So You Think You Can Dance

A Closer Look at So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD)

December 3, 2013 by 4dancers

by Gigi Berardi

The week before the SYTYCD 2013 Seattle performance, I had the opportunity to interview the competition’s winners: Fik-Shun Stegall and Amy Yakima. Equally exciting was an interview, too, with Tucker Knox.

I must admit that my questions were a little more personal perhaps than most – I had seen all the shows throughout the summer, from the regional auditions through to the televised finale. This helped mightily in my appreciation for virtually every aspect of the show (with the exception of the “judging,” and the whipping-off the stage of runners-up Aaron Turner and Jasmine Harper (were those really bouncers on Stage?)).

At any rate, the interviews were quite stimulating and the performance itself (November 19), fascinating. However, I must admit, there’s something about the up-front-and-personal camera angle (for the televised shows) that allows you to see every drop of sweat, every expression, which is oddly interesting.

Tucker Knox

tuckersd_19-tucker-p#583EF8 — Tucker Knox, Photo courtesy of SYTYCD

Tucker Knox was virtually a professional dancer before auditioning for SYTYCD. He worked with River North Chicago Dance Company, leaving Nashville when he was 16 (before that he had trained as both gymnast and dancer). During his tenure in Chicago, he had pieces set on him as the artistic director (Mauro Astolfi) of Spellbound (from Rome, Italy), and many other choreographers were in residence in Chicago.

The 23-year old has had more than his fair share of catastrophes and personal triumphs, but nothing harder than a life-threatening automobile accident (he was not driving), which fractured his spine and broke his sternum and ribs. Says Knox, “I was 20 at the time and I had to remain in a body cast with full bed rest for months and months.”

That experience though, resulted in Travis Wall choreographing a duet, Medicine, for Knox and for former SYTYCD all-star Robert Roldan, who himself had suffered a near-catastrophic accident earlier). The fact that they were both still dancing was remarkable, and Wall profiled that will and skill in Medicine. Says Knox, “This was the hardest dance to dance, by far. It required total honesty. It just was very hard emotionally to let everyone see me that vulnerable – I wasn’t portraying a character, it was all about me and I felt very exposed.”

Mr. Knox aspires to work in a contemporary ballet company, such as the Nederlands Dans Theater — which, for my money, would be a perfect home for this exceptionally lithe, flexible, and emotive dancer. However acting, commercials, movies, television, also are part of his dreams, all that, as well as working as a back-up dancer for any recording artist.

Mr. Knox excels in the contemporary pieces, more than any other single dancer on the show “I just create and feel the story with my partner, and then we live it on stage”), yet finds dance forms a little foreign to him the most fun. Says Knox, “Hip hop is maybe not my best style, but it is the most fun — I just crank it out and it’s fun up there whatever we do. Also, ballroom for me feels surprisingly natural. Even though I may not perform it that well, it comes more easily than I thought it would.”

The modest Knox needs only look at a video or two to see how impressive his command of any style is.

Du-Shaunt “Fik-Shun” Stegall

Interviewing Fik-Shun Stegall, male winner of the SYTYCD 2013 competition, is an exercise in facing idealism head-on. Today, Fik-Shun looks forward to work in commercials and movies, and plenty of auditions in the coming year.

Every step of the way, from regional try-outs to the television grand finale, Fik-Shun has had an exceptionally positive attitude and outlook. Says Fik-Shun: “You just have to give it your all. You need to be aware of your body and what it can and can’t do, and be happy with that.”

Fik-Shun was injured only once on the show –- a twisted ankle, but he soldiered on. The pay-offs were too inviting to the 18-year old dancer –- a duet with tWitch (“an awesome person, everything comes so natural to him”), a bell-hop routine (Let’s Get It On, choreographed by Christopher Scott) with his season partner, Amy Yakima, that took top accolades.

For Fik-Shun, the show has been an amazing success, “more people know who I am now, and I think they appreciate that I just gave it my all.” The choreography, especially ballroom, was especially demanding each week (“I don’t do choreography”). Nevertheless, Fik-Shun mastered the effortlessness of ballroom and the emotional grittiness of contemporary, easily becoming America’s favorite dancer.

Amy Yakima

To see Amy Yakima dance is to see both a highly technical dancer, as well as a strikingly emotional one. Besides being America’s favorite female dancer, she might also be the most humble. Next year, she plans to audition, but also is very committed to starting a dance school and teaching children.

Really, this from the competition’s winner? A dance school at the age of 19? Says Yakima: “I guess I just want to do everything because my body wont keep up forever, a dance school makes sense.”

Being on the show was a life-changing event for the young dancer. Says Yakima: “Being on the show changed the way I dance, it opened me up to what I wanted to become.”

Whatever that is, it looks like she’s almost there – a powerful gymnast, a courageous hip hop artist, a melt-your-heart contemporary wonder, as in the duet, “Wicked Game,” choreographed and danced by the matchless Travis Wall, she is both workhorse and powerhouse. A stunningly beautiful dancer, with amazing capacity, her work remains one of the strongest memories of SYTYCD Season 10.

Her parents are physicians, as well as her staunchest supporters (her dad even danced on stage when she was first auditioning on SYTYCD), it’s no wonder Yakima remains injury-free, “I know how to take care of myself.”

Moral support also is strong, although Yakima admits that the voting was very stressful, “Really, we are all so driven. But the favoritism, the voting is so difficult – it comes down to our different personalities, to a certain look, what people like, and don’t. How different we look. Then we realize we are all on TV, and this is the way reality TV works.”

Right, but the dancer is still interminably cheerful.

“I know I’m cheery,” says Yakima. “But it’s the way I was brought up. In dance, you just have to get used to rejection, and not take it personally. It’s the only way you can dance.”

Gigi Berardi holds a MA in dance from UCLA. Her academic background and performing experience allow her to combine her interests in the natural and social sciences with her passion for dance, as both critic and writer. Over 150 articles and reviews by Ms. Berardi have appeared in Dance Magazine, Dance International, the Los Angeles Times, the Anchorage Daily News, The Olympian, The Bellingham Herald, and scientific journals such as BioScience, Human Organization, and Ethics, Place, and Environment. Her total work numbers over 400 print and media pieces.

Her public radio features (for KSKA, Anchorage) have been recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists. She has served on the Board of Directors of the Dance Critics Association, and is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, as well as Book Review editor for The Journal of Dance Medicine & Science. A professor at Western Washington University, she received the university’s Diversity Achievement Award in 2004. Her fifth book, Finding Balance: Fitness and Training for a Lifetime in Dance, is in its second printing. Her current book project is titled A Cultivated Life.

Email: Gigi.Berardi@wwu.ed<mailto:Gigi.Berardi@wwu.edu>u

Website: http://myweb.facstaff.wwu.edu/~gberardi and http://www.gigiberardi.com/

Blogs: http://blog.gigiberardi.com/ and http://resilientfarmsnourishingfoods.blogspot.com/

The Clogging Shoe

February 26, 2013 by 4dancers

A clogging shoe — Clogging Shoe, Photo by Dorothy Stephenson

by Dorothy Stephenson

Known as the “melting pot of dances,” Clogging came about when the nation’s Irish, Scottish, English, and Dutch-German ancestors settled in the mountains of Appalachia on the east coast of the United States. As different cultures came together, their native dances began to intertwine signaling the birth of Clogging, an old dance form that continues to grow, evolve, and become more popular everyday. As clogging spread through the nation, other influences, such as Cherokee Indian, African, and Russian, contributed to the newly formed dance style.

I have been Clogging for twenty-three years. Ten years ago, when telling someone I was a “Clogger,” I would have to explain myself and how “Yes, Clogging is similar to what Fred Astaire did,” but “No, it’s not what Michael Flatley does.” Nowadays, when I vocally label myself as a “Clogger,” I usually get a “Wow! I love Clogging!” This dance form has appeared on stages as simple as county fairs all the way up to national television on shows like “So You Think You Can Dance,” “America’s Got Talent,” and “America’s Best Dance Crew.” And the tool that each clogger needs? Their shoes, of course!

Just like Clogging, Clogging shoes have evolved and changed since the dance form’s predecessors began in places like Wales with wooden clogs and Ireland with hard shoes. In the 15^th century, dancers replaced the original wooden clog with a leather-topped shoe that had a full wooden sole. By the 16^th century, dancers added separate wooden pieces on the heel and toe of the shoe.

These pieces, also called “flats,” are where the term “flatfooting” came from. Flatfooting, an ancestor of today’s American Clogging, is still practiced and respected in the clogging world today. In fact, Clogging competitions have a special solo category devoted specifically to flatfooting, and Cloggers of all ages will gladly clear the dance floor to marvel at dance patriarchs who will shake the dust off of their old flats to perform one more time.

Throughout Clogging’s evolution, dancers added another important element to their shoes – taps. Two “jingle” taps (also known as Steven Stompers) are attached to each shoe – one tap on the heel and one tap on the toe. With a flat stationary tap directly attached to the shoe, a dangling or “jingle” tap hangs slightly from the stationary tap to create a double tap that makes the signature clogging sound, which features just a little more sound than tap shoes.

Regular taps cover only the bottom of the shoe while buck taps have a small metal lip that bends over the toe. Where the regular tap didn’t make sound when a dancer stuck their toe, the buck toe creates sound and provides further support if contemporary dancers are executing toe stands. Present-day clogging shoes are usually black and white though some teams will occasionally branch out taking the stage with silver, red, or other colored shoes.

clogging shoe with taps — Full Sole Clogging Shoes, Photo by Dorothy Stephenson

When original Appalachian Clogging began, it was an individual form of dance where the dancer used their feet to turn out rhythmic percussive sounds to accompany music that was most likely bluegrass. Today, more complicated steps and more influences of different dances, such as hip hop and pointe, have dribbled into Clogging and have further urged the evolution of Clogging shoes. With steps, such as toe stands (where Cloggers balance on their toes), increasingly complicated choreography is made easier with a more flexible shoe. Clogging shoes with split-soles have emerged. Some feature a full sole with a soft leather upper, such as the Director’s Cut shoe, while others, such as Signatures Split Soles, have a complete split sole with hard leather on the toe and ball of the foot and the traditional heel block. There is no sole to support the arch of the foot, only leather.

Clogging shoes, split sole — Example Of Split Sole Clogging Shoes, Photo by Dorothy Stephenson

As more intricate steps developed, the full sole shoe restricted the movement of a dancer’s toes making it difficult and sometimes impossible to execute new steps. Split-sole shoes make it much easier for a dancer to bend their foot to achieve optimum sound and execute toe work.

Whether it was in the 15^th century or the 21^st century, Clogging shoes have always been used the same way – by striking the heel, the toe, or both against the floor to create rhythmic sounds usually to the downbeat of the music. If you haven’t seen Clogging, check it out. It is truly a dance form that has something for every personality – young, old, city, country, traditional, contemporary – and Clogging choreography can accompany a wide variety of music ranging from country and bluegrass to 1940’s swing and big band to jazz, hip hop, and even rap. The sky is the limit.

Want to see some cloggers in action? Here’s a video of Rhythmic Alliance competing with their Line Formations routine:

sundance studios director — Dorothy Stephenson, Photo by Kathy Cobb Photography

Dorothy Stephenson began her clogging career in 1990 when her mother enrolled her with the Little Switzerland Cloggers. Today, she leads Little Switzerland along with two other groups – Rhythmic Alliance, a competitive team, and Sundance Express, a professional performance troupe.

She also owns Sundance Studios & Productions Company, a dance studio and productions company specializing in clogging instruction and performance.

Young Adult Dance Book: Pointe Of No Return

November 9, 2012 by 4dancers

by Amanda Brice

“Glissade, pique arabesque, and now pull into retire en face!”

And thus begins the second chapter of my second book, Pointe of No Return, which features a kidnapping (and search for the missing girl) during Nutcracker rehearsals at a performing arts boarding school. My heroine, freshman ballet student Dani Spevak, is assigned to understudy her rival Hadley Taylor as the Sugar Plum Fairy, when Hadley goes missing. And in typical Dani fashion, he sets out to find her.

I’ve never solved mysteries, but Dani and I have several things in common. First of all, we love to dance. Okay, that’s a given. You probably share that with us as well, if you’re reading Catherine Tully’s wonderful 4dancers blog.

We both consider Nut season to be “the most wonderful time of the year” (even though my 3-year-old told me yesterday she can’t go see Nutcracker because she’s allergic to nuts). And we’ve both ended up getting to perform in a ballet even when we thought we’d been relegated to understudy status.

In my case, I was understudying a performance of Gaite Parisienne and one of the older girls in the company got hospitalized with bulimia. It was a weird feeling for me. A real paradox. On the one hand, I was super excited to get to perform, but that meant that Rachel was very, very sick. And you can’t exactly celebrate that, you know?

Same thing with Dani. Hadley’s missing, and it’s actually not in her best interest to find her – this way she gets to dance – but how can you really celebrate that (even if Hadley is the meanest girl in school)? You can’t.

So I took that awkward feeling and built a story around it. Only I changed the basic facts as to why my heroine got to dance. Because while a story about eating disorders might be relevant from a social commentary standpoint (and I do weave them in as a subplot), it probably wouldn’t make for a very good plot. (Or at least not the type of plot I write.) [Read more…]

Chicago – Audition For Fruit of the Loom’s “The Next Big Move”

September 12, 2012 by 4dancers

Legacy at the LA Audition for “The Next Big Move”

Do you have some cool moves? If so, why not audition for a chance to be featured in a Fruit of the Loom ad?

Auditions are being held September 13^th, right here in the Chicago area. The Wal-Mart in Forest Park (1300 Des Plaines, at the SE corner of Des Plains and Roosevelt Road) is hosting auditions for the “Next Big Move” – and you can try out live from 2 – 4 pm. Regardless of whether you’ve been dancing for many years or are more of an informal dancer—this an opportunity to show your talent—and have that chance to get noticed. (Athletes, acrobats and other “movers” are also welcome.)

Auditions will be judged by none other than ‘So You Think You Can Dance’s’ Season Eight Finalist, Legacy, who has shared the stage with performers such as The Black Eyed Peas, Rihanna and Gwen Stefani.

Here are the particulars:

You need to be at least 5 years old to audition (and if you’re under 18, you must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian)
All acts must be “family-friendly”
Only amateurs please—acts with professional representation will not be eligible for entry
The Wal-Mart is within a fairly “walkable” distance from the Blue Line’s “Forest Park” stop

For 4dancers readers elsewhere in the country, don’t despair—you can either audition in Atlanta (coming up on Sept 20th) or Dallas (coming up on Sept 27th) – or send in your video via Fruit of the Loom’s Facebook to enter. The deadline is October 1^st though, so if you are entering online, you’d better hurry!

Brush up on your best moves and see if you can make an impression!

*Please note that individual scores will not be given on site. The dance auditions will be recorded and uploaded to Fruit of the Loom’s Facebook page, provided they meet all submission requirements, following the event.

4dancers receives compensation for helping promote The Next Big Move audition

Dance Blog Spotlight: Swan Lake Samba Girl

August 17, 2012 by 4dancers

Today I’m excited to introduce Tonya Plank, author of one of the early dance blogs on the web (Swan Lake Samba Girl). I can remember reading it years ago, and it’s every bit as good today as it was then. Say hello to one of the early adopters, and see where her journey has taken her…

1. Can you tell readers a bit about your background in dance?

As a child, I took ballet, tap dance, jazz, and acrobatics, concentrating the longest on ballet. But I gave that up once I went to college. I was just too busy. As an adult, I took up ballroom dancing – mainly to alleviate stress from my day job, as a lawyer. I ended up loving it so much, I started competing at the amateur level. That rekindled my childhood passion for ballet, and I started going to a lot of ballet performances in New York, where I lived for many years, before moving to L.A.

2. When did you begin your blog-and why did you start it?

I started my dance blog in mid-2006. I was competing in ballroom dance competitions and I’d just gone to Blackpool – the mother of all ballroom dancing comps. I started my blog to document my journey as a dancer – really, to capture the trials and tribulations of learning to dance and compete in dance as an adult. Later, I got very busy and ballroom dancing became expensive and I stopped competing so much. But then I started going to the ballet, and to other kinds of concert dance performances in NYC and my blog kind of grew into a blog about watching dance. Soon, I had a loyal following of other dance-goers, other ballet lovers.

3. What does your blog cover?

My blog now covers mainly ballet and modern dance performances.

I’ve moved to Los Angeles, so I write mainly about what’s going on in dance in Southern California. I also try to write about the TV dance shows as often as I can. I especially like to cover the new ones – like “Breaking Pointe” on CW, and now “A Chance to Dance,” which will premiere on Ovation TV in August. I also try to keep up with the ballroom dancing competitions as much as I can.

4. What has been the best part about participating in the dance community online? [Read more…]

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