A Kenilworth dancer and circus performer has swapped her life in Warwickshire to head to Hollywood to pursue her dream of becoming a stunt woman.

Fern Hopkins is making the switch across the Atlantic as she pursues the next big step in her career.

Now settling into her new life, the 28-year-old has long since held an ambition to move to LA, but it was only in the last few months that dream became a reality. 

"Last year was when it became serious," she told Nub News. 

"I always wanted to come over to America to train but it always felt more like a dream of thinking 'I would like to live there' but it seemed really far-fetched. 

"But I started visiting around a year ago and it has all fallen into place since then and worked out really well."

Fern is not turning her back on her dancing or circus skills, but adding stunts to her skills (image supplied)

Early Beginnings

Having lived in Kenilworth all her life, Fern began dancing aged 14, initially training in hip hop on Saturdays in nearby Coventry.

She then did dancing for GCSE, before heading to Stratford-upon-Avon College to study further.

Fern then moved on to Addict Dance Academy, and started working on the weekends at events and at clubs, doing a mixture of both dancing and circus skills.

"It was either fully go for it with the dancing and fully commit, or do it as a hobby on the side," she explained. 

"I remember having a conversation with my parents saying I don't know what I want to do. 

"It is really hard knowing what you want to do when you're younger. My parents just said 'do whatever makes you happy' - so that's what I did."

Fern started expanding her circus skills while at college (image supplied)

Taking that plunge clearly paid off, as Fern landed her first dancing contract aged 19, missing her graduation to head to Marrakesh for seven months to dance in a show called Oh La La at the Lotus Club.

And it nearly wasn't to be, as a delayed train on her way to London for the callback audition meant she was the final performer they saw on the day!

Gathering Momentum

Having started her career working in Morocco, Fern has travelled all over the world to perform - each time returning back to the UK in between contracts to work in clubs and at corporate events.

Among her wide ranging credits are private events in Lagos, Prague, Maldives, Seychelles, Italy, Cyprus and Dubai.

She has worked at Pure Beach Club Zante, La Folie Douce Les Arcs, Park Chinois, In It Together Festival and Raw Club Beirut - to name but a few.

Fern has also featured in various TV programmes - including The Gadget Show - and films such as the upcoming The Beekeeper movie.

She was also cast as the main solo dancer in a music video 'Uncle Frank - Dance Instructor' - a role she gained in her first year of college after auditioning.

"I was so proud of it, so early into my training," she said.

Among her many performances, she cited working in Beirut as the one place she enjoyed the most, where she spent three months dancing at different events and large scale live shows.

But when asked at what point she first knew she could make a career in dancing, Fern said she was always confident things would work out.

"I don't think I ever had a lot of self doubt, if you do it doesn't sit well in the industry," she said, "you really have to go for it."

A Change of Direction

But it was back in the UK when Fern really began to think about getting into working in stunts.

While working as a dancer at Park Chinois in London, she broke her ankle, meaning a lengthy period without performing.

But this gave her time to take stock of what she wanted to do next.

"As funny as it sounds, that breaking your ankle makes you want to go into stunts!" she said.

"The injury gave me time to think and research more about working in stunts and I went from there.

"I am certainly not turning my back on dancing - far from it - but I want to widen my skills even further and start working in stunts."

Fern performing in Lagos (image supplied)

New Beginnings

Fern is now putting all her energy into training her new skills, and has already secured an agent across the Atlantic.

As well as specialising in unarmed screen combat, she is also working with weapons including samurai swords, nunchucks and the bowstaff.

"Now my aim is to be here in LA and pursue the stunts as well as my dancing," Fern said. 

"Of course I will use my other skills, but stunts are still my main aim now as there are huge opportunities here."

She has also done some work with firearms as well as horse riding, and is building up to do high falls and even work with fire.

And it is that variety which particularly appeals to her.

"With stunts it is so wide, it is so varied the things people are looking for. 

"I could go from a movie set pretending to run and fall, all the way to falling off a building or getting set on fire. 

"There are loads of different things. 

"I am specialising in screen combat - so I am doing a lot of fake fighting and working with weapons."

Fern has already started training and working with weapons (image supplied)

And while the transition into the new career and the new home is exciting, it has also given Fern an opportunity to look at how much she has already achieved in her career. 

"You have to have those moments when you look back," she said. 

"As a performer, you are always striving for the next thing. 

"It is a cliché but you do sometimes forget how far you have come. 

"You need those moments to reflect - I don't think any performer does it enough. We are just thinking of the next thing."