A dancer and choreographer who has worked with stars including Mariah Carey and Ariana Grande, credits his Somerset upbringing with setting him on his career path.<\/p>\n
Alex Jackson – aka Alex the Lion – was born in the US, but grew up in Yeovil, Somerset. He spent many years working in Los Angeles before returning to his hometown from where he is pursuing a role on London’s West End.<\/p>\n
He said working with people like pop diva Carey has furnished him with a lifetime of stories.<\/p>\n
“When I was working for Mariah Carey, I was invited to her house to practice. We go into this incredibly grand mansion in Beverly Hills, and the only music that’s playing is her music,” recalled Jackson.<\/p>\n
More from Somerset<\/h2>\n
Born in Georgia, Jackson moved to Yeovil with his mother at the age of one.<\/p>\n
“I found out what I wanted to do here – my career path,” he said.<\/p>\n
“It’s been a rollercoaster of an adventure since then.”<\/p>\n
Jackson worked with Mariah Carey while living in the US [Alex the Lion]<\/p>\n
Jackson has worked with Mariah Carrey, Doechii, Ariana Grande, Kylie Minogue, and Rihanna.<\/p>\n
“I was really lucky with the era I grew up in – it was inspiring. I didn’t have a phone so when the music channel was on, I was glued to the TV.”<\/p>\n
He said he got to where he is today by taking “baby steps” after graduating from a professional dance college in London.<\/p>\n
“I started dancing quite late,” he explained. “I started at 12, most people start at six.<\/p>\n
But he added: “I don’t think it’s ever too late to start anything.”<\/p>\n
“In my third year, there was an audition for Rihanna at the Brit Awards. I didn’t think I’d get it.<\/p>\n
“I stood queued up in a line around the block, like an X-factor audition.”<\/p>\n
Later that night, he got the call – he was in the show.<\/p>\n
He subsequently moved to Los Angeles to pursue his dancing and choreographer career in Hollywood.<\/p>\n
“If I want to make these connections, I have to be at the parties, with the right people,” he told himself.<\/p>\n
Six years on, and now back in the UK, he says he would still “love to work with Beyonc\u00e9”.<\/p>\n
But he is never likely to be short of stories about his life in La La land.<\/p>\n
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