's a break in rehearsals for romeo and juliet, so annabel is taking joel to visit his mother. it's going to be nice. have dinner. hang out with my mum. because i haven't done that in a while. mum! many of the families here were forced to relocate

after a massive fire, including angela. angela has seen her son transformed since the days he started dancing. he told me he was going to dance and then he was dancing, everyday dancing. at first i wasn't taking it seriously. i didn't know that dancing was done for, maybe, for a career. joel regularly returns to kibera, where he used to give ballet classes to the children at the angel kindergarten. me teaching the kids was always fun, stressful sometimes, because i didn't know how they would react to it. you see them smiling, you see them happy. they are talking, they are dancing. i was very eager to learn

in the beginning when i started doing ballet. it was through an outreach programme like this thatjoel first met annabel. we were both really young. i was maybe 14 and joel was 13 or 12. but i sort of spotted joel. he was always coming in, he was always on time, and he had this beautiful elevation and his long legs when hejumped. annabel decided to invite cooper rust in to seejoel dance. and immediately i sanoel. so i started home—schooling him so he could both learn to read and learn to dance. asjoel‘s skills increased, cooper secured an audition for him at the english national ballet school. she has pretty much changed a lot of lives. she's a mum to a lot of people. she's my best friend. whilejoel trained, he spent most of the time with his ballet friends at cooper's. these are home—grown zucchinis?

yes. cooper's really amazing that she does all of that. i don't think i've met anyone else who can do such brilliance that she does. it really brings us together. emotionally we talk about everything. and we just really understand each other. so let's get everything cleaned up tonight and teeth brushed and ready for bed and we'll make some plans. cool? after dinner, cooper has some last—minute notes forjoel. in the death pas de deux. more emotion. a lot more emotion. by putting your own worst nightmares into it. when you're acting it out you have to take it all the way. when you're in the moment it's ok and annabel won't mind. it'll help her. i think sometimes you're like "what comes next, what comes next, what comes next" — it's natural. but you have to think "what comes next, what comes next,

what comes next..." laughter. after a late night there's just time to grab some breakfast. it feels surreal, because, first of all, i would never have imagined performing romeo and juliet here. it's something that never crossed my mind even as a role that i would ever get to perform. so i'm just thankful. i don't know. it's crazy. it is crazy. while the theatre technicians get across the lighting and stage cues, the company have a chance to get used to this space, including a renowned actor john sibi okumu playing lord montague. it is a wonderful story and i wanted to be on the same stage asjoel. because what he has achieved is phenomenal. to get where he is, and annabel, these are home—grown superstars. at the kenyan national theatre,

the public arrive for the opening gala. the show must go on. applause. places for act one! 00:22:04,332 --> 2147483051:47:46,881 romeo &juliet, 2147483051:47:46,881 --> 4294966103:13:29,430 dance of the knights.