Archive for August, 2009
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Costume Designer Soyon An Wins a Juried Primetime Emmy® Award
So You Think You Can Dance’s costume designer, Soyon An, won a Juried Primetime Emmy® Award for her work on So You Think You Can Dance Season 4. The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced the Primetime Emmy Award winners in Outstanding Costumes For A Variety/Music Program Or Special on August 24. The award was granted for Episode #415/416A of So You Think You Can Dance. The award will be presented at the 2009 Creative Arts Awards on September 12 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. We caught up with Emmy® winner Soyon to find out more about some of her most memorable designs.
We asked Soyon which costume from the winning episode was her favorite, and what was the inspiration behind the look. Soyon told us, “It was the black and white Cirque costumes for Mia Michaels’ group piece. My inspiration for it was my childhood. I stepped into a swirl of shapes and patterns. If you look at the patterns I used, it was crossword puzzles, hypnotic swirls, stars, and your circles and stripes from clowns.”
During Season 5, Soyon showed her ingenuity through a wide variety of creations. When asked which costume she was most proud of, Soyon said, “I was particularly proud of designing the cha cha outfit for Karla in the beginning of the season. She danced to Lady Gaga and I only had 2 days to make the dress from scratch as well as the other 37 outfits. Rhinestoning that puppy was not easy.”
Karla’s dress wasn’t the only difficult costume Soyon whipped up. “The most difficult to make was for Mia Michaels’ Top 2 girls routine where [Kayla and Jeanine] shed layers. Mia and I came up with [the idea] together and the inspiration for that was my pin cushion. The layers on the skirts were ripping when the girls were tearing away the layers. The velcro was not strong enough, then too strong, so there were multiple trials and errors (without much time) and on top of it, I had to be careful that they didn’t look too naked at the end of the dance when everything was torn away.”
For each episode of So You Think You Can Dance, Soyon has to design for all different styles of dance, from Bollywood to Russian folk to Latin ballroom. We asked her if certain dance styles are harder to design for than others, and Soyon said, “Yes and no. All the styles of dance have their moments. Sometimes it’s ballroom, sometimes it’s Broadway. It really depends on the story and the movement. I cross my fingers that all the styles of dance don’t have something challenging for me at once.”
With Season 6 just around the corner, does Soyon already have ideas for costumes? “Not for a specific piece or dance style, but I can tell you, I have a few exciting ideas up my sleeve,” Soyon admitted. “We’ll see if those ideas will work once the choreographers start coming to me with the story for their pieces.”
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William Wingfield,Season 4 Finalist, Makes his Broadway Debut
So You Think You Can Dance Season 4 finalist William Wingfield makes his Broadway debut beginning August 26 in the musical In the Heights at Richard Rodgers Theater. Will is taking over the role of Graffiti Pete, a break-dancing street artist.
In the Heights tells the universal story of a vibrant community in Manhattan’s Washington Heights district. It’s a community on the brink of change, full of hopes, dreams and pressures, where the biggest struggles can be deciding which traditions you take with you, and which ones you leave behind. In the Heights is the winner of four 2008 Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Choreography. Andy Blankenbuehler is the show’s choreographer.
Dancing since the age of 9, Will trained under Debbie Allen before he was on So You Think You Can Dance. He also sang and dance in Celine Dion’s show, “A New Day.” Most recently, Will returned to the So You Think You Can Dance stage during a Season 5 results show to perform “Adam and Eve” with his Season 4 partner, Jessica King. William and Jessica’s performance of “Adam and Eve” during a Season 4 performance show earned Tyce Diorio an Emmy nomination for choreography.
Break a leg, Will!
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Cat, Nigel and Mary Reflect on Season 5
Hot off of Season 5, Cat Deeley, Nigel Lythgoe, and Mary Murphy reflected on some memorable moments from the season.
How was it hearing 3500 people at the finale welcome your “judges?”
Cat Deeley: It was great! It was so cool. I was literally like “Oh my God,” because to be perfectly honest, I knew we were going to be at the Kodak, but I didn’t know that it was going to be packed to the rafters. So when I first walked out I was like oh my god they’re even right at the back tippity top of the theatre. They’re cheering and clapping, and I kind of felt a little bit like a rock star which was great.
Which performances from Season 5 deserve Emmy nominations for choreography?
Nigel Lythgoe: I would definitely say Travis Wall’s piece with Jeanine and Jason, Mia Michaels’ addiction piece with Kupono and Kayla was quite fabulous, and there was a disco routine with Brandon and Janette that I thought was fantastic, and of course you must never rule out Tyce Diorio’s breast cancer inspired routine with Melissa and Ade. It was very strange - I never had so many emails, letters, and telephone calls with such positive thoughts behind them. And then we found out the lady that inspired Tyce is now cancer free. So it’s very strange how it all works. And it was another highlight to have Ellen DeGeneres on the show.
Mary Murphy: For me, there are several that stand out. For sure the Argentine Tango. It was one of the few that got a standing ovation from the judges and the audience. It was a simultaneous standing ovation. No one had to think about it; everybody was on their feet and it was truly something to see. And of course Tyce Diorio’s breast cancer number I think should be nominated, as well as Travis Wall with his contemporary piece. Those are the three that stand out in my mind right now.
Check back soon to find out how Cat, Nigel, and Mary juggled Season 5 with Season 6 auditions.
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Jeanine Mason Talks About Winning!
With her mom, dad, three siblings, and best friend in the audience of the Kodak Theater, Jeanine Mason took home the coveted title of “America’s Favorite Dancer,” edging out Brandon Bryant, Evan Kasprzak, and Kayla Radomski. After her win and only three hours of sleep, Jeanine was as energetic as ever on a press call to discuss her journey and the big win!
Jeanine Mason Greets the Press.
Immediately after winning the fifth season of So You Think You Can Dance, Jeanine was met with press and photographers. “I felt like I had just been bust out of my normal life and thrown onto some Hollywood red carpet.” This dancer from Pinecrest, Florida isn’t jaded by all of the attention. “I am so happy to be here, I am so blessed to be here, and loving every second of it. I’m trying to take it all in.”
Even when it came down to just Jeanine and Brandon, Jeanine never expected that she was going to win. The Top 2 were excited because no matter the result, it was a win for Miami, Florida. Every week she prepared herself for the bottom three. Her goal was to make it to the Top 10 so she could go on the tour, and everything after that was icing on the cake. “It’s the greatest feeling ever to hear that people actually picked up the phone and voted for you.”
Jeanine was accepted to UCLA and will be a student there after the tour. Surprising to some people, she won’t be majoring in Dance. Instead, Jeanine is pursuing her degree in Communication Studies. “I’m definitely going to pursue a career in dancing and in acting. So I plan on taking probably three classes a semester so I have more time for auditions and hopefully jobs.” If the dance and acting career doesn’t work out for her, Jeanine hopes to use her future degree to open up doors in the field of broadcast journalism. Performing in movie musicals would be a dream for Jeanine since they incorporate both dancing and acting.
When Jeanine first started dancing, she wasn’t very into it because she was “horrible.” With help from two patient dance teachers and a mom who had a gut feeling that Jeanine was destined to become a dancer, she continued to stick with it and blossomed into an amazing dancer. All of the help and convincing paid off – “I’m so grateful for her,” Jeanine said about her mother. From all of this, Jeanine has learned “never to give up. I need to stop doubting myself, and it took this for me to realize that, but I will never doubt myself again and I just hope people realize that it’s so worth taking a chance.”
Jeanine considers her solo that she performed during the performance finale show to be the turning point for her. “I just wanted to go out there and put on a performance that was something that would be memorable and that would touch someone and hopefully inspire just one person…So that solo was the best moment for me and finishing that turn, and having everyone standing and the judges standing – I honestly was jolted as soon as I finished it.”
During the last week of the competition, on top of general soreness, Jeanine was nursing a gash on her leg that occured during the previous week’s group number. All four dancers were battling injuries and aches, and the Top 4 dancers turned to each other for comfort.
For the new group of dancers who are getting ready to take the stage for Season 6, Jeanine offers the following advice, “Pack extra band-aids if they’re as clumsy as I am.” She also restated her mentality that got her to where she is today, “Never give up. Even in that moment when they think they’re so out of their comfort zone…they can do it and that it is so worth it in the end. Just go out there and give it your best shot.”
The next thing on Jeanine’s list is to enjoy the tour with her fellow So You Think You Can Dance Season 5 finalists. “We really have no idea what’s coming, so we’re so ready for that tour just to meet all the fans and to just see how much love we have, it’s going to be amazing.”
Congratulations, Jeanine Mason and everyone from Season 5 for a wonderful season!
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Fashions Used in Season 5 of So You Think You Can Dance
In addition to original designs used in So You Think You Can Dance, there are also designs from other companies.Here is a list from Season 5:
Triple Threat
Katrina Dance Wear
Nike
Creative Recreations
Tarina Tarintino
True Religion
Be Seduced
Katherine
Foley and Corinna
Nicolina Royale
Robin’s Jeans
Hilary London
Be Juiced
Denim of Virtue
Macy’s
2xist
Kizmit
Shirley of Hollywood
Urban Behavior
Costa Blanca
Fender
English Laundry
Billionaire Mafia
Maggie Barry
Jump Shoes
Doc Martin
World Tone Dance Shoes
Lenore Dame Jewelry
LRG
Sugar and Bruno -
Season Finale: Jeanine Mason is America’s Favorite Dancer!
Jeanine Mason
The fifth season of the summer hit SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE came to a spectacular conclusion tonight as Jeanine Mason was named the champion on the two-hour season finale broadcast live from the renowned Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. Mason, 18, a Contemporary dancer from Pinecrest, FL received the most votes out of the record-breaking 21.6 million votes cast. Additionally, she danced off with the cash prize of $250,000, the title of America’s Favorite Dancer and a cover feature in the November issue of Dance Spirit Magazine.
Mason’s fellow finalists – Brandon Bryant, Evan Kasprzak and Kayla Radomski – were eliminated as host Cat Deeley revealed the voting results. Mason had this to say about winning SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE: “This has been the craziest time of my life, but in the moments when I thought I absolutely could not do it, it was the fans and their immense support that got me through. So I have to thank you!”
In addition to naming America’s Favorite Dancer, the Season Five finale of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE featured performances by this season’s Top 20 dancers, Hip Hop dance team The Rage Boyz Crew and Talia Fowler, winner of Season Two of “So You Think You Can Dance Australia.” The celebration also showcased dancers from the first four seasons, encore performances of the judges’ favorite routines from Season Five and a special performance of “One” from “A Chorus Line” featuring the judges and the Top 8.
Mark Your Calendars:
A special featuring favorite routines from previous seasons of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE will air Wednesday, Sept. 2 (8:00-8:58 PM ET/PT), and the sixth season of the original dance competition will premiere Wednesday, Sept. 9 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.Dance Tour:
This season’s Top 10 dancers will participate in the 40-city SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE Tour 2009. The tour kicks off Sunday, Sept. 20 in Manchester, NH, and tickets are on sale now. Ticket and tour information. -
Melissa Sandvig & Ade Obayomi Talk About Their SYTYCD Journey
Melissa & Ade
Melissa Sandvig and Ade Obayomi were partnered up for the first five weeks of So You Think You Can Dance’s fifth season. After a week with new partners when they reached the Top 10, Melissa and Ade were reunited again during the Top 8 week and performed one of the most memorable dances in So You Think You Can Dance history. Coincidentally, Melissa and Ade were eliminated at the same time. The morning after leaving the show, they each opened up about their experience on the show during a press call.
At 29 years old, Melissa Sandvig was the oldest contestant on So You Think You Can Dance, and she was also the first classical ballerina on the show. As a ballerina who hadn’t trained in other styles of dance, almost every style was out of Melissa’s comfort zone. She found the ballroom choreography to be particularly challenging, since that area of dance requires completely different technique than ballet. In regards to tackling the heart-wrenching cancer themed contemporary routine by Tyce Diorio, Melissa said, “With Tyce’s piece, ‘This Woman’s Work,’ that was so much more of an acting piece, an emotional piece, and I really connected with that, and the response that Ade and I got was amazing. So that was one of the high points of this whole process.”
With little airtime during the audition rounds, Melissa was first introduced to the audience as the “Naughty Ballerina” as she made her way into the Top 20 dancers. On breaking the ballerina mold, Melissa said, “I’ve been in this ballet world for so long and we always just kind of do what we’re told and put on a smile and make everything look easy. So it was really fun to kind of throw that away a little bit and put a little bit more personality into it all, and just not be scared of trying new things. That’s how I’ve been for a long time, and it’s pretty amazing to see what you can do when you step out of your comfort zone.”
Often times, football players and basketball stars will enroll in ballet to learn about movement. Melissa further discussed the benefits of ballet, “It requires the most discipline, every movement is so precise, and there’s not a lot of interpretation…having that discipline can take you into other styles of dance, because you know what you’re doing with your body. So working on posture, flexibility and technique in general can help with all the other styles of dance.”
Melissa and Ade made a great pair, with Melissa’s grace and lines and Ade’s strength. Since both Melissa and Ade didn’t receive much airtime during auditions, they didn’t get to know each other well until they were matched together. “He’s a really funny, laid back guy and I’m really laid back too. So our chemistry kind of worked right away. We are both technical dancers and strong dancers, so that allowed us to do a lot of the crazy lifts that we did in some of those numbers…I was very lucky to have him as a partner and I think we complemented each other very well,” Melissa said.
When Melissa isn’t dancing she enjoys spending time with her family, doing stuff outside, going to the beach, doing Pilates, and exercising. In the past, she has danced in a ballet company, so now she’s looking forward to pursuing other styles of dance, doing some work in TV and film, Broadway, and pursuing any other opportunities that arise.
Finally, Melissa would like to say that “making it to the final six has been amazing. I surprised myself and hopefully have inspired other ballet dancers to step out of their comfort zone and see what they can accomplish.”
Ade Obayomi, a 20 year old “contemporary with a hint of hip hop” dancer from Orange County, CA, showed great strength while dancing, and it was something the judges always admired. As the other half of the “This Woman’s Work” breast cancer inspired dance, Ade said, “Seeing the responses from the judges and the audience members and the people at home and all the responses we’ve gotten through e-mails and messages has been incredible and I don’t think we could ask for anything better. We are privileged to have done this piece and share it with the world and bring it to the stage…so it was great to be a part of it, and I’m happy.”
Besides dance, Ade has a passion for sound engineering and DJing. He said that dance and making music “goes hand-in-hand.” His music inspires his dance, and his dance inspires his music. They work together to create art.
Ade has no regrets about his experience on So You Think You Can Dance and wouldn’t do anything differently. “I did my best… I danced from the heart and kind of just left it on the stage that night… I’m just happy I made it this far; top six, that’s pretty good, considering all the dancers that tried out,” Ade commented.
Ade’s dance inspirations are Desmond Richardson, who performed on the show this season, and So You Think You Can Dance Season 2 runner-up Travis Wall. He considers Desmond Richardson as “probably the most incredible male dancer out there right now. His presence and technique, his execution and everything is on fire.” Meanwhile, Ade is inspired by Travis’ return as a breakthrough choreographer on this season of Dance. “He’s so young and he’s already killing [it] and he came from the show, so it’s just anything is possible and he’s one of them that kind of inspires me to dance a little harder and a little more.” Ade wouldn’t mind following in Travis’ footsteps by being a finalist-turned-choreographer for the show. “I love creating and choreographing, and Travis is definitely a prime example of that. He danced on the show and then he went on to choreography and he’s successful and everyone is loving him right now. I would definitely love to follow that path and get into that, because it’s something I like to do.”
The week before Ade was eliminated from the competition was the 100th episode, during which dancers from the first four seasons returned to the show to celebrate. Ade said, “It’s always great to see them come back, because it’s like a huge family. We saw everyone from the first season all the way up to the fourth. So when they come back and showed that they’re still dancing and they’re still killing it, we kind of look up to them, because we’ve seen the show in the past…they tell us about their experience and that they would do it again. And even though it’s hard when we’re in it, when you leave it, you miss it. So it’s nice to hear that, because we kind of get so tired and wrapped up that we forget that we had this amazing opportunity.”
Ade has advice for dancers everywhere- “When you get tired, just keep pushing through, because you might feel tired, but the reward at the end is definitely greater than anything else in the world.”
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Jason & Janette Talk About Dance
Jason Glover and Janette Manrara had a great run on So You Think You Can Dance, making it all the way to the Top 8 dancers. The day after Jason and Janette were eliminated on the one hundredth episode of Dance, they opened up about their time on the show, the tour, and what the future may hold for them.Click to continue reading “Jason & Janette Talk About Dance”
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