By Kristy Johnson

She was our favourite ballerina on the hit series So You Think You Can Dance, and now Talia is proving that she has much to offer off the small screen also. Dance Informa caught up with Talia to hear what she’s up to next.

What have you been doing since FAME?

FAME finished the end of November, so I had a little time off to see my family. It’s been a bit of a whirlwind. I’ve been living out of a suitcase really ever since the TV show started. So it was great to spend time with family. I’ve been knuckling down and getting back into my classical training and just spending hours and hours working on really finding that again. Doing commercial work and a musical it’s been really hard to find enough time to train throughout the day. It’s something you have to find time to do by yourself.

How have you found training with Queensland Ballet Company?

I’ve been going round different places in Queensland, and also doing classes with the Queensland Ballet Company, which is where I grew up basically. They said ‘you’re very welcome to come in and do classes with us’, training wise. Queensland Ballet Company has always been like that with class members. They’re very close. They’re like my family.

I’ve heard that you now have a position with LINES Ballet in the US!

Yes! That’s starting in September.  I’m very excited to be making the move and getting back to the company lifestyle. I’ve really missed it.

Have you been to San Francisco before?

I have. I spent quite a few weeks there in 2009. When I went over to perform on the US So You Think You Can Dance, LINES was the one company that I really wanted to be a part of.  I spent a few weeks there letting them see me and then I did an audition for them.

What do you hope to gain from being in the company?

I think one of the main reasons I really looked at LINES is because of what the dancers get to create under the influence of Alonzo King. He’s an amazing choreographer and I really want to be able to push my technique and even push my improvisation skills to a new level. I want to be able to work with different choreographers, and really find what works on my body well. He’s a very creative man, so I’m really looking forward to being able to make new pieces with them over there. At the same time I want to learn what I can do with my body as well, because I think it’s something that I feel I can improve a lot more on and I’m still only young. I still want to keep pushing my technique to the next level.  I want to be able to come back and kind of look like a completely different dancer. I want to up my notch and push myself even further.

Is ballet where you would like to focus all your efforts?

I really enjoyed doing a musical a lot, and I think that’s something that will be further down in my career path. For the moment I know from what I’ve done, that where my heart really lies is within the company world.  I’m looking to find a company that is very classically influenced but I also need that contemporary edge, like with companies along the lines of Sydney Dance Company and LINES. They’re companies that are very classically based but really push their dancers to different levels and are not always just performing repertoire. That’s where I really want to stay definitely for the next long while. While I’m still young enough and while my body is still able to do it.

What advice would you give to other Aussie dancers who would love to follow your career path and become a professional Ballet dancer overseas?

It’s such a tough process. Especially since being in Australia we’re so far away. I was lucky enough to have a trip over there organised for me. I think it’s always best to be able to go over and audition in person so they can get to know you as a person and not just as a dancer on a video. I just did it the normal way. I have spoken to other people who have done it. I sent information to LINES on who I am, why I was over in the US and that I would love to be a part of their company etc, etc. So I went over there and I spent about two weeks doing class every morning and just showing them my improvement. For me it’s always important to be there in person and a one-on-one audition is definitely what you’re always hoping to be able to get.

Napoleon and Tabitha D’umo, Emmy-Award winning choreographers/directors, known for their work on So You Think You Can Dance, talk about the role of dance in contemporary culture: how the dancers are more and more becoming the stars.

Presented by Discount Dance Supply
www.discountdance.com

Ever wonder what music looks like? Napoleon and Tabitha D’umo, Emmy-Award winning choreographers/directors, known for their work on So You Think You Can Dance, talk about what dance and music is to them, and how they tell a story to move an audience.

Presented by Discount Dance Supply
www.discountdance.com

Napoleon and Tabitha D’umo, Emmy-Award winning choreographers/directors, known for their work on So You Think You Can Dance, talk about their job and give advice to aspiring dancers.

Presented by Discount Dance Supply
www.discountdance.com

Napoleon and Tabitha D’umo, Emmy-Award winning choreographers/directors, known for their work on So You Think You Can Dance, talk about their style, why style is important to dance, and their love of the art.

Presented by Discount Dance Supply
www.discountdance.com

What inspires Nappytabs? Napoleon and Tabitha D’umo, Emmy-Award winning choreographers/directors, known for their work on So You Think You Can Dance, talk about coming up with new ideas, how they get into the zone, and teamwork.

Presented by Discount Dance Supply
www.discountdance.com

Napoleon and Tabitha D’umo, Emmy-Award winning choreographers/directors, known for their work on So You Think You Can Dance, talk specifics about how they directed and choreographed the Jasmine V music video for her song “All of These Boys.”

Presented by Discount Dance Supply
www.discountdance.com

By Kristy Johnson

He became a household name through So You Think You Can Dance and was a perfect fit for street dancer Leroy in FAME, so what can we expect from Tim Omaji next?

A back injury during his time with FAME could have marked a disaster for Tim, yet it was this unfortunate event that enabled the star to focus on producing music. “Before FAME wrapped up, I injured my back and was off dancing from October to early January”, says Tim. “Some of the crazy moves I used to do I’m kind of hesitant to do now, but it gave me the opportunity to really focus on producing music. I had the opportunity to work with DJ Poet, who is the official DJ of the Black Eyed Peas. We wrote a couple of songs together and it really kind of put music on the focus.”

So how does one manage to score such an impressive gig? “It was all through management,” says Tim. “My management had also approached DJ Poet to work with other artists as well. They said this guy is coming up, his music is similar, let’s work together.”

Timomatic fans can expect to hear these tunes on the airwaves soon. “Hopefully in a couple of months. These kind of things are really up to them – their side of the ball. They take the tracks back to the States and work on it there. Obviously they have a million projects and I guess as an up-and-coming artist in Australia, it may not be a priority. But I’m hoping,” says Tim.

Whether or not we get to hear these tracks straight away, you can expect to see more of Tim in the entertainment scene. “Entertainment on a whole is what I’m about right now. I think music and dance can’t live without each other. Music obviously is an expression through melody and harmonies which I’ve never wanted to not do, and then dance is the expression of music. But when I hear music I start dancing,” says Tim.

He might be working with the big guns in LA, yet Australia will always be Tim’s home base. “I would love to go and make a name in the US. I see myself as an international global artist of the future, but I love Australia and always want to keep it my home and my base.”

Besides working with DJ Poet, Tim has already produced an album. “When I was in FAME I recorded a somewhat debut album. There was quite a lot of down time around the shows, so I edited, produced, recorded and wrote 25 tracks. Out of those I chose about 12. Come opening night, my back goes out, and it was kind of pushed to the backburner. I plan to re-release that as well as release a studio album signed to a label by the end of the year,” says Tim.

What kind of beats can we expect to be rocking to? “I see my style as being an eclectic style, but I think the base of it will be R&B because that’s kind of where it started. It will be R&B through different styles. I see myself as a Ne-Yo, Usher and Michael Jackson mix: music that makes people want to dance and feel good.”

Check out what Nigel Lythgoe has to say about So You Think You Can Dance Australia.
What happened to it? Will the show come back?
Dance Informa gets the scoop.

Dance Informa/Dance News International takes no responsibility for the content of any videos viewed through youTube.

By Deborah Searle.

Jason Gilkison’s ballroom sensation Burn The Floor is touring across the States, after a record-breaking run on Broadway. Burn The Floor, the electrifying Latin and ballroom dance spectacular, has thrilled audiences in over 30 countries, bringing the fire and passion of ballroom dance to the theatre.  Burn The Floor is ballroom – reinvented.  This tour, featuring all-new choreography, and many talented Australian dancers, including Robbie Kmetoni (Season 3 winner of SYTYCD), is wowing audiences and setting hearts ablaze.

Dance Informa spoke behind the scenes with three of Australia’s finest dancers.

How do you keep the passion and performance alive after so many shows?

Damien Samuel
Every show is a new audience – a fresh crop of people that we strive to amaze, inspire and leave in wondrous awe from the moment the first music note hits till the curtain touches the floor. We feed off our percussionists’ heart pounding rhythms and we make each and every performance as powerful and electrifying as we possibly can.

Faye Huddleston
Sometimes it just takes a few seconds on my own thinking about my life to realise how lucky we are to be doing what we love and have such passion for, because we forget sometimes.

Robbie Kmetoni
I see each show as new and important, adding my own little touches that change every show, so that I’m enjoying myself every show. The passion needs to be there from the beginning, as it is hard work. Dedication is needed 110%.

What is your favorite thing about Burn The Floor?

Damien Samuel
Seeing Burn The Floor and Jason Gilkison is the reason I started dancing 11 years ago. I was once an audience member screaming my head off at how brilliant the show was and now being at the forefront of the world’s first and most elite ballroom dance production every day is a dream come true.

Robbie Kmetoni
My favourite thing about Burn The Floor is the cast I am with. They are such an amazingly talented, let alone friendly, bunch of people to work and tour with every day. It’s a blessing to be a part of such an incredible journey and show!

Faye Huddleston
I would have to say that my favourite thing has to be that we are not just a dance company but a family. I think that is the most important thing.

What unique challenges have you faced when learning and performing the routines?

Faye Huddleston
The challenge for me would definitely have to be stamina.  We do fast energetic routines that can last up to 4 to 5 minutes.

Damien Samuel
It is an intense physical regime that takes a real toll on your body. We have to make sure we are in crisp physical condition to be able to do this eight times a week. Injuries happen no matter how hard we try to prevent them, so we give 110% to every single performance because it very well could be our last.

Robbie Kmetoni
Being a contemporary dancer it was really difficult at first to learn the basics of how to dance Latin and ballroom, as I have never done a class of either. It was a huge struggle to fit in technically. It almost felt like I was a beginner again in the dance industry.

Why should audiences come to see Burn The Floor?

Faye Huddleston
This show is one of a kind and it appeals to all ages. It is ballroom reinvented. I don’t think people really know what to expect when they see this show, but we always see the audience dancing up the aisles on their way out.

Robbie Kmetoni
EVERYONE must come see this show. It is a jam-packed, energetic, sexy, sophisticated, entertaining and inspiring two hour dance show suitable for any age, male and female. You will not walk out unimpressed!

Damien Samuel
It really is a must see experience. Our live world class singers Peter and Vonzell and percussionists Henry and Joe are worth the admission alone, and then you have 20 world class dancers. It really is a feast for the senses and you can’t find anything like us anywhere else.

If the audience could walk away with one thing, what would you want it to be?

Robbie Kmetoni
I would just love the audience to walk away knowing how much love we put on stage to give them a great show. We pour out our hearts every single night so that the world can see how hard, yet how inspiring dancers and dancing can be. When we get a standing ovation from the crowd, there’s no other feeling like it.. ever!

Faye Huddleston
I’d like the audience to walk away wanting to learn to dance, if they don’t already.

Damien Samuel
Oh they never walk, they sing, they dance and they come back to see us whenever they can!

For more information, including tour dates and ticketing visit www.burnthefloor.com

Photos: Joan Marcus