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.

By Kristy Johnson. 

We’ve seen them grace our screens on So You Think You Can Dance, and these much loved dancers are now making their mark in the world of musical theatre.
Dance Informa caught up with Talia Fowler, Jack Chambers, Timomatic Omaji, Marko Panzic and Hilton Denis, who are currently starring in FAME, West Side Story and Hairspray across the country!

Talia Fowler
Starring as ‘Iris Kelly’ in FAME. 

So Talia, what drew you to want to try out for FAME the musical?
I had just got back from my performance in the US. I arrived back and actually got a phone call from Kelley Abbey. At that time I was with an agent kind of preparing to go back to the US and do the ballet thing. Kelley said to me “I’m directing and choreographing a new musical called FAME. I want you to watch the movie and check out this character, because I think you would be great for it and I’d love for you to audition.”  So from there I watched the movie. I rented it straight away, liked the character and then went through the process of auditioning for the role.

Has working with Kelley again been to your advantage as she already understands your strengths and weaknesses?
Oh definitely. I think obviously So You Think You Can Dance would have been a big factor in me getting this role because they’ve already seen how I perform on stage and Kelley knew what my work ethic was like. So that was a big draw card, I think. And of course when Kelley was choreographing the show she knew that there were a few steps that were my specialty. She put them in the choreography so she could make it a part of us.

Touring can be quite exhausting. How do you keep on top of your game?
It’s really important for us to get our internal body clocks right. We finish a show at 11 o’clock at night and it’s important that we get some sleep that night and that we can still get up and do things the next day. It’s very important to change your schedule so you’re still being fuelled at the right time, so that you have enough energy to perform for 8 shows a week.

What is your schedule like?
At this point in the show we don’t actually have rehearsals at all before we do the shows because it’s been running for a while. So the show’s sitting pretty comfortably with all of us. I’ll start my day with a class at 9am. Just a ballet or classical class to really get my technique, feel my body and activate all the muscles for the day. Then it’s time to go home, do some normal things, have my lunch and make sure I get in some ‘chill’ time. Then in the afternoon I usually go to the gym and do some strength training. Then I come back, cook myself a healthy meal and go into the theatre two hours before the show. I spend the first hour getting ready – doing my hair and makeup, sewing new pairs of shoes or breaking shoes in. At hour call we have a group warm up…..and then it’s showtime!

Timomatic Omaji
Starring as ‘Tyrone Jackson’ in FAME.

Have you always wanted to perform in musicals?
No, not at all. It was never on the cards. I’d never seen any musicals until after So You Think You Can Dance, and then I got approached by a few people. My management let me know about it and that there was a role that would really suit me. I’m always up for a new challenge – something that will stretch me and something I haven’t tried before, so I was like “yeah let’s do it!”

What’s it like to work alongside Kelley Abbey again on FAME?
Kelley is an amazing choreographer and director, and I think she’s just amazing at dealing with people as opposed to just dancers. She’ll bring out the best. She’s really brought out the best in me through both So You Think You Can Dance and FAME, but more closely FAME because she’s so tailor made to you and what you do. And she doesn’t just put her ideas on you. I’ve soaked up all the energy, inspiration and passion that she kind of exerts.

Coming from the hip hop scene, have you been challenged by musical theatre?
Definitely. Through what I used to do, we didn’t really have to have a character and follow the path of a character. I think the main challenge for me was the acting. I’d done music before, so putting my energies into a character was probably the hardest, newest thing I’ve had to face. Even though you’re dancing, everything you do has an intention behind it. That’s what Kelley would teach us.

What would be your highlight so far whilst touring?
You know what, for me it’s just growing. Growing is a passion you need to endure more as a performer. It’s one thing to do a show and just leave it, but it’s another to be able to sustain a show. I think that’s taught me a lot about perseverance and endurance and to really keep my eye on the ball. If anything, I’ve learnt a lot about treating the body right.

Jack Chambers
Starring as ‘Link Larkin’ in Hairspray

In Hairspray, the character of Tracy Turnblad has a passion for dance, wins a spot on a television program and through this becomes a teen celebrity. Do you feel this transition mirrors your life, having won So You Think You Can Dance and gaining international recognition?
Now that you mention it, yes, Tracy’s life in Hairspray kind of mirrors what my life has been in the past few years! The only difference would be that I’m skinny and male!

The creative team behind Hairspray is quite phenomenal with David Atkins directing and Jason Coleman choreographing. What’s it like to reunite with Jason since the show?
It was wonderful to see Jason Coleman again. I am really looking forward to working with him in an atmosphere where he won’t be judging me! I’m also really looking forward to working with David Atkins. It’s a very exciting creative team, as well as cast, so rehearsals will be an absolute blast.

Any advice for dancers who would like to work in musicals?
My advice would be to continue your training to keep your ‘triple threat’ abilities up to par. Theatre is all about charisma and personality, so it’s important to let that shine through when you’re auditioning.

Hilton Denis
Starring as ‘Moose’ in West Side Story

Why did you try out for West Side Story?
It’s one of the greatest musicals of all time, so that’s why I wanted to do it. It’s a classic and everyone knows about it.

With musicals, you need to be a triple threat. How have you made sure to hone all your performance skills?
Before West Side Story I had to go to a lot of singing lessons because I’m not that much of a singer. I’m lucky that the cast members are so amazing because I can learn off them as well. I’ve had to work on acting as well. By watching other NIDA graduates act I learn off them. They give me advice and by just watching them do their own thing you pick up different strategies on how to improve yourself.

What would an average day entail for you?
We do 8 shows a week. We’ve got two shows on Wednesday and Saturday. I train in martial arts for a bit, just for fun. And on top of that I just choreograph. I’m always choreographing.

Marko Panzic
Dance Captain, FAME

What does your role as Dance Captain for FAME involve?
Kelley choreographs and directs the show and then she leaves the show. So all the choreography and all the dance is left in my hands. I have to work on keeping Kelley’s original choreography and make sure that it stays exactly how Kelley wants it. So I’m keeping on the dancers, making sure everyone is doing their job properly. We also have swings off stage, so my role involves keeping the swings and understudies in use. We rehearse to make sure they’re ready to go on at any point if anyone goes off. So I have to rehearse all the understudies and swings.

Any advice for those dancers who want to get into musicals?
Take class and get fit. It’s about being ‘show fit’. When doing a show like this your body has to be able to handle it. I was choreographing a lot before I did the show. So I had to go into the gym and start looking after myself in a different way, because when you choreograph you don’t dance as much. So I would really tell people just not to be lazy. Musical theatre is a hard world. You have to have the look, you have to have the body and you have to have the fitness. You have to go in with the package because you only get that audition to show everything off. You can’t get the job and then work towards it. You have to be ready.

Want to see these dance stars in action? Make sure you get tickets to FAME, West Side Story and Hairspray and support Australian theatre.

Visit: www.famethemusical.com.au
www.westsidestorythemusical.com.au
www.hairspraythemusical.com.au

FAME photos courtesy of Jeff Busby.
Hairspray photo courtesy of Belinda Strodder

Regent Theatre
Opening Night, April 21st

By Grace Edwards.

Fame: the musical is a fun and energetic romp full of big dreams and dashed hopes with a healthy dose of romance thrown in. If you are a fan of the film, you’ll love the musical.

Based on the movie released in 1980, Fame follows a group of high school students at New York’s esteemed High School of the Performing Arts. The musical focuses on several main characters: Carmen Diaz, a sexy Hispanic student and confident performer obsessed with fame; Schlomo Metzenbaum, the son of a famous violinist and himself a gifted flautist who is tired of the world’s expectations; Tyrone Jackson, a talented but illiterate hip hop dancer from a disadvantaged background; Iris Kelly, a graceful but socially insecure ballet dancer; Mabel Washington, an overweight dancer desperate to lose weight but who finds food irresistible; Serena Katz, a shy drama student, and Nick Piazza, a serious classical actor.

Opening with the energetic prologue Pray I make P.A, the relatively young principals make for a believable set of teenagers, fitting their characters like a glove. The remaining cast are evidently strong dancers with the ensemble dance scenes both polished and vibrant.

Photos by David Wyatt

Perhaps one of the hardest things to get right in any musical is the casting of talent in the lead roles; in Fame, there is one crucial decision that needs to be made for each character: to cast a singer-who-dances, or a dancer-who-sings?

As singers-who-dance, American import Darlene Love (Miss Sherman) and Jazz Flowers (Mabel Washington) raise the calibre of the overall production. Love’s powerful gospel tones reach their pinnacle in the number These Are My Children, in which she palpably conveys her character’s misunderstood love for her students. Flowers gets her moment in Mabel’s Prayer, a hilarious plea to the powers above to stop her from becoming the world’s fattest dancer.  At points her vocal control and athleticism threaten to bring the house down.

On the other hand, the characters of Tyrone and Iris are given to dancers-who-sing, which is an understandable choice given that both roles require far more dancing than singing. Banking on the success of So You Think You Can Dance Australia, 2009 finalist Timomatic and winner Talia Fowler make their appearances together as the famous dance leads. The results, however, are somewhat mixed.

Timomatic’s strength, the hip hop sections of the musical, provide some of the most powerful, electric dance moments of the evening. This is partly because of the ensemble dancers’ tight performances. But Timomatic is also a soloist and in one scene, he is duplicated on several large screens positioned behind him as he busts out a series of dance moves, including the moonwalk in a show-stopping moment. Indeed his larger-than-life role more than makes up for the odd moment of insecurity in his vocal performances. As the demure Iris however, Fowler suffers more obviously from the disparity between her dancing and singing skills and ultimately, the pair were lacking the necessary chemistry as the famous love-hate couple.

But at the end of the day, there is no doubt that Fame will secure fans an entertaining night out, and is guaranteed to have you humming catchy tunes for days. Cheesy, fun, dynamic and voyeuristic, it bears all the hallmarks of a classic musical. What more could anyone ask for?

On April 21st FAME finally opened in Melbourne at the Regent Theatre and Dance Informa was there for opening night!
Check out the website for tour information and tickets. www.famethemusical.com.au

Photos copyright David Wyatt. davidwyatt75@gmail.com www.capturingimages.com.au

A-LIVE ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS AUSTRALIA’S SUPERSTARS OF DANCE!
A-Live Entertainment is touring Australia with some of Australia’s biggest stars, oh…..and the stunning Talia Fowler, fresh back from Hollywood, is coming with them! So if you happen to be auditioning for a certain TV Show, or your looking for the perfect way to finish off the year or the ultimate, dancers Christmas present then make sure you get your registration in fast to reserve your spot – info@a-liveentertainment.com

WHERE & WHEN
MELBOURNE (Location pending) on the 12th & 13th of December. One workshop only!
BRISBANE (Conroy Dance Centre) on the 16th & 17th of December. One workshop only!
PERTH (Prendiville Catholic College) on the 19th & 20th of December. One workshop only!
SYDNEY (Brent Street Studios) on the 22nd & 23rd of December. One workshop only!

CAST
Talia Fowler – So You Think You Can Dance Winnner 2009
BJ Rorke – So You Think You Can Dance 2009 (Top 6), Cats
Stephen Tannos – So You Think You Can Dance 2009 (Top 18), Cats
Hilton Denis – So You Think You Can Dance 2008 (Top 18), King Kong
Khaly Ngeth (Breaker) – So You Think You Can Dance (Top 20) 2008
Sean Robinson (Tap) – Superstars Of Dance America (Top 9), Happy Feet

WHAT
10+ hours of tuition, 6 one and a half hour classes with the above cast covering such genres/styles as Ballet, Contemporary, Hip- Hop, Jazz, Tap, Break Dancing, and Acrobatics.
Extra time allocated for Jam Sessions, Rehearsals and lectures / discussions.
Exclusive entry to a performance put on by the A-Live Entertainment cast, including performances from the students. Opportuntiies to purchase A-Live Entertainment Merchandise including T-shirts and a copy of the performance. Opportunity to be recruited by A-Live Entertainment

HOW MUCH
Full Package = $200
3 class package = $140
Single Class = $50
DISCOUNTS
Group Discount – Any registrations that include a group of 20 or more (including dance studios) will be rewarded with a 10 % discount of the groups tickets ($400).
Dance Studio Bonus – Any dance studio that registers a group of 20 or more will be rewarded with up to 5 free tickets to the A-Live Entertainment performance and 5 exclusive A-Live Entertainment shirts.

EMAIL info@a-liveentertainment.com  TO REGISTER,
FURTHER DETAILS UPON REGISTRATION, PLACES LIMITED.