Rolling with the Punches: A story about dancer Briden Starr
January 2019
Reading length 8 - 10 mins
“This place is nice,” Briden says, as she walks into The Freedom Hub Café in Waterloo, Sydney. She looks vibrant this early Tuesday morning, dressed in a plush white Rochelle Goodrick dress, and black-heeled boots.
“I’ve been patient to get this story, thought this café would fit perfectly,” I say.
“I’m glad we got there in the end,” Briden laughs, as she sweeps her blonde hair back.
It has been a bustling last few months for dancer, actor, and singer Briden Starr: she has been travelling between Los Angeles, Dubai, and Sydney for work. Briden has also recently walked at the 2018 LA Fashion Week, and on top of all of that, she still makes time to teach at Village Nation, a performing-arts school, in Alexandria, Sydney. To spend a few hours to compile her story would be quite a task.
We walk to the back of the café where there is a space enclosed in glass-block windows. Peering inside the room, there is a rustic table, surrounded by Chesterfield dining chairs, and at the far wall a chandelier sits on an antique-esque table. The whole setup resembles an 18th-century dining room, with a modern touch.
There we settle. The café staff promptly serves Briden her latte, and I bring out my pen and paper.
She sips from her cup.
“It seems your lifestyle is fast paced, but surely it wasn’t always like that. How did everything start for you?” I begin.
Briden ponders mid-sip from the cup, wipes a coffee stain from her rouge lips, and smiles. “I always claim that my first show was when my mum was performing in the West Side Story musical when she was pregnant with me. But I grew up in the theatre and in the studio, because my mum was a professional performer, so she would bring me to work. To be honest though, when I was young, I never really liked dancing, and I wasn’t graceful in my movements at all. I remember being called Bambi, because I was quite awkward with my long limbs. Actually, growing up, I was quite the tomboy: I liked sports and I played soccer, and I was quite good at it. I even made the state team.”
“So when did dancing become part of your life?”
“When I was 12, I moved to Talent Development High School, in Moore Park, Sydney, and that’s where I started to like dancing. Eventually, my schedule for soccer and dance clashed, and I had to choose. It wasn’t easy, but dance won, just because it was around me more.” Briden looks away, pensive. “But the moment when the penny dropped for me, knowing that I wanted to be a dancer, was when I saw Matt Lee perform in the musical Miss Saigon. His performance was extraordinary, I burst into tears after the show.”
“What factors of Matt’s performance impressed you?”
“I can’t pin it to one thing. Maybe it was a combination of his talent, and seeing his journey materialise up to that point, but after the show, I just knew, and I told my mum I wanted to be a dancer.”
Briden was born to impressive parents who are both in the showbiz industry: Briden’s mother, Jacqui Howard, was among the ones who started the performing-arts school Brent Street Studios, in Fox Studios, Sydney, while Briden’s father, Wayne Aspinall, was the CEO for Brent Street Studios. Together, Jacqui and Wayne helped develop and refine many dancers who have gone on to pursue great dancing careers. Among those is their daughter, Briden.
“When I told my mum that I wanted to be a dancer, she was honest on what the cost of pursuing a career in that field would be. It wasn’t going to be easy, especially, because I was starting quite late, as a 13-year old. But there was nothing more I wanted, so I did it.”
“During that time, what did your training look like?”
“I studied two years of full-time ballet while I was doing full-time high school. My mum was right; it was physically rigorous, and it really taught me a lot of discipline, but during that time, I also learnt other things like singing, acting, and stage performance. It was intense, but it was what I wanted to do, and I really worked hard to learn everything I could, and be the best I possibly could.”
Briden’s diligence, and patience bore results. At 17, she got a part on the TV show, MTV plugs into Dreamworld Summer Series, as a host and dancer. Then, at 18, she played the part of Shelly in the musical, Hairspray.
“Everything was surreal when I was part of Hairspray, and I knew this was what I was supposed to be doing. There was one instance in particular, when I was randomly given the same dressing room my mum used when she was playing West Side Story.”
Amidst the hard work and determination, an unexpected injury to her sacrum left Briden not just in pain, but also irresolute as a dancer.
Briden’s eyes sweep away for a moment when I ask her about her injury, and she says, “When I injured my lower back, I really think I should have listened to what the doctors advised me: to rest. But you know how determined you are when you’re young. Plus, as a dancer, my pain tolerance is quite high, so I just pushed through.”
“After the injury got better, how much did it affect you?” I ask.
“As a young person, that injury really hindered my confidence and caused a whirlwind of doubt in my own skills. Physically, I was fine; but mentally… I thought I had just taken a big step backwards as a dancer,” Briden replies.
Even through those testing times, Briden was determined to pursue a career as a performer.
“My mum taught me the maxim: never give them a reason to cut you. That’s why I was taught to be a triple threat as a dancer, singer, and actor, and I teach my students the same thing now. During the time I was injured, I had plenty of time to hone my acting, and singing skills. That’s why, after Hairspray, I was encouraged to audition for a competition called X-Factor, Australia,” Briden says.
“As an all-around creative, did you enjoy being part of a reality TV show about creative talent?” I ask.
“It was a great experience, and I don’t regret it at all, but looking back at it now, I think, I entered that competition way too young. I hadn’t figured out a lot of things about my identity yet.”
“In what way?” I ask.
“There was a big backlash against me on social media, over an incident that was framed in a particular way. For someone so young to be thrust into the spotlight it already felt overwhelming, but then to be threatened by strangers because of a misconception, really tore me apart. So, I had to quickly learn how to have thick skin.” Briden’s eyes are unwavering. Focused. Her dreams weren’t going to end there.
Challenges, adversity, and change, are things that we face when we pursue something outside our comfort zone. Overcoming these, or at least learning how to manage them in our lives, is what allows us to grow, and become better in a particular area. Literature Professor Joseph Campbell’s book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, specifies a common cycle that most heroes traverse in myths across cultures. The universality of this cycle is what makes his work so applicable to our journeys, whether daily, or in its entirety. Campbell writes that in every journey, we begin by leaving a place of comfort, in search of something new or different. Through that journey, we will pass through the road of trials, where we face ‘monsters’, danger, and risk. But when we are determined to see the journey through, we are more willing to face these challenges head on. Maybe, the reason why we are so willing to engage such adversity, is because there is a glimpse of something wonderful at the end of the journey. [1]
And this is what Briden has done. She had rolled with the punches thrown against her, and has come out stronger, and is actively helping others.
“I was angry at what happened to me, but when I heard what cyber bullying had done to particular people like Charlotte Dawson, I wanted to change that, and it led me to become part of the Stop Youth Suicide campaign. But in saying that, I’ve always believed in bringing awareness to things that need to be improved. That’s why I’ve been part of other charities like Variety Heart, and Jeans for Genes.”
Through the last few years, Briden has catalogued an impressive resume of work: in pageantry, she was crowned Miss Tourism Australia in 2014; as a singer, she has released a song, Pyromania, and toured China in 2015; in acting, she has starred in films such as Great Gatsby (2012), and The Wolverine (2013); and most recently, she walked the runway as a model for brands like George Styler at the 2018 LA Fashion Week.
I ask Briden what she thought of walking the runway for the first time, and what the difference is between modelling and being a performer.
“Walking at the LA Fashion Week was fun, but modelling is something I’m still new at. Being a model usually means your talent is dependant on a specific physical appearance, and not a particular creative skill.” Briden shakes her head. “There are certain people born with the natural skill to be a model, but I know I don’t. The times when I’m pursuing modelling, I have to work extra hard. I train almost everyday, to make sure I’m in the best shape possible.”
“With everything you do at the moment, what’s currently the biggest challenge you’re facing?” I ask her.
Briden begins to answer, but stops before any words leave her lips. She muses for a moment.
“It’s a challenge when you do something that makes certain people happy, but it then unexpectedly upsets another group of people. I’m learning that when I do things that make me happy, and help others, not everyone will like it, and that’s okay. Does that make sense?”
I nod, being all too familiar with the sentiment.
“As a dance teacher, what approach do you use to inspire your students?” I ask.
“I always urge a student’s potential, but what I really work with them on is their work ethic. Just because someone has talent doesn’t mean that everyone will want to work with them. At Village Nation, we try to focus on the training: the idea of prioritising ‘careers over comps’.” Briden replies. “My job is not to make someone Instagram famous, but to train someone to be the best performer they can be, and help them manage their weaknesses. I want to prepare them to sign that contract.”
“What else are you looking forward to doing in the future?”
The ends of her lips curl with a half smile, and she cups her cheek with a hand.
“I’m fortunate enough to travel with the different work I do, but I want to travel more. There’s something about being in the air that puts me at ease. I get a lot of creative ideas when I’m up in the clouds. Places like Bora Bora and India where I can experience the culture, and food excite me. 2018 was a difficult year, and I can’t wait to see what 2019 has for me.” For a moment, I see a sparkle from her hazel eyes. “Music is back on the horizon, but this time, I’m going to do it at my own pace…”
[1] Campbell, Joseph. The Hero with a Thousand Faces. 3rd edition. New World Library. Novato, CA. 2008. p.89-90
Find more of Briden on her Instagram: @briden_starr or get in contact through her website: Briden Starr
[Updated April 7 2019]
Briden is currently in the running to be featured in Maxim magazine. Help her win, as the wining prize goes to help her dance school be wheelchair accessible, and the beginning of a non-profit charity. Click here.
Words and Photos: S.I. Finlayson
Editor: Annie Tonkin and Jenny Jaakkola
Dress: Rochelle Goodrick
With special thanks to The Freedom Hub cafe - To see more of their work: The Freedom Hub