stereotypes being broken down?
I am not sure if I was surprised, I actually thought in the beginning of the season that a guy would win. I don’t know what it is. I think I’m just going by what people have always said, that it is more appealing to people when they see guys dance. That’s definitely what’s amazing about the perception of male dancers now, it’s changed, also because of this show. I’ll be walking down the street and even construction workers stop me, the most blokey blokes, and say that I have inspired them to do a dance class. It’s all changing for the better. I am very happy that it was Rhys and me in the final two. We had a ball dancing the duo that we performed. It was great.
What is your advice to guys who want to start dancing?
If they are wanting to make a career out of it, then I suggest to learn more than one style. It’s good to be versatile. You will do a lot better if you can do more than one style. And if they are doing it for fun, just make sure that it is fun. We should all encourage more guys to dance.
We have all seen your audition, and although you were fantastic, you have come such long way. Do you feel a stronger more competent dance now?
Oh my gosh, I really do. I even looked at that audition the other day. I see my high kicks and my jumps and think, “ugh that’s awful”. I feel like I’ve grown as a performer and a person, just learning the other styles and working with such amazing choreographers. Kelley Abbey is just amazing. I can’t explain what it’s like working with her. It’s an experience in itself. She taps into something inside of you that you have never really discovered and experienced before. I think that one of the biggest things I have learned in this show as a performer is to really express myself and act while dancing. I have done that before, but I understand it a lot more now.
Had you done much partner work before the show? Was partner work a challenge?
It was actually. I’d done duos as a little kid, but of course it wasn’t that intimate, close proximity sort of dancing. It was just two people dancing on stage. The ballroom styles I enjoyed so much. But it was very different for me because I had to get used to the guys being in control and always having that frame for the girl. And of course the lifts were new for me too. It was a lot of fun.
Do you think that you now have more options for employment, now that you have had training in partner work?
Yeah, it should help. I think everything that I have done on the show will help me along the road, especially overseas. Not only the dancing has helped me, but also just the pressure and the stress and learning to cope with all that, with cameras in your face. Just so many odd little things that have happened in the show have prepared me for life in general.
From the very beginning, we could tell you were very versatile, because you could do the jazz, musical theatre, and hip hop. How did you develop your versatility before the show?
As I grew up I tried to do as many styles as I could. Just by choice. So I am a jazz , tap, funk, and hip hop dancer . As the styles started to come in, like hip hop , I started to learn it. Whenever I am learning from someone I always watch them really carefully to look at how they are doing things. I watch the minor little details. I try to look just like them. I tried that at such a young age. It is something that has prepared me without my knowing it. I wasn’t doing all different styles to prepare myself for the future but it has prepared me. Just doing the style jazz makes you a versatile dancer already because jazz prepares you so much for other styles. Being a jazz dancer makes it easier to be a ballroom dancer. It gives you the timing, good posture and pointed feet. A lot of jazz dancers are very versatile dancers. Just that style in itself has helped me.
It’s obvious that you are a very driven, focused dancer. How do you keep that drive, and what is your advice to dancers to keep them inspired?
Well, of course, having a goal. It makes it a lot easier because you’ve got you somewhere to go. One thing you have to realise in this industry is that if you get knocked back in an audition, it is not because you can’t dance or because you’re not talented. There are so many other aspects and reasons why you might not get something. It could be you are the wrong height, you don’t have the look they are after, or you’re not the right age, simple things like that. So when you don’t make auditions/jobs you’ve got to realise that it’s not your time. I was just very lucky with winning this show, it was the right time, and I am at the right age for when my career was just starting. Things don’t happen all at once. So you’ve just got to be prepared to put in the hard yards and know that things will turn out fine.
Rhys
Where will we see you next? What are your plans now that the show has finished?
I’m not really sure. There is the tour going around Australia with the top ten dancers, which we are all really excited about, but as far as after that goes, I am pretty much open to anything that comes my way. I am ready for the offers to start rolling in. I would like to try my hand at anything.
Would you like to travel a bit and try some things overseas?
Absolutely, I would love to see the Americas and Europe. I have only ever been to the Asian countries overseas. I would like to be a sponge to absorb dance, performance and entertainment from around the world and have it reflect on me.
Will you still be doing work with The Fairies children’s television show?
I am not sure how much involvement I will have with The Fairies from now on. I might continue to choreograph the series, which I did last year. It all depends on if I get a better offer or not, I suppose. The Fairies has been really good to me. I have been playing the character of the elf since I was about 17, before any major television series. I have had a good run.
Are you excited about the tour or are you ready to move on and see what else you can do?
I love the idea of going on tour. I love live audiences, they make it so much more amazing, and it is great to be able to bring the dance to the people of Australia that weren’t able to come and see a show in Sydney. Performing live is always very different than what people see on the television. There is a certain level of intimacy. I can’t wait! Having said that, I really can’t wait to see what’s around the corner also, and to start challenging myself in other ways. I’m learning, developing and discovering new things about me that I didn’t realise that I could do before.
The tour is not going to Adelaide, your home town. What do you have to say about that?
I didn’t realise that, nobody has shown us a schedule yet. No way! That’s terrible! Oh my gosh! I had no idea. I didn’t know about that one. A lot of my friends and family were planning to go and watch it. Oh no.
Were you surprised that the top two dancers were men? Were you excited about male dancer stereotypes being broken down?
Absolutely excited. I wasn’t surprised, however, that there were two guys in the final two. I don’t think anyone was. I think Jack has been a favourite for quite some time, and I have got a good wrap as well. It was actually my major goal for the grand finale to be a part of the final two and be able to perform that amazing final routine, which we all loved so much.
What is your advice to guys who want to start dancing?
I would just say, “go for it”. There is very little to lose and so much to gain. We could do with some more guys, regardless of the stereotypes associated with male dancers. You can discover so much about yourself. Dancing for me is about who I am. My body is my art, it’s my business and it has been so good to me. I’ve experienced so much through performing. People that are restricting themselves really don’t know what they are missing.
We have all seen your audition, and although you were fantastic, you have come such long way and surprised people with your versatility. Do you feel like a stronger dancer now?
Yeah, I really do. I think I have developed as a dancer professionally. I didn’t realise that I was capable of taking on all these different styles. I think I never failed at completing the challenge set before me. I always thought I was legitimately consistent, but I really feel like I have grown. I am a much better dancer than I was before. I think I have always been a really good performer, I’ve always known how to work the crowd. That hasn’t been a challenge necessarily for me but I really think that I have out done even my own expectations. In the finale show Jemma and I got to perform the waltz again to the Celine Dion song. When we rehearsed it again, it all just came back so naturally. It seemed so much easier. The lifts at the end just seemed to happen without any need for excessive force. I just felt stronger and more capable. It was an amazing feeling.
The show is about versatility. What is your advice to develop versatility? What can dancer do outside of the show to become strong in the different areas?
I think it’s all about pushing yourself and not restricting yourself to stay within your comfort zones. I think you really need to force yourself to take on more than what you believe you are capable of. Challenge yourself. You can never become complacent and never believe that you are good enough or the best. That is the best advice I could give to anyone in any field, dance or not.
It’s obvious you are a very driven and focused dancer. How do you continue to be inspired?
Don’t become complacent. There is so much out there in the world that you could learn and take in that can help develop yourself. There is always so much more to the story than people realize, and I think this should be true about yourself. You can always discover something new about yourself. Don’t get bored. I try not to be. I always want to discover more and learn and grow. I try to gain wisdom from things I don’t necessarily know and are not familiar with.
Any last comments?
I plan to live in the spotlight for as long as possible. You are not going to get rid of this face too easily!
Don't miss Jack and Rhys on the SYTYCD National Tour!
Dance Informa enjoyed interviewing the Top 4 dancers, Jack, Rhys, Kate and Demi just before the final show. Read their interviews here...http://www.danceinforma.com/SYTYCDSpecial.html
News Flash: Jack and Rhys will perform a number choreographed by Adam Williams to the overture from Chicago in the 2008 Australian Dance Awards! Read More...click here
So You Think You Think You Can Dance Australia Live Tour
On sale from Monday June 9 - get in fast!
Saturday July 5th
Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Matinee $56
Evening show $70
www.ticketek.com.au & 132 849
Sunday July 6th
Gold Coast Convention Centre
Evening show $69
www.ticketek.com.au & 132 849
Tuesday July 8th
Win Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
Evening show $70
www.ticketek.com.au & 132 849
Thursday July 10th
AIS Arena, Canberra
Evening show $70
www.ticketek.com.au & 132 849
Saturday July 12th
Sydney Entertainment Centre
Matinee $59
Evening show $72.50
www.ticketmaster.com.au & 136 100
Tuesday July 15th
Newcastle Entertainment Centre
Evening show $70
www.ticketek.com.au & 132 849
Saturday July 19th
Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
Matinee $56
Evening show $70
www.ticketek.com.au & 132 849
Sunday July 20th
Challenge Stadium, Perth
Matinee $69
Evening show $69
www.ticketmaster.com 136 100.
For further information visit http://dance.ten.com.au
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