Jillis Roshanali

Born: 1999 Leiden
Education: Royal Conservatoire, The Hague; National Ballet Academy, Amsterdam
Experience: Introdans (internschip in season 2018/19, guest dancer in season 2020/21 and 2021/22)

When Jillis was four years old, he started with dance expression. Just like his sister, he really wanted to dance at the preparatory training of the Leiden Ballet & Theater School. Until he went to the Royal Conservatoire, he had lessons in different dance styles, singing and theater. Strangely enough, ballet was not his favorite lesson, he saw himself dancing on stage and singing in musicals. He finally did this in two musicals. In the last musical he played the fantastic role of Billy Elliot.

Striking dance talent

At the age of 10, Jillis was allowed to participate in the Christmas ballet performance of The Dutch Don’t Dance Division as a street child. They told him that his dance talent was striking what caused that he got a child’s role. Thom Stuart and Rinus Sprong advised him to do audition for the dance training at the Royal Conservatory. By rehearsing all these months, his great passion for ballet came. So he wanted to do audition. His mother still had to be convinced, not because she felt that ballet was not for boys, but because she was surprised about his twist. But luckily she gave him the chance.

The American adventure

Jillis has been able to develop his dance skills at the Royal Conservatoire. But he did have the biggest development at the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School of The American Ballet Theater. He worked hard, but that has paid off. He ended his American adventure with Summer Intensive, where he received a scholarship for his good performance. In the past school year, he was allowed to develop himself further and put the tips of his ballet education at the National Ballet Academy. There he received the advice to audition at Introdans.

Develop at Introdans

Jillis indicates to be happy that he gets the chance to dance at Introdans. He thinks it is important to experience other styles and develop himself further in the modern dance style. He likes that Introdans lets the ballet techniques come back in many of their pieces.