He is one of the choreographers and dancers in YADA’s production of Strait Street which continues this weekend at the MCC. Josanne Cassar met Jes Sciberras for lunch at Il-Kapitali in Valletta

Just opposite the Manoel Theatre, there used to be an old-style coffee shop called Manoel Caffe.

Last June Silvio Farrugia took over the premises, carried out major renovations and re-named it Il-Kapitali café and wine bar, a fitting name for a place located in the country’s capital. Designed by architect Robert Salsero, its minimalist style could not be any more different from its previous look, and the place has become one of the most buzzing cafes in Valletta. Following in the Italian tradition, it is both a coffee shop and café where one can find salads, pasta, platters and light snacks. Open for lunch and dinner (except for Monday evenings), it also stays open late for theatre-goers.

Silvio has added a nice touch by offering patrons a complimentary bowl of vegetable soup while they wait. It is such a very simple thing to do, but it makes a great impression.

Jes Sciberras arrives, quiet-spoken and introspective, looking very much like the bank executive which he is during the day.

It is when he goes on stage and starts his ‘other life’ as a dancer that you see the other, more vibrant side of him. He is the first to point out, however, that it was not easy to emerge from his shell to become a performer.

Born and raised in the depressed Valletta area known as il-Mandragg, Jes’ roots are still firmly entrenched in this much-maligned neighbourhood.

“Maybe for certain people the word Mandragg (slums) sounds a bit heavy but if you had to go down and speak to the residents there you would find they have a heart of gold. My parents ran a bar, so my older brother Albert and I often stayed with our great-aunt Peppa. I have wonderful memories of those days, we were very close and she would often slip me some extra pocket money!”

Jes comes from a very close-knit, religious family in which the Church played a fundamental role. He was a shy, quiet child and was often picked on at school. As an altar boy, he never really mixed with the neighbourhood children and this further isolated him from his peers.

“Until I was about 16 I acted in community theatre here in Valletta, with the tal-Karmnu and Santu Wistin parishes. I took part in pageants and Christmas plays put up by our prayer group. But I was still very conservative, very reserved.”

He was introduced to the world of dance at the age of 19 through a friend who urged him to take classes with Felix Busuttil. For someone who began dancing at such a relatively late age, he has come a long way

“At the time I couldn’t imagine myself a dancer because I never went to clubs or anything. I only went out with friends from my prayer group. However, when I started taking classes I found I enjoyed it. Even though I was just a beginner, Felix asked me to take part in his production called Excited. He really believed in me.”

His enjoyment was short-lived, however, because he suffered the beginning of a slipped disc and had to stop for five years. So it was at the age of 25 when he really began dancing, and this time he went into it wholeheartedly, signing up for jazz, ballet at Tanya Bayona, contemporary and Spanish.

“Felix used to involve me a lot in his shows and during rehearsals you learn a lot, because you’re always polishing, he’s always correcting you and without realising it your level improves tremendously. I took part in Iskra, which was the last show at the MCC before there was that fire.”

From being a withdrawn boy who only socialised within his prayer group to performing in Strait Street is quite a leap. Jes smiles in agreement.

“When I started meeting new people in Felix’s shows, it was so completely different from the sheltered world I had come from. When I first performed at the Catholic Institute, for me at the time it was like ‘wow!’ – but eventually you get used to it. I think when you have someone who believes in you, and who pushes you, it helps. I used to be very stiff and tense at first, very self-conscious, and Felix used to always emphasise that I needed to relax. I take my hat off to Felix because he started me off and opened a lot of doors for me. I’m also indebted to my other teachers such as Justin Roy Barker, Vivienne Fielding and Rosanna Maya.”

Modelling, which he started at the same time as dance, also helped to break down his internal barriers.

“That was one thing I did of my own accord. When I realised how outgoing you have to be in order to perform, I realised I had to do something. I knew I was overcoming my inhibitions when Felix stopped commenting on it, so I thought, ‘Ok I’m getting better’. It’s not just technique; it’s the way you present yourself on stage. Sometimes there are dancers who don’t have technique but they have such personality. When I’m on stage I imagine myself with a big beach ball; when I throw it to the audience, it has to bounce back. If it’s going to remain there, I’m not performing. You can tell what the audience is feeling from their clapping, their faces, their eyes, their emotions.”

He has taken part in every YADA show except for Madonna and Tango. Perhaps his greatest challenge came with the lead role as Johnny Castle in Dirty Dancing, based on the well-known film. Expectations were understandably high.

“I felt the audience practically breathing down my neck, I’ll never forget it. It was so emotional for me. In that show I had a lot of lifts with Claire Cassola, especially the end lift, which is famous. If we tried it a hundred times in rehearsal, 80 per cent of the time it never happened! My worst moment came during the dress rehearsal when a dancer did a hitch kick and hit my wrist; it went completely numb. I went to a lot of physiotherapy and thank God in that show there was Him up there, who definitely looked out for me and I did the lift, despite my injury. I used to pray, ‘Gesu, I’m pushing from down here, but please help me.’ I don’t have enough words to thank Him. I always pray before each and every show, dedicating it to Him and offering the show to friends of mine who have died.”

When he talks about his faith Jes becomes emotional, tears well up in his eyes, and he makes me teary-eyed too.

I ask him how he overcomes the fear which naturally grips everyone before they go on stage.

“I just go for it. Before I go on stage, I’m thinking about it all the time, ‘something is going to go wrong’ but then I pull myself together, ‘OK, Jes, you’re going to do it’. In Dirty Dancing, some water from the pool fell on the stage and it became very slippery. As I lifted Claire, I slid and we fell together – no one realised because we covered it, we made it seem like a love scene. Only Justin noticed because it was his choreography! That’s why I believe dancers also have to be actors, especially when you are with a partner; there has to be rapport and chemistry. You have to deliver the message: for example, in Christus as an Apostle I used to think of things which are very sad.”

This year’s show, Strait Street could not be more different and Jes had to once again overcome his own hang-ups.

“The first number when I’m a drag queen is very heavy for me, and I find it very difficult. The first time I did it was in Cage aux Folles, I was very reluctant but Felix persuaded me. I did it because it was on stage – don’t tell me to dress up in Carnival like that, I don’t like it. When Curtainraiser Troupe produced the Rocky Horror Picture Show, Patrick Vella said he had a part for me but I would have to sing. I said ‘don’t tell me it’s Sweet Transvestite’! And he said ‘yes’. So you can imagine, I had to sing live, a solo, and at St James, dressed as a transvestite. It was a nightmare. But again he persuaded me and I did it. I was very proud of myself because I felt I had branched out. In Chicago we also had to sing live, so each time I’m proving to myself that I can do it. If there is someone who believes in me, then I go for it.”

As for his family, they have adjusted to his metamorphosis: his mother, while very pious, is quite open-minded “and my father is too, with the help of my mother.”

“She is such a calm, positive person. She has done about seven major operations and has had two hip replacements yet still makes it a point to come to all of my shows. Both my parents are very supportive.”

Although Jes today has become more outgoing and has lots of friends, he still defines himself as a loner.

“My closest friend is Yasmin Nuvoli (a former YADA dancer). I love her and adore her; she’s like my sister. We meet very often for coffee, we give each other support and criticise one another if necessary, for our own good. She knows absolutely everything about me. On the other hand I’m very independent, I’m very happy with my own company and I don’t mind going out alone. I’m very choosy with friends, very choosy with partners and I’m a perfectionist in every thing I do.”

This perfectionism is carried over into his choreography, for which he feels a tremendous amount of responsibility. He explains why not every dancer can become a choreographer.

“You have to develop your own style, and other people have to believe in what you do. Personally I don’t mind when people give me their opinion if something is not working; after all, I want to learn. In this show each choreographer is giving his own interpretation of the theme of sexuality so we have all come up with something very different. You also has to have ideas for costumes, in my case I was inspired by Jean Paul Gaultier where each dancer is dressed as an individual but then they change and all come together in the end.”

Our main course arrives: We had both chosen pasta with smoked salmon, cream, caviar, onions and parsley. Jes says he never eats junk or fried food, because he puts on weight easily, despite the fact that he burns so many calories with dancing.

“When it comes to sweets, I’m worse than a child, and I have a thing for chocolates! Apart from dance I also teach aerobics, so I really can’t let myself go.”

Today, Jes is in constant demand as a teacher and choreographer for various dance schools, musicals and concerts. He has even been asked to choreograph moves for several Eurovision singers.

“It’s not a case of teaching them how to do a jetè, but I show them how to move and walk, how to cross their legs, even how to hold a mike gracefully. That’s all choreography,” he points out.

Of all the things he has done, one of the most satisfying experiences was when he taught the children at the crèche in Guardiamangia.

“I learnt a lot from them because it’s not easy to teach children from different backgrounds. They used to love it and always gave me their 100 per cent. In fact, I did my very first choreography for them – I chose the song We are the world which they performed for open day. That was about ten years ago, and some of them still recognise me to this day.”

His love of children is also apparent in the way he talks about his present pupils, aged seven-12 years old who are participating in Super One’s Bravi.

“I’m very careful when I speak to them, because I don’t want to hurt their feelings, or make them look silly in front of the camera. They all have different abilities, some have never danced before while others have been going to dance classes for years so you have to bear in mind how they will all look.”

Although so much of Jes’ time is expended on dance, his ‘real job’ is with the Bank of Valletta.

“I work from 7.30am until 4.30pm which is not easy because then I have to give my all in the evening when I’m teaching. But I love my job and I’ve found a lot of support from the company. When I went abroad they gave me unpaid leave because it was for a cultural purpose. BOV supports the arts a lot – we put up a talent show every year which we produce ourselves, and it’s always a success. Some of my colleagues are coming to watch Strait Street as well which is a bit scary …” he admits with a nervous smile.

While the years have taught him how to be more confident, there are still aspects of Jes which remind you of that shy, little boy. He confesses that he is overly sensitive and will even be hurt by a dirty look.

“I immediately wonder, ‘what did I do wrong?’ I don’t think I’m a selfish person; I give a lot and I’m always careful not to step on people’s toes. Because I’m so sensitive, I’m very careful about how I deal with others, but I hate selfishness. If there is a problem, I’ll try and solve it but if I feel that you are trying to choke me, I lose it. It’s true that people from Valletta tend to be very hot-tempered – I’m the same, if something goes wrong I explode, but only with those I know well.”

Today, at the age of 38, he is as busy as ever, studying for his AISTD (an international jazz exam) and doing a massage course. As for next year, it is going to be something of a milestone.

“In 2006, I will have been dancing off and on with YADA for 20 years, so I suppose you could say I’m Felix’s investment!”