Michelle Gimmi

My passion when I was younger and to this day is to dance, sing and act. When I came across Flash Musicals in 2009, I signed myself up in a heartbeat. Being at Flash for 4 years equipped me with the skills, confidence, and drive for the future ahead of me.

I remember my first day at Flash Musicals like it was yesterday. A 12-year-old girl walking through the front entrance not knowing what to expect, as soon as I went to the reception area and was greeted by the lovely staff, I automatically felt at ease. I walked into a room full of talented individuals that ranged from different age groups and backgrounds and felt comfortable straightaway. I remember making about 30 friends that day, some who are now my closest friends today!

Before joining Flash Musicals, I always struggled with confidence, I was constantly nervous and never felt good enough. With a few warmups, learning a show, rehearsals and eventually a performance, my confidence skyrocketed! Those feelings of low self esteem and confidence diminished, and I found myself volunteering for roles I would not really go for or being front stage in dances. Such a change in such a miniscule space of time.

Nerves still made appearances, but that is normal, the only thing that made the nerves calm down was having your friends there backstage with you and knowing you are about to show all your family and friends all the hard work and passion you put in for that show! That was the most rewarding part of being at Flash, watching the audience’s reaction to a funny line in the show, to a hilarious costume (I had a fair few!) or their shock to a technical dance being completed by 12-year olds!

I am currently 22 years old and although I have not embarked on a Musical Theatre route, my history of being at Flash will always play a part on how I got to what I am doing today. Musical theatre may not have been my career option, but it still remains my hobby and passion. I finished my Law degree last year and I am just about to finish my Masters in Legal Practice in October. My aspiration is to become a Solicitor. When you look at the skills you need in becoming a solicitor, they are skills which Flash taught me from a young age:

- You must be organised – Flash taught me to come to rehearsals knowing your lines, having your script highlighted and annotated.

- You must think outside the box- Flash would always ask and encourage for your input when coming up with ideas for shows, dance routines etc!

- Confidence- I have already touched on this previously, but you need to believe the part to play the part!

- Being a team player / independent- You must be a team player otherwise the experience and the show will not flow! When you click and work together, the show becomes 100% more enjoyable and the chemistry you see on stage is infectious! Alongside that you must also know to work independently such as going home to learn lines and going over dance routines!

- Thinking on the spot- when you are in a court room or in a meeting, something might go wrong; like how something in a show could go wrong. In those situations, you must think on the spot and come up with an idea to correct it!

- People Skills / Communication Skills- such an important vital skill that is needed for everyday life, let alone job roles!

There are so many more skills that I was equipped with, but I think I need to keep this short and simple (I have a tendency to write long essays!). All these skills are vital for any job role you wish to encounter. The best thing about it? You do not even think you are learning these skills because you are having so much fun! You definitely will thank Flash later down the line when you are going for that interview, that audition or that apprenticeship!

To this day, I am still dancing and singing (in the shower- but still counts!) and I cannot wait for the day when I have children in the hope that they take the plunge like I did and join Flash Musicals as they will not regret it!

I would like to personally thank Flash Musicals and all members of staff for making my time so memorable and enjoyable. I would like to thank my friends who made the shows and experience so much better. Memories and life skills that I will cherish forever.

Thank you.