Latest / Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast / Spotlight Feature - Alex Wong

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Spotlight Feature - Alex Wong · Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast

0:36
SPEAKER_07: That's another little show called So you think you can make a contact.
0:43
SPEAKER_07: That's not the real Hey everyone.
0:48
SPEAKER_05: Welcome to Making the Intact, a Dance Computer Podcast.
0:51
SPEAKER_05: I'm your host, Courtney Ortiz, and I'm, of course, here with my co-host Leslie Mueller.
0:57
SPEAKER_05: Hi, podcast fans and friends.
0:59
SPEAKER_05: We are so excited for our fourth spotlight episode feature this season.
1:05
SPEAKER_05: And I can't wait for you to meet this very special guest, who I will introduce to you all soon.
1:11
SPEAKER_05: But I would love to let all of our listeners and our fans know that we have our March virtual competition through Impact Dance Adjudicators open now.
1:24
SPEAKER_05: So you have a few days left to register.
1:28
SPEAKER_05: Our registration for our March event closes on March 15th.
1:32
SPEAKER_05: And if you miss this deadline, then you can always enter into our May virtual competition event, which by the way, this is for solos and group routines.
1:41
SPEAKER_05: And you can pre-register for that now.
1:43
SPEAKER_05: So head on over to Impact Dance Adjudicators.com slash virtual competition to learn more about our events and register now.
1:52
SPEAKER_07: And speaking of competitions, our IDA judges have been out and about at live events the past few weekends, and they have reported back that despite the differences this season, all the dancers on stage have been absolutely killing it.
2:04
SPEAKER_07: But we just wanted to give a big shout out to everyone involved for making it work, especially at our IDA affiliated competitions.
2:11
SPEAKER_07: So shout out to everybody at Diva, ID Dance, Spirit of Dance Awards, Just Dance Invitational, Positive Vibes, Epic Dance Showcase, Axis HD and Gems.
2:21
SPEAKER_05: Yay.
2:21
SPEAKER_05: We love you.
2:24
SPEAKER_07: We can't wait to hear from the rest of our IDA affiliated competitions about how their events are going.
2:29
SPEAKER_07: And if you had a great time at an IDA affiliated competition recently, let us and them know.
2:34
SPEAKER_07: Your feedback helps us know we're doing a good job.
2:36
SPEAKER_07: You can stay up to date on our social media to see which events our IDA judges will be at behind the table throughout the season.
2:42
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, definitely.
2:43
SPEAKER_05: Follow us at Impact Dance Adjudicators on Instagram and Facebook.
2:47
SPEAKER_05: And don't forget to join our brand new Facebook group as well.
2:51
SPEAKER_05: Go search for it, Making the Impact, a Dance Competition Podcast community.
2:54
SPEAKER_05: And we'll keep you updated throughout the season as to where our judges are heading each weekend.
2:59
SPEAKER_05: And since the season is in full swing, you might need a few last minute dance supplies to bring with you to events.
3:05
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3:12
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3:16
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3:21
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3:28
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3:34
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3:39
SPEAKER_05: Or thank you to Level Up for sponsoring this spotlight episode.
3:43
SPEAKER_05: All right, and guess what?
3:45
SPEAKER_05: It is time.
3:46
SPEAKER_05: It's already time to meet our special guest who is joining us today.
3:52
SPEAKER_05: I am pretty sure that you probably know who this dancer is because you can find and follow him on every social media platform with thousands and thousands of followers on Instagram, on TikTok.
4:08
SPEAKER_05: And by the way, his videos are epic and so hilariously amazing for all of you dancers.
4:13
SPEAKER_05: He was on So You Think You Can Dance as an all-star and as a finalist.
4:18
SPEAKER_05: He was a principal dancer with the Miami City Ballet, and he's even been on Broadway in Newsies.
4:25
SPEAKER_05: He's really worked on all sides of the industry from concert dance to television to Broadway.
4:29
SPEAKER_05: And you've probably even seen him backup dancing behind some of your favorite artists like Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, and the Jonas brothers.
4:37
SPEAKER_05: I am so, so, so excited to welcome my friend Alex Wong to the podcast.
4:44
SPEAKER_05: Welcome, Alex.
4:45
SPEAKER_02: Hi, what's up?
4:47
SPEAKER_05: What's up?
4:48
SPEAKER_05: Oh my gosh, I'm so excited to have you.
4:51
SPEAKER_05: Thanks for joining us.
4:52
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, of course.
4:53
SPEAKER_05: Literally, I have to just say this moment because this is just, it was just too good to be true.
4:59
SPEAKER_05: I was heading into the city about a month ago.
5:02
SPEAKER_05: And meanwhile, it's New York City, it's it's a pandemic.
5:06
SPEAKER_05: New York City is very not as not not as many tourists are around right now in New York City, especially in Times Square.
5:12
SPEAKER_05: And I'm walking to rehearsal with a friend.
5:15
SPEAKER_05: And I have I haven't even had my mask on.
5:17
SPEAKER_05: And what are the odds?
5:18
SPEAKER_05: Alex Wong is driving a city bike directly past me in the middle of Times Square, screaming me and screaming my name.
5:25
SPEAKER_05: He's like, Corney, hey! And I literally am like, who is calling my name right now?
5:30
SPEAKER_05: And it's Alex Wong on a city bike, fully masked, driving through Times Square.
5:35
SPEAKER_05: And then afterwards, I was like, hey Alex, do you want to be on the podcast?
5:41
SPEAKER_05: So it was just it was a beautiful New York City moment.
5:44
SPEAKER_05: That's what I love so much about New York is you always run into people you know.
5:48
SPEAKER_02: It's such a big city, but like you really um and it's like I I feel like I've been running into people more.
5:56
SPEAKER_02: I don't know.
5:56
SPEAKER_02: Just because like there's like less riff raff, so then more locals are there and and more chance of people you know that you spot and up spot.
6:03
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
6:04
SPEAKER_07: I I agree.
6:05
SPEAKER_07: Especially in that area of town too.
6:06
SPEAKER_07: Yeah.
6:07
SPEAKER_07: Just campus.
6:08
SPEAKER_05: Oh my gosh.
6:09
SPEAKER_05: So so funny.
6:10
SPEAKER_05: I love it.
6:11
SPEAKER_05: Well, Alex, I'm I'm super happy to have you on the podcast.
6:15
SPEAKER_05: I know that you have had such a exciting career in so many different ways, and I can't wait to hear about all of it.
6:23
SPEAKER_05: I hope that we can get through it all and share with all of our listeners and some of your fans to get to know you even more.
6:30
SPEAKER_05: But I know that I've known you for a while now.
6:33
SPEAKER_05: I was I was trying to think back as to like when we first met, and Alex and I have been teaching on conventions together for pro maybe almost close to ten years now.
6:42
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
6:43
SPEAKER_02: I think it's been, if not ten, like nine or minimum eight, somewhere around there.
6:48
SPEAKER_05: Crazy.
6:49
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
6:49
SPEAKER_05: And you're just such an awesome dance educator and teacher, and you work on multiple different conventions.
6:56
SPEAKER_05: So everybody that's listening, I hope that you'll be able to experience one of Alex's classes at a convention or in person sometime soon.
7:04
SPEAKER_05: But he's so great.
7:05
SPEAKER_05: So yay, really, really excited to have you here.
7:09
SPEAKER_05: And I'm excited to dive in.
7:11
SPEAKER_05: You ready, Leslie?
7:12
SPEAKER_07: So ready.
7:13
SPEAKER_07: Cause yeah, I I don't know you well.
7:15
SPEAKER_07: I know you threw Courtney and I've I know you through social media and everything.
7:18
SPEAKER_07: But so for our listeners who may not be familiar with your history and your backstory, can you tell us a little bit about how you started dance, where you trained, what you studied?
7:28
SPEAKER_07: And what I want to know is when did you know that you wanted to dance as a professional?
7:33
SPEAKER_02: Cool.
7:34
SPEAKER_02: Okay.
7:34
SPEAKER_02: So I probably started dancing around, not at a dance studio.
7:38
SPEAKER_02: I would like dance in my room and whatever, probably like around five.
7:43
SPEAKER_02: I would always like choreograph these numbers, who knows what they were.
7:46
SPEAKER_02: And I would bring my family into the room, turn off the lights, I'd give my dad a flashlight, and maybe like spotlight me.
7:52
SPEAKER_02: And then I would do some horrible performance, I'm sure.
7:55
SPEAKER_02: Um I have no recordings of it because I wouldn't let anyone film.
8:00
SPEAKER_02: So um I'm sure it was disgusting.
8:02
SPEAKER_02: But um, they you know, they they saw this love of dance that I had.
8:06
SPEAKER_02: Um, and I I kept on doing it for a long time.
8:08
SPEAKER_02: And so they eventually kind of asked me, like, do you want to dance?
8:11
SPEAKER_02: And I don't know where I got this idea, but like my my answer was like, no, dancing's only for girls.
8:16
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so I actually said no for the longest time, but I kept on dancing.
8:22
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, apparently unknowing that I was dancing, something like that.
8:25
SPEAKER_02: Um, but yeah, I kept on doing it.
8:28
SPEAKER_02: And uh when I was seven, my dad was doing some like local photography for like a like a local school.
8:34
SPEAKER_02: He just does it on the side, and so he was like, How about we bring you to this like local dance school year-end show?
8:39
SPEAKER_02: And if you don't want to dance after that, we won't ask you anymore.
8:41
SPEAKER_02: So I was like, all right, sounds like a deal.
8:43
SPEAKER_02: So I went and there were I think two guys in that school dancing on stage, and I think that kind of like changed my whole perspective immediately.
8:52
SPEAKER_02: Um, and I wanted to start right away.
8:54
SPEAKER_02: So I actually I guess I had to wait for the fall season because that was like the year-end show.
8:58
SPEAKER_02: But I started with jazz and tap, and that particular studio was really strong in tap.
9:03
SPEAKER_02: So tap was actually my strongest until probably I was 13, maybe.
9:08
SPEAKER_02: And so I was just doing jazz and tap in musical theater from seven to 10.
9:13
SPEAKER_02: And then, and my teacher was like really took me under her wing.
9:17
SPEAKER_02: She like, you know, I was a I was a pretty shy kid, and uh, you know, she wanted me to do solos and things like that.
9:22
SPEAKER_02: And so she actually gave me free solo private lessons and everything for many, many years.
9:28
SPEAKER_02: And um, when I was 10, she was like, you know, if you want to get serious in dancing, you have to start taking ballet.
9:34
SPEAKER_02: And she was like, you can only go to this one studio.
9:36
SPEAKER_02: She literally sent me to another studio, and that studio was about an hour and 15 minutes away from where I was living at the time.
9:43
SPEAKER_02: So it was a big commitment for for my mom and my my parents and everything.
9:47
SPEAKER_02: You know, my teacher says, like, you have to go there.
9:50
SPEAKER_02: So uh I started going three times a week and I hated it.
9:53
SPEAKER_02: I thought it was so boring.
9:55
SPEAKER_02: Um, like there are a lot of people.
9:56
SPEAKER_05: So did you stop at your other studio?
9:58
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
9:58
SPEAKER_02: No, I I continued at my other studio.
10:00
SPEAKER_05: Oh wow, you just went there for ballet only.
10:02
SPEAKER_02: I went to ballet there only three times a week initially.
10:06
SPEAKER_02: And it was, yeah, it was really far, but I knew it was good for my dancing.
10:10
SPEAKER_02: And even after like a year, like within my competition solos, like I saw like immense improvement.
10:15
SPEAKER_02: Like people were like, What did you do?
10:17
SPEAKER_02: Like between like this year and last year.
10:20
SPEAKER_02: And I just saw like me progressing so much, like so much further than the other kids, like where it was like sometimes I would get second or like first, whatever.
10:30
SPEAKER_02: And then it was like after I started taking value, it was just like I was so clearly like a lot ahead of these other kids.
10:36
SPEAKER_02: And so I knew it was good for me, even though I I hated it.
10:39
SPEAKER_02: I felt like it was like really boring.
10:41
SPEAKER_02: I couldn't understand why my teacher was giving me corrections.
10:43
SPEAKER_02: I'm like, everyone's knee is bent, everyone's shoulders and pipes are up.
10:47
SPEAKER_02: Why are you telling me?
10:48
SPEAKER_02: Like it was, you know, it was just like literally like poking and potting on every part of my body, and I'm like, oh my gosh, like I don't care, right?
10:55
SPEAKER_02: But I like forced myself to do it, and like I mean, there was I was bad.
10:58
SPEAKER_02: It was there was even times where I remember like wearing my ballet clothes underneath my regular clothes, and I'd show up at a class and be like, forgot my clothes, and I'd just sit there in the front.
11:06
SPEAKER_02: Oh my god, had my mom known about that?
11:08
SPEAKER_02: Oh my god, like drive me like an hour and 15 minutes, and I sit there in the front of a class, you know, right.
11:17
SPEAKER_02: Forgot my clothes.
11:18
SPEAKER_02: Oops, it was just like sometimes they just couldn't handle it, I couldn't do it, I couldn't bring myself to do it.
11:22
SPEAKER_02: Oh yeah, yeah, I did this for several years, and then I think by the time I was like 13, I was probably like neutral with it.
11:29
SPEAKER_02: I was like, okay, like I'm alright with ballet, like it's not bothering me so much.
11:33
SPEAKER_02: I I think it's because like when you start moving more, like in the initially ballet is like so dry.
11:38
SPEAKER_02: Like you're like really just working on like your form and your technique.
11:41
SPEAKER_02: You can't get past like anything, like you're not moving.
11:44
SPEAKER_02: So I remember like even like the transparent presentation days, like you know, they're allowed to film.
11:48
SPEAKER_02: I'm like in the back of the studio, like bouncing around, doing like hopscotch, whatever, while everyone's doing like other like you know, center combinations.
11:56
SPEAKER_02: Like, I can't focus, like it's just like I'm so bored.
11:59
SPEAKER_02: So, anyway, I think eventually, like we start moving, you start jumping, you do pirouettes, whatever, when you're like 13, and I start, you know, I started falling in love with it.
12:07
SPEAKER_02: And um, yeah, and then I I kind of came to like a crossroads when I was like 15.
12:12
SPEAKER_02: I was still doing all my studies, like you know, jazz, tap, contemporary, whatever, and then ballet had become six days, seven days a week.
12:20
SPEAKER_02: Um I was doing half day school, half day dance.
12:22
SPEAKER_02: Um it was kind of like all right, what do I do?
12:25
SPEAKER_02: Like now I have two more years till I graduate high school, and it's like, do I pursue like the commercial industry or do I pursue a ballet company?
12:33
SPEAKER_02: Like, you know, and and and I thought about it and it was like didn't really seem to make sense for me to pursue a commercial career because I I just didn't see any Asians on TV at the time.
12:44
SPEAKER_02: I didn't feel like it would be realistic for me to like pursue Broadway and be like, oh, like Russia, sorry, like there's no Asians in it, like this and that.
12:50
SPEAKER_02: There's no Asians in it.
12:51
SPEAKER_02: I don't see any Asians on TV.
12:52
SPEAKER_02: Like, how am I gonna look and like just sitting there waiting for a gig to come?
12:56
SPEAKER_02: Like, I didn't know anything.
12:58
SPEAKER_02: Like, there were only like a few like students that had like gone to LA and like you know, like they were doing well, like some of them were like dancing for Britney and whatever, but like they were like white or they were black or they had like a cool hairdo or something, you know.
13:11
SPEAKER_02: And I was like, I can't do this, right?
13:13
SPEAKER_02: So so being Asian, like I knew I could get into a ballet company, and like I was on track to do that too.
13:19
SPEAKER_02: So I was like, all right, let me do ballet world because I can get into a company, it'll be a stable career.
13:24
SPEAKER_02: I know I'm gonna get paid, like blah blah blah blah.
13:27
SPEAKER_02: So so basically I went to Creed a Lausanne, which is a large international ballet competition.
13:31
SPEAKER_02: I won that, which gave me like the ability to basically choose any company in the world that I wanted to join.
13:38
SPEAKER_02: So I joined American Ballet Theater, and that was my first initial move from Canada to New York or America, which got me like my visa and everything.
13:46
SPEAKER_02: So yeah, and then I joined I was there for a bit over a year, and then I uh went to Miami City Valley and I subsequently spent what like five, six years there.
13:55
SPEAKER_02: Then I was a principal dancer, really, really happy with my dancing, but I felt like I missed doing the stuff that I grew up with as well.
14:02
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and so So You Think You Can Dance actually came around town to Miami and I just kind of decided to audition on a whim.
14:09
SPEAKER_02: What season was this?
14:10
SPEAKER_02: This was season five.
14:12
SPEAKER_02: Okay.
14:12
SPEAKER_02: Season five was So You Think, yeah.
14:14
SPEAKER_02: I made it to Vegas and I did Vegas, did the whole thing, gotten to the what, top 40, whatever they call Green Mile.
14:21
SPEAKER_02: I made it to the top 20, but Nigel Lithgoed like called my director asking if he would release me from my contract for the next season, and my director wouldn't.
14:30
SPEAKER_02: He was like, Really?
14:31
SPEAKER_02: No, wait, Alex, you can't you can't go, whatever.
14:33
SPEAKER_02: And so unfortunately, I didn't get to do season five because they were like, you know, they were like, your director won't let you go, like you have signed a contract, like sorry, like please come back whenever you're ready.
14:43
SPEAKER_02: And so I think that kind of like lit a fire into me because like when I was in Vegas, I was reminded of how much I loved doing these different styles of dance, which I had I hadn't done for so many years now.
14:54
SPEAKER_02: And it was like it was like Mia Michaels and Sonia and Napy Taz, and I just remember being like so inspired.
15:00
SPEAKER_02: And um, so I coming back that season to my ballet company, I kind of told them, like, okay, like I'm not signing next year year because this is something I really want to pursue, which was sort of a big leaf leap of faith for me because to not like sign a contract a year in advance, you know, not knowing whether or not I'm gonna get on So you think and Dance again, but just kind of like I really knew that's what I wanted.
15:23
SPEAKER_02: And so that rest of the season happened, and then there was like season six in the fall.
15:27
SPEAKER_02: So that kind of there was like a little blip.
15:29
SPEAKER_02: Five, six, and seven kind of happened back to back.
15:31
SPEAKER_02: And so I went in for season seven, which during Vegas Week was very nerve-wracking because it went from it was always a top 20 before that.
15:38
SPEAKER_02: In season seven, they suddenly made it a top ten.
15:41
SPEAKER_02: So I was like super nervous if I was like even gonna make it because then it was like double as hard to get in.
15:46
SPEAKER_02: But um then I made top ten for season seven, which was like amazing.
15:50
SPEAKER_02: It was like a dream come true, whatever, and then snapped my Achilles tendon while I was on the show.
15:54
SPEAKER_02: So then I had to I had to withdraw.
15:56
SPEAKER_02: Uh cool, cool.
15:57
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so that's kind of my introduction of my professional career of kind of how I started to get where I was today.
16:04
SPEAKER_05: Right.
16:05
SPEAKER_02: Wow.
16:05
SPEAKER_02: Oh man That's a that's a story, man.
16:09
SPEAKER_05: I was curious to know how you kind of went into the ballet world, and I assumed based because most dancers who you know go into the ballet world at especially like right away as like their first job or maybe potentially only job, you know, that a lot of people stay with ballet companies for their entire career.
16:29
SPEAKER_05: Most of them are training like you kind of said you were like six, seven days a week.
16:33
SPEAKER_05: Like that was their that's their goal and focus, you know, when they know they already know that in like in high school of like I'm gonna be in a ballet company.
16:41
SPEAKER_05: So I was curious to know if you did do ballet competitions, which it sounds like you did, and that's kind of how essentially you got those opportunities.
16:47
SPEAKER_05: It wasn't like you had to really go audition, it was it was more so the ballet competition kind of guided you right into to select.
16:54
SPEAKER_02: I mean, it's it's really hard to as a Canadian, it's really hard, and even I mean, any really anything other than American, it's really hard to get a visa to a company abroad or outside of your country.
17:06
SPEAKER_02: So um it is difficult to have an American company hire me or really anyone else that hasn't had a bunch of accolades, and it's kind of tough to get these accolades when you're a student, you know?
17:18
SPEAKER_02: Right.
17:18
SPEAKER_02: So one like large, large international ballet competitions are one of the only ways to kind of like get through that.
17:25
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, that makes sense.
17:26
SPEAKER_05: Wow.
17:27
SPEAKER_05: That's so interesting.
17:28
SPEAKER_05: So you were with Miami for you said like five, six years, you said.
17:33
SPEAKER_05: So I had a question about So You Think You Can Dance while you were talking about it.
17:37
SPEAKER_05: Oh, the first season that you auditioned, I'm sure I watched this.
17:41
SPEAKER_05: Like I I was a diehard So You Think You Dance watcher back then.
17:44
SPEAKER_05: And and then like I would probably say like around like your lap like seven, eight, I probably kind of stopped watching as often.
17:52
SPEAKER_05: And I was also a little bit older at that point, but like when So You Think You Can Dance came out, like that was the best thing in the world for the dance industry.
18:00
SPEAKER_05: Like right, I I was I was I think like 16 or 15, and just like watching these dancers on my television was unreal.
18:08
SPEAKER_05: Like everyone wanted to be on that show, everyone knew what it was.
18:11
SPEAKER_05: Like, what the moment you turn 18, you better be in line at audition.
18:15
SPEAKER_05: Like it was, and and I mean, I'm sure so many dancers have done that, but we all know that So You Think always likes to have like a backstory or like that, you know, follow your story.
18:27
SPEAKER_05: I'm curious to know because I just don't remember for the first season that you that you auditioned and made it to Vegas and made it, but Miami City Ballet wouldn't let you do the show.
18:38
SPEAKER_05: Did did they make a whole story out of that?
18:40
SPEAKER_05: Was that like a yeah?
18:42
SPEAKER_02: It was huge.
18:43
SPEAKER_02: So they aired my they aired my Miami edition like a little bit.
18:47
SPEAKER_02: And then I had like a huge spotlight in Vegas.
18:50
SPEAKER_02: And then yeah, and then when I didn't get in, well I I mean I got in, but then I couldn't do it.
18:57
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, that was that was huge.
18:59
SPEAKER_02: Like it was like I remember Well, Miami was really mad because they got like a lot of hate mail.
19:04
SPEAKER_02: And that was also like at the time when like so you think was really, really popular.
19:08
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, millions and millions of viewers, and so they got a lot of like backlash for not allowing me to like pursue my dreams kind of thing.
19:16
SPEAKER_02: And so yeah, that was like a huge story, and then it was even bigger when for season seven when I returned because it was like, Oh, it's the kid that like made it last time but couldn't do it.
19:26
SPEAKER_02: I luckily I actually they gave me like a free pass to Vegas for season seven, which I don't think they had ever done before, where I didn't have to go into the local city to audition.
19:37
SPEAKER_02: So that was that was really nice because that may have affected me going because it's like you know, you know, going on a whim and stuff like that, and like those audition days can be long.
19:45
SPEAKER_02: Like those the local audition days, they can be really long and tedious.
19:48
SPEAKER_02: And so it was really nice that I could go straight to Vegas.
19:51
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
19:52
SPEAKER_05: Wow.
19:52
SPEAKER_05: I l I love that.
19:53
SPEAKER_05: Oh this whole this whole story, and just I really love the fact that it's it's so interesting to me that that so you think is what really kind of lit that fire, like you said, uh, to open your eyes again to all of these styles that you've been kind of pushed away from when you're working in a ballet company.
20:13
SPEAKER_05: I mean, I know that different ballet companies have variety of styles that they end up doing as far as rep and performances and and things, but you know, something like ballroom or something like, you know, even just kind of a different style contemporary than what you're usually used to, you know.
20:30
SPEAKER_05: It I it's probably I'm sure it was just an eye-opening experience for you to be like, wow, okay, I've done this for a while and like there's a whole new other dance world out there waiting for me.
20:41
SPEAKER_02: Mm-hmm.
20:41
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
20:41
SPEAKER_02: I just had really realized that I had missed doing other stuff, and I was just kind of searching for, I don't know, like new new things for my body and like just doing hip hop and like like you said, ballroom and different styles of contemporary.
20:54
SPEAKER_02: I mean urban contemporary or what what we what we see in like competitional world contemporary is so different from concert contemporary and even concert modern, which no one really does modern in a competitional world, but you know they really don't.
21:07
SPEAKER_07: Sadly, they don't.
21:08
SPEAKER_07: They should they try and they do not achieve that at all.
21:12
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so I mean there's just it's just so different, and I I had missed doing it, and so yeah.
21:18
SPEAKER_07: How did your body and like your mind react to like did you train kind of in those styles again and like re-acquaint your body into jazz and tap and hip-hop before you went to audition?
21:30
SPEAKER_07: Or were you just like, I was a ballet dancer and now here I go, I'm gonna go do this and let's see what happens.
21:35
SPEAKER_02: I did definitely with hip-hop and ballroom.
21:38
SPEAKER_02: Uh, I didn't so much with contemporary and stuff like that.
21:41
SPEAKER_02: Like the contemporary stuff always not that it came natural to me, but it was still within the same realm of training.
21:47
SPEAKER_02: Like, you know, I do move like that, and physically, like versus like anything versus like a ballet company, like you're never gonna be as physically exerted.
21:58
SPEAKER_02: So like physically.
22:00
SPEAKER_02: It was never that difficult outside of a ballet company.
22:03
SPEAKER_02: But yeah, like style-wise, I definitely revisited like the ballroom, which well I had never visited that before.
22:08
SPEAKER_02: So visited and then like revisited like more hip-hop because I really hadn't done much of that.
22:13
SPEAKER_02: And just like the the polar opposite styles that could then kind of then I can kind of mix everything in afterwards.
22:19
SPEAKER_02: So yeah, I did kind of have to do that.
22:21
SPEAKER_02: Cool.
22:22
SPEAKER_05: I think that the other thing that's kind of interesting, and especially like thinking about So You Think You Can Dance is the fact that when you get thrown into Vegas week, you are learning so many styles in such a short amount of time.
22:34
SPEAKER_05: Like the auditions for each choreographer and the rounds, you better like know how to pick up choreography.
22:41
SPEAKER_05: Like it's no one's job.
22:42
SPEAKER_05: Like you're so stressful.
22:44
SPEAKER_02: Yes.
22:46
SPEAKER_05: And then like all those extra things, like now I have a partner for this all of a sudden.
22:50
SPEAKER_05: So now it's not just you that is trying to survive.
22:53
SPEAKER_05: What if you get, you know, a partner that's just kind of struggle city, right?
22:57
SPEAKER_05: You know what I mean?
22:57
SPEAKER_05: Like that that's stressful, and then the whole group choreo thing that you guys have to do.
23:02
SPEAKER_02: So stressful.
23:03
SPEAKER_02: And like the no sleep thing, and then the cameras in your face, and like it is so stressful, Vegas Week.
23:09
SPEAKER_02: I would never want to do again ever in my life.
23:12
SPEAKER_02: So stressful.
23:13
SPEAKER_05: So you only had to do it twice, right?
23:15
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, twice too many.
23:16
SPEAKER_05: Twice too many.
23:17
SPEAKER_05: And then how was it once you got to the show?
23:19
SPEAKER_05: Was it everything you dreamed of?
23:21
SPEAKER_02: I mean, yeah, the show was incredible.
23:23
SPEAKER_02: It was, I had a great experience.
23:25
SPEAKER_02: I think not everyone does.
23:26
SPEAKER_02: I think, you know, they they tell you initially, like, don't read the message boards, um, which we of course you do to a certain extent.
23:33
SPEAKER_02: But I think I got really lucky that no one really said anything bad about me.
23:37
SPEAKER_02: And I don't know, I just think I got lucky.
23:40
SPEAKER_02: And so I had a really nice experience.
23:42
SPEAKER_02: People were really nice to me.
23:43
SPEAKER_02: Uh the show was big back then, so like we couldn't leave without bodyguards and and and things like that.
23:50
SPEAKER_02: But it was it was incredible.
23:51
SPEAKER_02: I mean, we didn't really have much time to do anything other than sleep and dance and eat a little bit, and we would just nap like whenever there was like a moment.
23:59
SPEAKER_02: So it was really tough because it was like we would have kind of like Fridays off.
24:04
SPEAKER_02: Saturday would be group routine day.
24:07
SPEAKER_02: So we'd learn the entire group routine in one day.
24:09
SPEAKER_02: Sunday you would start your duet and like they wouldn't tell you what you had before you started.
24:13
SPEAKER_02: So you show up at the studio with every shoe.
24:15
SPEAKER_02: You could also like warmed up for who knows what.
24:18
SPEAKER_02: Like they just did it on purpose just to keep everything under the wraps.
24:22
SPEAKER_02: So Sunday you would learn your duet, your first duet for two hours, and maybe your second duet for two hours.
24:28
SPEAKER_02: You only get two hours, which is for camera, so you don't really learn that much.
24:32
SPEAKER_02: Then Monday you learn the rest of it.
24:34
SPEAKER_02: You learn the rest of it on Monday.
24:35
SPEAKER_02: Tuesday is dry blocking and on stage, doing it all on stage, whatever.
24:40
SPEAKER_02: And then Wednesday, your live show already.
24:42
SPEAKER_01: Wow.
24:42
SPEAKER_02: And then Thursday is actually the easiest day because Thursday you just do the group routine and then it's the results.
24:48
SPEAKER_02: So Thursday was like the easiest physically, but the hardest emotionally, because you know someone gets kicked off.
24:54
SPEAKER_02: So and you literally think every single week it's you.
24:57
SPEAKER_05: So and you have to do your solo too, if you have to like sometimes do your solo.
25:02
SPEAKER_02: That was stressful.
25:03
SPEAKER_02: Everyone has to run their solos because like you don't know who's gonna end up in the bottom, and you're sure it's you.
25:08
SPEAKER_02: So yeah, and then they tell you your like solo sucks, and then like you know something else.
25:13
SPEAKER_02: So yeah, it's it's it's very, very stressful during the show.
25:16
SPEAKER_02: You like don't really get to sleep very much.
25:19
SPEAKER_02: You're very physically tired just because you're doing so many different styles that you're not necessarily used to, and you're doing it at like peak performance level.
25:26
SPEAKER_02: So it's not like it's not like, oh yeah, let's just try this style and hope that it's like kind of okay.
25:32
SPEAKER_02: Like, no, you're trying to do it like as good as a professional, even like you're faking it, or like sometimes like it doesn't work.
25:39
SPEAKER_02: You're trying to get to like a good level, and you have good choreographers to back you up, so it's really just up to you.
25:45
SPEAKER_02: So yeah, it's super stressful in that way.
25:47
SPEAKER_02: And you know, the it's funny because I was actually always more nervous for the dress run before the live show.
25:53
SPEAKER_02: And the reason being is so the show is live at 5 p.m.
25:57
SPEAKER_02: Okay, so it's 5 p.m.
25:58
SPEAKER_02: uh west coast time from two to four, we do a live dress run.
26:02
SPEAKER_02: It's like the whole show live just as it would be with costume and everything.
26:06
SPEAKER_02: This is when the judges actually see your performance for the first time.
26:10
SPEAKER_02: This is when they establish their comments and everything.
26:13
SPEAKER_02: So if you don't do great, and or unless it's like drastically different between your dress run and your live performance, like that is your comments.
26:21
SPEAKER_02: Your comments come from this dress run.
26:23
SPEAKER_02: And so I'd always be really, really nervous for the dress run.
26:26
SPEAKER_02: They wouldn't tell you anything afterward and they wouldn't react, but like you, you know, you would maybe have an idea.
26:31
SPEAKER_02: And then the the the live shows always kind of felt like a performance to me.
26:34
SPEAKER_02: They were really great, audience energy was incredible, and just to be able to share like my art with millions and millions of people instantaneously, and then have like friends and family just like right as I step off stage, like just be able to see like the support and something that was really incredible.
26:53
SPEAKER_02: So, yeah, it was it was a really, really special experience.
26:55
SPEAKER_02: I had like an amazing journey.
26:57
SPEAKER_02: I, you know, I snapped my Achilles toward when I was top what seven or whatever.
27:01
SPEAKER_02: So I had to withdraw from the competition, which was really tough for me.
27:04
SPEAKER_05: Was that like during a route, like when did that was that rehearsal?
27:08
SPEAKER_02: Was it like Yeah, so it was Tuesday night dry block.
27:11
SPEAKER_02: We had been running everything and I we were running it for the last time.
27:16
SPEAKER_02: Um, usually you run the routines like three times back to back, kind of.
27:19
SPEAKER_02: Oh my god.
27:19
SPEAKER_02: And so it was like the last time I was doing it, and I was honestly actually feeling great that day.
27:24
SPEAKER_02: It was like past where I had already like not been sore.
27:28
SPEAKER_02: Here's another thing.
27:29
SPEAKER_02: So during Vegas week in season seven, I was trying something and I like put my body like two parallel to the floor and I oversaw and I landed on my knee.
27:38
SPEAKER_02: So during season seven Vegas week, I actually tore my meniscus PCL and MCL.
27:43
SPEAKER_02: What?
27:44
SPEAKER_02: Oh, all of those things.
27:45
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, all of those things.
27:46
SPEAKER_02: So I actually couldn't bend my knee for a full month.
27:49
SPEAKER_02: So you think happened?
27:50
SPEAKER_02: And I didn't tell anyone because I didn't want the producers to kick me off.
27:54
SPEAKER_02: So I actually could only do a coup de PA.
27:57
SPEAKER_02: I couldn't do a passe on my left knee.
27:59
SPEAKER_02: But for some weird reason, I could jump full out.
28:02
SPEAKER_02: I just couldn't land in any sort of grand plie.
28:04
SPEAKER_02: It like my knee could not go past 90 degrees.
28:07
SPEAKER_02: So I like didn't dance for a long time right before.
28:10
SPEAKER_02: I like had a really great like Chinese doctor that was like doing stuff, but I couldn't really dance before, like for a month before.
28:16
SPEAKER_02: So when I went into the first week of study thing, I was really sore because I also started with Mia Michaels and it was like very harsh.
28:22
SPEAKER_02: And she loved me and it was great, but like you know, I would didn't tell anyone about this knee injury.
28:27
SPEAKER_02: So, like, like when choreographs would ask for like a tasse, I'd just give like a soft attitude, and like they would be like, Sometimes they would look and then they'd be like, Yeah, I'm all right with that.
28:35
SPEAKER_02: Like, I just wouldn't say yeah, and like if it was like knee drops, I would just like drop on the other knee and they'd be like kind of okay with it.
28:42
SPEAKER_02: Like it, I would just like interesting, yeah.
28:44
SPEAKER_02: Nanoscript, like any so anyway, that particular week I was feeling great.
28:48
SPEAKER_02: So it was a Bollywood number, and um, there was knee spins, and so I couldn't do the knee spins, and so I actually ended up telling the choreographer, like after a while, of him being like, Why don't you just do it?
28:58
SPEAKER_02: Like he was he like really wanted to put it in the number, and I was like, I don't know.
29:02
SPEAKER_02: And then like eventually I was like, Okay, Nakul, I have a torn knee.
29:07
SPEAKER_02: Don't tell, don't tell any of the producers.
29:09
SPEAKER_02: Oh my god.
29:09
SPEAKER_02: Oh, but I was like, I can't do it.
29:10
SPEAKER_02: So he was like, Oh, okay.
29:12
SPEAKER_02: So then he was like, I'll let you do like turns in the middle, and then I was gonna do like these consecutive split jumps to the side, which were honestly like really easy for me.
29:19
SPEAKER_02: Like I would do them all the time.
29:20
SPEAKER_02: Just consecutive split jumps, eight to ten, whatever.
29:24
SPEAKER_02: So I was doing them, and while I was doing it in the final dress run at night, maybe on like the fifth or sixth one, I landed and I I felt like I had stepped on something.
29:34
SPEAKER_02: Like I my heel didn't go all the way down.
29:37
SPEAKER_02: And I thought I like stepped on something or the floor cracked.
29:40
SPEAKER_02: So I stopped and I looked down and I was like, I don't see anything on the floor.
29:44
SPEAKER_02: And then, like, you know, like the feeling like when like someone punches you, or like you twist an ankle, or like you you feel some sort of something, but you're not really sure what it is yet because it's kind of fresh.
29:53
SPEAKER_02: So I was like, okay, I feel something on my ankle.
29:56
SPEAKER_02: So then I kind of like took a knee, they waited for the number to finish, and then they were like, Are you okay?
30:00
SPEAKER_02: And I was like, uh, I don't know.
30:02
SPEAKER_02: And then the medic came on stage and he like looked and he was like, I think you snapped your Achilles because you can see it.
30:08
SPEAKER_02: Like it's it's like gone.
30:10
SPEAKER_02: Like you can see it's like rolls up, yeah.
30:12
SPEAKER_02: It like rolls up, and you can see that the Achilles is like not there anymore, and like there's no response when you like squeeze the calf because there's like no push off.
30:20
SPEAKER_02: So I was like, I was like, I snapped it.
30:22
SPEAKER_02: Like I was just it was so weird to me because I had never Did you walk?
30:26
SPEAKER_03: No, you can't hurt.
30:27
SPEAKER_02: So basically, like it kind of hurt, but like not really.
30:30
SPEAKER_02: I don't know.
30:30
SPEAKER_02: It's tough.
30:31
SPEAKER_02: I people say I have a high pain tolerance.
30:33
SPEAKER_02: I'm really not sure about that.
30:34
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, but like it was like for me.
30:37
SPEAKER_02: Like basically, when you walk, you can't push off.
30:40
SPEAKER_02: So there's no like demi point or anything.
30:42
SPEAKER_02: It's like it's like a stub.
30:43
SPEAKER_02: So like you can place your foot, but like no articulation.
30:47
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, no articulation.
30:48
SPEAKER_02: You know, went to the hospital, and very quickly they're like, Yeah, you snapped your Achilles, whatever, you know, you need surgery.
30:54
SPEAKER_02: So it was like a one-year recovery from there, which basically takes me on to my segue of my other career.
31:01
SPEAKER_02: So I was snapping my Achilles, and I was like, What am I gonna do?
31:06
SPEAKER_02: So I kind of like went in back to New York and I did like I specifically went to like a physical therapy clinic in New York that treats like New York City ballet dancers because like with dancers and ballet specifically, there's like so much articulation in the foot and ankle and toes and stuff like that that like I can't just get normal sports therapy.
31:26
SPEAKER_02: It's not just like get me back to running, no, it has to get me back to like my exact articulation.
31:31
SPEAKER_02: So I really needed this specific therapy, and so I was you know, kind of just hanging out, and they told me my surgeon was like, have it in your mind that it's a one-year recovery.
31:41
SPEAKER_02: One year, one year, don't push it because if you push it and like it stretches out too early, it's just gonna be floppy.
31:46
SPEAKER_02: And if you don't stretch it enough, it's gonna be way too short, whatever.
31:49
SPEAKER_02: So it was like really specific.
31:51
SPEAKER_02: I recovered during that time.
31:53
SPEAKER_02: I remember I auditioned for Aladdin when they were doing their out-of-town Seattle tryout, which I got, but then So You Think called me back to be an all-star for season eight.
32:03
SPEAKER_02: So I was like, okay, I'm not gonna take Aladdin, I'm gonna do So You Think.
32:08
SPEAKER_02: So then I went back to LA and three days before I was supposed to start for my All-Star for season eight, I was at a step up, I guess step up four or step up five audition.
32:19
SPEAKER_02: And how many?
32:22
SPEAKER_05: I didn't even know there were that many.
32:23
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I think it was step up, maybe it was step up three.
32:25
SPEAKER_02: I don't know.
32:25
SPEAKER_02: One of the step-ups, and I was in like the final rounds, and we were doing like freestyle, and I was like jumping around, and then it was like nice to wait, the other one.
32:37
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so the other one literally, and I knew it right away.
32:40
SPEAKER_02: I was like, jump it, and then I went, and then I was like, oh my god, I just I literally just snapped my other.
32:46
SPEAKER_07: I recognize this feeling, yeah.
32:47
SPEAKER_02: I was like, this is so familiar, and so I just finished, I still wanted to book it, so I was like, I just come out on one leg, like as if I was like, oh yeah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
32:57
SPEAKER_02: And then like, and then like, which I know.
32:59
SPEAKER_02: And so he was like, he was great, whatever.
33:01
SPEAKER_02: And I was like, okay, cool, thank you.
33:03
SPEAKER_02: And then I just like walked off like as if I was really tired, but really I actually just couldn't walk.
33:07
SPEAKER_02: I was like, so just pretending to be really tired, so I like walked really slowly, got myself in the car, and because it was my left foot this time, I could drive.
33:14
SPEAKER_02: So I just drove my well.
33:16
SPEAKER_02: I called my parents and I was like, I snapped my Achilles, um, what should I do?
33:19
SPEAKER_02: The other one, yeah, the other one.
33:21
SPEAKER_02: And they were like, Oh, you should go to the hospital.
33:22
SPEAKER_02: I was like, I wasn't gonna bother because I know it's snapped Achilles.
33:25
SPEAKER_02: Like, I'm texting my surgeon already.
33:27
SPEAKER_02: And they're like, No, you should go to the hospital.
33:29
SPEAKER_02: So I was like, okay, so I I go to the hospital and I'm like, hey, uh, I snapped my Achilles, and she's like, You were here last year, right?
33:35
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I was like, Yeah, that's me.
33:38
SPEAKER_02: She goes, Yeah, we don't get a lot of those.
33:40
SPEAKER_02: And I'm like, Yeah, it's me, I snapped it.
33:42
SPEAKER_02: So I go in and I'm like, I'm like telling people, I'm like, Yeah, yeah, I snapped it.
33:46
SPEAKER_02: You know, can you just give me a splint?
33:48
SPEAKER_02: Like, I'm I'm gonna I'm gonna get surgery.
33:49
SPEAKER_02: And they're like, they're like, okay, like whatever.
33:51
SPEAKER_02: And they're like, Oh, we're just gonna do like an x-ray now.
33:53
SPEAKER_02: And I was like, hold on, like, what are you getting the x-ray for?
33:55
SPEAKER_02: They're like, we just want to check to make sure like nothing else.
33:57
SPEAKER_02: I was like, forget about it.
33:58
SPEAKER_02: I don't need the x-ray.
33:59
SPEAKER_02: I was like, nothing else, it's just the Achilles.
34:00
SPEAKER_02: I'm already scheduled.
34:01
SPEAKER_02: This was Saturday night.
34:02
SPEAKER_02: So I was like, I'm already scheduled for surgery Monday morning.
34:05
SPEAKER_02: I was like, just I'm I'm gonna go.
34:07
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so then I scheduled my surgery for Monday morning, which was like, so it was like a year and three days from my first one and my second one.
34:13
SPEAKER_05: That's insane.
34:14
SPEAKER_02: And so I just wanted I wanted everything to be like a day earlier, if anything.
34:18
SPEAKER_02: I was just I was just like, it was a year and three days, so I was like, I'm gonna recover faster from this one.
34:22
SPEAKER_02: Like everything's gonna be faster.
34:24
SPEAKER_02: Like, so I was like trying to get into surgery right away.
34:27
SPEAKER_02: And I remember like right after surgery, I was like teaching on conventions with like a crutch and my cast.
34:32
SPEAKER_02: I remember doing that right away.
34:34
SPEAKER_02: I remember auditioning for American Idol.
34:36
SPEAKER_02: I made it to like the Hollywood rounds, the second title.
34:38
SPEAKER_02: So I was like, I was like, I'm gonna do stuff.
34:40
SPEAKER_02: I was like, I'm gonna do stuff, I'm gonna do so much stuff.
34:43
SPEAKER_02: And then so then I remember I did a short film and like a music video, whatever.
34:47
SPEAKER_02: And then Disney called.
34:49
SPEAKER_02: So they were like, We remember your audition from Aladdin, and they're like, New Zealus coming to Broadway, and you've been cleared vocally already.
34:57
SPEAKER_02: Can you come in and like we would love to make this work?
35:00
SPEAKER_02: So just like do this, and like we'll just see you, and hopefully it can work.
35:04
SPEAKER_02: So I just went in, did stuff, and then they gave it to me, and then like kind of really fell in my lap because of that previous setup.
35:11
SPEAKER_02: And so I had my Broadway debut.
35:14
SPEAKER_05: When did okay, so you got the surgery on your second Achilles, which was like a July.
35:21
SPEAKER_05: Okay, and then you were recovered by the time that Disney called you.
35:25
SPEAKER_05: Not really.
35:25
SPEAKER_02: Because like, how did you dance if you weren't ready?
35:27
SPEAKER_02: Okay, so so they were like, they told me like one year, one year, one year, and for some reason the second one just healed so much faster.
35:35
SPEAKER_02: Like it was like as if my body knew exactly what to do.
35:38
SPEAKER_02: It was like I could I could tell right away that it was feeling better, my scar was smaller, like everything about it was better.
35:44
SPEAKER_02: And my surgeon's like, slow down.
35:46
SPEAKER_02: I'm like, I promise you, I'm literally not even doing my exercises.
35:48
SPEAKER_02: I can't slow down anymore.
35:49
SPEAKER_02: Like, I'm like, I'm like the strength is back.
35:52
SPEAKER_02: Like, I think my first job back was in December.
35:55
SPEAKER_02: I did an episode of Smash.
35:57
SPEAKER_02: You know, Josh knew I had been coming out of an injury, but I was like, it wasn't like super crazy.
36:02
SPEAKER_02: And I was like, I just can't land on the left foot, but I can jump, I can land on both feet, I just can't land on the left foot.
36:07
SPEAKER_02: It was like, yeah, cool, cool, totally fine.
36:09
SPEAKER_02: And then um Newsies, I think, called in January.
36:12
SPEAKER_02: And then I opened with newsies, I guess, late February.
36:15
SPEAKER_02: And what's funny is what's funny was like I was like, so I mean, I guess newsies is kind of like known as like one of the most technically difficult, challenging shows.
36:24
SPEAKER_02: But like kind of though, as we had talked about before, like with ballet companies being so strenuous.
36:29
SPEAKER_02: I was like, this is a great show to just rehab because I was like, I was like, I get to wear boots, like there's a little bit of a heel in the boot, and I was like, this is gonna be great, and it was perfect, like it honestly, like newsies was not technically challenging for me.
36:43
SPEAKER_02: It was learning the vocals and like the acting and everything else that was like really exciting and new for me.
36:48
SPEAKER_05: Right, exactly in a whole new experience.
36:51
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so it was like the perfect rehab show, which sounds ridiculous to say, but it was like I was like, oh, this is great.
36:58
SPEAKER_02: Like I can like relax and like you know, like still, you know, dance, whatever, but I get to sing, whatever.
37:03
SPEAKER_02: So yeah, so that that was great.
37:04
SPEAKER_02: And then like that summer I finally returned as an all-star season nine.
37:08
SPEAKER_05: Okay, so you didn't get to do season eight as an all-star because because of that dang step up all this shit.
37:15
SPEAKER_02: And I remember Chris calling me like shortly after, and he was like, yo, he was like, Did you snap your Achilles in front of me?
37:22
SPEAKER_02: And I was like, Yeah, I did.
37:24
SPEAKER_02: I did.
37:24
SPEAKER_02: And he was like, he was like, oh my god, he was like, I was sitting right there.
37:29
SPEAKER_02: He was like, I was literally watching you.
37:31
SPEAKER_02: He was like, I didn't even notice.
37:32
SPEAKER_02: Like I was like, it was he was like so blown away because I like I had been working with him, you know, from my past season and whatever.
37:40
SPEAKER_02: And it was just like he was like he was and he was working on this season, and when I couldn't return as an all-star season eight, he was like, What?
37:47
SPEAKER_02: Like, I was like, Yeah, I did it in front of you.
37:49
SPEAKER_05: Right.
37:50
SPEAKER_05: Wait, there was a notch long.
37:52
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
37:53
SPEAKER_02: So wait, did you book step up?
37:55
SPEAKER_02: I think I did, but you know, obviously they knew like I was no, I had snapped it, so I wasn't gonna do it anytime soon.
38:02
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, I was just curious because I feel like you were like, I'm gonna book it.
38:06
SPEAKER_05: I'm gonna continue my improv.
38:07
SPEAKER_05: I better get this job.
38:08
SPEAKER_05: Like you already knew you were gonna be able to get the biggest.
38:09
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, they like shot in the yeah, they shot in the fall.
38:12
SPEAKER_02: It was like I was in a cast.
38:15
SPEAKER_05: Wow.
38:15
SPEAKER_05: Oh my gosh.
38:16
SPEAKER_05: I can't, I can't imagine snapping your Achilles.
38:20
SPEAKER_05: Twice?
38:20
SPEAKER_05: Twice.
38:21
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
38:22
SPEAKER_05: Wow.
38:22
SPEAKER_07: It's not great.
38:24
SPEAKER_07: Yeah, no.
38:25
SPEAKER_07: What would you?
38:26
SPEAKER_07: I mean, so it sounds like you you were able to recover from both of those injuries kind of in record time.
38:33
SPEAKER_07: What would you attribute that to?
38:35
SPEAKER_07: Like, did you was there anything special you did?
38:37
SPEAKER_07: You mentioned you went to see a particular doctor and like physical therapy people.
38:40
SPEAKER_07: Like, what do you think helped you recover so quickly?
38:43
SPEAKER_02: I think good physical therapist, but also minus these two really major injuries.
38:48
SPEAKER_02: My body is honestly not that injury prone.
38:52
SPEAKER_02: And I'm able to gain strength very quickly.
38:55
SPEAKER_02: Uh, I think that's kind of natural within my body.
38:58
SPEAKER_02: Strength has never been an issue for me.
39:00
SPEAKER_02: It's actually funny because people think I'm really flexible that I'm actually not.
39:03
SPEAKER_02: Like I have to stretch all the time to like be flexible.
39:06
SPEAKER_02: It's the opposite.
39:07
SPEAKER_02: Strength comes easy for me.
39:08
SPEAKER_02: Flexibility, not as much.
39:10
SPEAKER_02: So strength was never an issue, and I think that that really contributed to me recovering so fast because I was I was able to compensate.
39:18
SPEAKER_02: So it would look like I'd be dancing a full out, but like in in actuality, I'd just be doing all of my choreography on one side of my leg.
39:24
SPEAKER_02: Like I remember like dancing very early on and people being like, wait, you're back.
39:28
SPEAKER_02: And I'm like, oh no, like if you can see in the video, like my right foot never touches the ground.
39:32
SPEAKER_02: Like it's like things like how we just do like switch leaps off of one leg and land on that one leg and then you know extend.
39:38
SPEAKER_02: And I could step on it, but I wouldn't do any sort of plie, right?
39:41
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I was able to do that and like ballet class, and I just think like with ballet, as opposed to commercial dancing or competition dancers, there's so much more emphasis on warming up the body properly, you know, really taking care of the body and like not jumping into things and just like whacking things around.
39:58
SPEAKER_02: I think that that's why like you see ballet dancers in their 40s.
40:03
SPEAKER_02: Granted, yes, our bodies are decrepit and whatever because of like the turnout and everything, but they are sort of a lot more lubricated and and able to move versus like a jazz dancer or a commercial dancer that like really starts to hurt when they're like 25, 26 because they realize that they've they've been doing tilts and whacking things and not warming up.
40:22
SPEAKER_02: Feels fine when you're 16, but you know, when you're 34, I'm I'm 34, like it doesn't feel as fine.
40:29
SPEAKER_05: Oh, yeah.
40:30
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
40:30
SPEAKER_05: I I've literally said this like in every show that I've done or any gig, I've acquired a new injury in each one of them.
40:39
SPEAKER_05: And I can literally like point on my body that injury is from West Side Story, that injury is from Finding Neverland, that's from this, like whatever.
40:46
SPEAKER_05: My I and you don't realize that when you're young, you're you think you're invincible.
40:51
SPEAKER_05: I don't need to warm up, I can just jump into this.
40:53
SPEAKER_02: Like I And you sort of are to a certain extent.
40:55
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, like injuries, as you can attest, I'm sure injuries just happen, recover so much faster.
41:01
SPEAKER_02: Like when you're young, you're like, oh, I have that like kink on my shoulder or like my hip, right?
41:06
SPEAKER_02: And it's gone the next day.
41:08
SPEAKER_02: That kink is now gone the next year.
41:10
SPEAKER_02: Like maybe if you're lucky, yeah.
41:13
SPEAKER_02: You're like, oh, that kink, uh, no, it lasts like four weeks.
41:16
SPEAKER_02: Like it's still now just a part of you.
41:18
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, now it's just a part of you forever.
41:20
SPEAKER_02: It's not the same.
41:21
SPEAKER_02: The recovery is not the same.
41:23
SPEAKER_05: You just learn to deal with it.
41:24
SPEAKER_05: You're like, oh, I guess this is sticking around.
41:26
SPEAKER_05: All right, cool.
41:27
SPEAKER_05: And like you said, and then you just kind of like adjust around it.
41:29
SPEAKER_05: You absolutely make it work.
41:31
SPEAKER_05: I think that like hearing your injury story and everything is really inspiring.
41:35
SPEAKER_05: And it and for me, something like personally that I've felt with as I've, you know, now have lots of injuries that I deal with that I've learned to live with and am currently in PT for.
41:46
SPEAKER_05: But I feel like that I'm nervous when I have an injury that I'm afraid once I go on the job that I'm not going to be able to execute, kind of like what you were saying, what the choreographer d expects from me or certain movements or things.
41:59
SPEAKER_05: And I'm afraid to be like, I can't do that.
42:02
SPEAKER_05: You know, like as a dancer, you're you're kind of like, you don't say those words.
42:07
SPEAKER_00: Whatever they say.
42:08
SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
42:08
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
42:09
SPEAKER_07: Right, right.
42:10
SPEAKER_07: You're expected to do what's given to you.
42:11
SPEAKER_07: And exactly.
42:13
SPEAKER_07: You know, I I do think clearly all three of us, you know, I'm when you were speaking about like not being able to do the knee spin, I have an ankle injury that I've had surgery on.
42:21
SPEAKER_07: I can't land on that foot.
42:22
SPEAKER_07: I don't start things on that foot, but like that changes how I teach, that changes how I choreograph.
42:28
SPEAKER_07: Like apparently we're doing things on the left now in this left, but like that's just what we're doing because that's what I can do.
42:33
SPEAKER_07: And so, you know, I think that sort of not necessarily fake it till you make it, but work around what your body can do kind of advice is excellent for young dancers, whether they're getting injured or not, because everybody's body is different.
42:46
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
42:59
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43:32
SPEAKER_05: So receive ten dollars off your brand new bags.
43:35
SPEAKER_05: And now let's get back to the show.
43:41
SPEAKER_05: Okay, so we're at newsies.
43:43
SPEAKER_05: So newsies, newsies happened.
43:45
SPEAKER_05: It was awesome.
43:46
SPEAKER_05: How long did you do newsies for?
43:48
SPEAKER_02: So newsies is a lot shorter than I wanted to because so initially it was only a limited engagement, and uh, three months, I guess.
43:55
SPEAKER_02: And then they extended it, yeah, and they extended it to indefinite because it was just doing So well in the theaters.
44:01
SPEAKER_02: And so I had a hard deadline of kind of July because I was returning as an all-star for So you think season nine.
44:08
SPEAKER_02: And so I really I like literally went up until like the last day I could.
44:12
SPEAKER_02: And then I I and then I left the show.
44:13
SPEAKER_02: And it was it was it was nice.
44:16
SPEAKER_02: I I loved doing it.
44:17
SPEAKER_02: It was like just a few months, and I had already done like a few hundred shows.
44:20
SPEAKER_02: It's just like it goes by so fast when you're doing eight shows a week.
44:22
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
44:23
SPEAKER_02: And like I didn't call out for a single show, so I never missed any.
44:26
SPEAKER_02: I just remembered that.
44:29
SPEAKER_02: Good for me.
44:30
SPEAKER_05: Not every Broadway dancer is like that.
44:32
SPEAKER_05: No offense to that.
44:33
SPEAKER_02: But like I was saying, like minus my two major injuries, my body doesn't really get injured too often.
44:39
SPEAKER_02: I think it's like I would also show up at 5 30, start doing a ballet class, you know, whatever and which is not the case for most shows at 7 30 or 8, and I'm there three hours in advance warming up, right?
44:49
SPEAKER_02: So that warm-up is really important, especially for young dancers starting to get older.
44:54
SPEAKER_02: Like, like I said, we were saying it might be fine now, but it's not going to feel good later.
44:58
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so so then I went back to So You Think and kind of fulfilled what I was initially planning to do, which was do So You Think, do the like the season seven tour, and then like do LA life and see what would for me in the commercial world.
45:12
SPEAKER_02: So basically that's kind of what I did.
45:14
SPEAKER_02: I went back to LA, did All Stars that year and many years afterward.
45:18
SPEAKER_02: And then I just kind of like joined the LA commercial industry.
45:22
SPEAKER_02: And that kind of made me back and forth between New York and LA, like very often, just kind of depending on like what jobs there were.
45:30
SPEAKER_02: And yeah, so that's kind of yeah, and now I just kind of work in film and TV.
45:34
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
45:35
SPEAKER_05: And teach a bunch.
45:36
SPEAKER_02: And teach a bunch, I guess.
45:37
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
45:37
SPEAKER_02: I teach on the weekends, yeah.
45:38
SPEAKER_02: Film and TV during the day.
45:40
SPEAKER_02: I mean during the week and social media, which is now a completely new thing.
45:45
SPEAKER_02: A whole other job.
45:46
SPEAKER_02: I do want to mention one thing, which I think is good for other dancers, younger dancers to hear.
45:51
SPEAKER_02: So I was working on Descendants 2.
45:54
SPEAKER_02: I don't know if you guys know that Disney Channel movie.
45:56
SPEAKER_02: Uh very popular amongst younger kids.
45:58
SPEAKER_02: I was in the skeleton crew for that, working with Kenny, you know, everything.
46:02
SPEAKER_02: We had like done all the choreography.
46:04
SPEAKER_02: I went to Vancouver to start shooting it.
46:06
SPEAKER_02: And uh they can kind of only hire bank like Vancouver locals.
46:10
SPEAKER_02: I'm Canadian, so sometimes I can go to Canadian and sometimes I can't.
46:15
SPEAKER_02: So then for that particular production, like when I got there to start shooting, I didn't get approved by a production because they were like, okay, you're not like BC local enough, even though you have a Canadian passport.
46:25
SPEAKER_02: So I ended up like theoretically, like not really getting that job.
46:29
SPEAKER_02: And I went back to New York and I was a little sad, but I knew like, okay, like it wasn't meant to be.
46:35
SPEAKER_02: And that very following week I booked Greater Showman.
46:38
SPEAKER_02: So like had I not been let go at that time and not been back to New York, I wouldn't have booked Greater Showman, which for me was a much better and more fulfilling job.
46:48
SPEAKER_02: You know what I mean?
46:49
SPEAKER_02: And that was in itself like one of the most amazing experiences I've had as a you know, as with with my career.
46:55
SPEAKER_02: I think like that, even in itself, it's like sometimes like for a younger gentleman, it's like I guess a lot of people say like what's meant for you will be for you, which I sort of believe to a certain extent because I part of it sounds like you're kind of giving up, but it's also like I do also believe that like everything happens for a reason kind of thing.
47:11
SPEAKER_02: So like don't always think like if one door closes, like they're all closed.
47:15
SPEAKER_02: Like if one door closes, you also have the ability to open many more yourself.
47:21
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
47:21
SPEAKER_05: Lovely advice.
47:22
SPEAKER_05: I love that.
47:23
SPEAKER_05: And I I think that's so true.
47:25
SPEAKER_05: We've all experienced that before a million times.
47:29
SPEAKER_05: And it it is it is hard to kind of, you know, and when once you become a professional, even as a competitive dancer, but once you become a professional and like your job is to audition for for work, like not getting the job is is really hard.
47:45
SPEAKER_05: Happens more often than not.
47:47
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
47:48
SPEAKER_02: There are so many auditions where you go to and you just don't get it, like so often.
47:52
SPEAKER_02: All the time, right?
47:54
SPEAKER_07: Well, and like if we could look at your date book and your calendar of auditions you did not book, like all all we see, all anybody sees is what you do book, you know.
48:02
SPEAKER_07: Right.
48:03
SPEAKER_07: And so, like if if anybody, any of us could turn around that page and say, well, here's all the ones I didn't book, it's like, okay, this is reality, you know.
48:10
SPEAKER_07: Exactly.
48:10
SPEAKER_02: There's so many.
48:11
SPEAKER_02: And and it like it can be even down to like not even down, it's often just your hair color or like your face, your nose is too big, you're too short, your arms are too long.
48:21
SPEAKER_02: Anything, really.
48:22
SPEAKER_02: Or or you know, maybe you're not good enough dancing-wise, which whatever, right?
48:27
SPEAKER_02: So I mean, it really can be anything, and so it's just like you can just make yourself the best you can be, and then you just have to offer that and hope you know something works out.
48:36
SPEAKER_07: Yeah, yeah.
48:37
SPEAKER_07: And I think your career and your history can kind of speak to a lot of what we talk about on this podcast in many episodes.
48:44
SPEAKER_07: Just versatility is what makes a successful human, I think, but also in our you know, world a successful career path because you've done literally almost everything you can do.
48:57
SPEAKER_07: Like I'm trying to think of like, what hasn't he done?
48:59
SPEAKER_07: Like maybe I don't know.
49:01
SPEAKER_07: I don't know.
49:01
SPEAKER_07: I don't know.
49:02
SPEAKER_07: I don't tell me what you haven't you done.
49:04
SPEAKER_02: I haven't done a Super Bowl.
49:05
SPEAKER_02: Okay.
49:05
SPEAKER_02: But I haven't done a Super Bowl.
49:07
SPEAKER_02: But like you were saying, versatility, and I I actually do often say that so much is what actually keeps me employed is the versatility.
49:14
SPEAKER_02: So for instance, like when I worked on Flesh and Bone, which is literally a ballet TV series, you know, we worked on it for six or seven months.
49:21
SPEAKER_02: And then and then right from Flesh and Bone, I had like a few weeks off and I moved on to Peter Pan Live, which is a musical theater on NBC.
49:30
SPEAKER_02: You know what I mean?
49:30
SPEAKER_02: Like that's singing, whatever.
49:32
SPEAKER_02: And then like there's like like street street jazz things or more hip-hop things that are like it's like the being versatile and being able to mold yourself into many different types of dancing is like literally what will keep you employed.
49:46
SPEAKER_02: Like, sure, it's great definitely to focus on maybe like one thing for it to be your specialty or something that you can show off when like the choreographers say, like, I want to see something special.
49:56
SPEAKER_02: But like that commercial type dancer that can kind of do everything is the one that's gonna be employed, not necessarily the best.
50:04
SPEAKER_02: And even like with a good attitude, what they say all the time is that like there are people that are definitely not the best dancers that get booked all the time, specifically because they bring a great energy to the room, or you know, like they they're they're just good to work with.
50:19
SPEAKER_02: And it's never, not never, but often, I would say like 90% of the time, it's not always about being the best dancer.
50:25
SPEAKER_02: It's being a being good enough or really good, right?
50:28
SPEAKER_02: But it's what you bring to the room afterward and whether or not they're gonna rehire you.
50:33
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
50:34
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, because they're gonna see who you at this community is so small.
50:37
SPEAKER_05: You look at a resume, you ever the choreographers are gonna know the other choreographers that you worked with, and all they have to do is just call them up and say, Hey, how how was it working with Alex?
50:46
SPEAKER_05: I'm thinking about him for this project, and they're gonna either say he was amazing to work with, hire him 100%, or I don't know, he was a little tough and he showed up late and he was a diva.
50:56
SPEAKER_05: And I, you know, I wouldn't recommend them.
50:58
SPEAKER_05: I mean, that's really all it takes for someone to, if they're making a decision to hire you or not hire you, e regardless if you're the best dancer or not.
51:06
SPEAKER_05: You know, if you fit the specs, like you kind of said, it really comes down to like the casting at the end, which we literally just talked about this on a previous episode, you know, it and that's such good advice to hear, especially coming from you who has worked in all sides of this industry.
51:21
SPEAKER_05: And I love what you said about the versatility and the I think that we all, and not we, I guess a lot of people in the dance industry um probably immediately think ballet when they hear your name, Alex Wong.
51:34
SPEAKER_05: Like they probably just associate you with, oh, he is a ballet dancer.
51:38
SPEAKER_05: And I think that that could partially be because of So You Think and just kind of how they kind of tunnel around single, yeah, the branded you that way.
51:46
SPEAKER_05: But you're not just a ballet dancer.
51:48
SPEAKER_05: Like that may be your specialty if and that works for you as far as like how you brand yourself and how you get cast for certain things, but you just said it yourself.
51:58
SPEAKER_05: Like you do every style, and it's because you grew up doing it.
52:02
SPEAKER_05: Like, yes, ballet is gonna help you be technical in so many other styles, but you grew up training in all different styles of dance, not just ballet.
52:09
SPEAKER_05: And I bet you a lot of people probably just think, oh, he just probably did ballet his whole life and he just happened to be good at everything else.
52:15
SPEAKER_05: Like, no, you you train in other things, and you know, that's what really it really is important for success in the industry if there are dancers, especially who are listening, that want to pursue a professional career.
52:26
SPEAKER_05: Like, you gotta be versatile.
52:28
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's what's gonna keep you employed.
52:30
SPEAKER_01: Totally.
52:31
SPEAKER_05: I agree.
52:32
SPEAKER_05: Well, oh my gosh, you have so many what I feel like I love so much about you, Alex, is the fact that like on any performance that's on television, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna see you back upon singing it.
52:46
SPEAKER_05: It's so amazing.
52:47
SPEAKER_05: Like, you you are you've literally I think like literally within the past five years, I'm like, there's Alex, there's Alex again.
52:54
SPEAKER_05: Like, I mean, what were some of the more recent things that you've done, like in the past few years?
52:58
SPEAKER_02: I guess the most recent ones would be like the Mariah Carey Christmas special on Apple TV that was this past December, and the Dolly Parton Christmas special that was also on Netflix this past November, December.
53:09
SPEAKER_02: Those are like the most recent ones, I guess.
53:11
SPEAKER_05: And then there was like a performance.
53:13
SPEAKER_05: Which one was that?
53:14
SPEAKER_05: I can't remember.
53:15
SPEAKER_05: Was it a music awards performance last year, maybe?
53:20
SPEAKER_01: The VMAs?
53:21
SPEAKER_05: Maybe.
53:21
SPEAKER_05: Who was that with?
53:22
SPEAKER_01: Uh Taylor Swift.
53:24
SPEAKER_05: Yes, the Taylor Swift was.
53:26
SPEAKER_01: Oh yeah.
53:27
SPEAKER_05: Yep.
53:28
SPEAKER_05: And those are both in the same year, right?
53:30
SPEAKER_05: Or no?
53:30
SPEAKER_05: Were they the both the same awards?
53:32
SPEAKER_02: Jonas Brothers hold on.
53:33
SPEAKER_02: Jonas Brothers was this so last January before the pandemic, and then I did I did Oscars too.
53:39
SPEAKER_02: Maybe maybe it was that one.
53:40
SPEAKER_02: Oh, and then Taylor Swift was like this fall before, so it was like five months before, I think.
53:48
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, I mean, it's like maybe yeah, it's so exciting.
53:50
SPEAKER_05: And in the sense that it is interesting to know that there are not interesting, I mean, I personally knew that there are dancers that are bi-coastal, but there was a point in time where I was like, where does Alex live?
54:02
SPEAKER_05: Like, I see him in New York, but then he's like booking jobs in LA.
54:05
SPEAKER_05: I'm like, how does he do it?
54:07
SPEAKER_05: You know, and being bicoastal really opens up a lot more opportunities to be able to be considered for a variety of projects because like eventually we're gonna do a New York versus LA podcast episode I've been dying to do forever, but one day it's gonna happen.
54:22
SPEAKER_05: But I think that like a lot of listeners need to understand like what is what opportunities are where, because in New York it's very much focused on Broadway and LA is very much more TV commercial.
54:33
SPEAKER_02: I mean, being by coastal is not really feasible for most people, I would say.
54:38
SPEAKER_02: Uh just because you really need to establish like your choreographers on each coast.
54:45
SPEAKER_02: And then like most most of the things I do in LA are direct books.
54:50
SPEAKER_05: Okay.
54:51
SPEAKER_02: And then because I I just like to spend my time in New York or like New York City.
54:55
SPEAKER_02: So I just try to spend as much time as I hear here as I can.
54:58
SPEAKER_02: But more often than not, my my bookings in LA are direct books.
55:01
SPEAKER_07: And then Can you explain for some of our listeners who may not know what that means?
55:04
SPEAKER_07: Oh what that means?
55:06
SPEAKER_02: Direct books just means like you get booked without audition.
55:08
SPEAKER_07: So that comes through your agent or just through like a text message from whoever?
55:12
SPEAKER_07: It can be either.
55:13
SPEAKER_02: So it'll be like a text message from a choreographer, or it'll be like through my agent being like, hey, blah, blah, blah, wants to use you for blah, blah, blah.
55:21
SPEAKER_02: And so a lot of those come from direct books.
55:25
SPEAKER_02: Now, the flights, of course, can be expensive between New York and LA.
55:29
SPEAKER_02: I have the freedom of a lot of free flights because often I'll fly on conventions every single weekend.
55:36
SPEAKER_02: So instead of me just flying back to New York or flying back to LA, I'll just swap that return flight for somewhere else.
55:42
SPEAKER_02: And that's what makes it a lot of time feasible for me.
55:45
SPEAKER_02: Also, on top of that, dance is actually not my number one moneymaker.
55:50
SPEAKER_02: So, like my dance jobs are for my heart and for like, you know, like I like doing them, but also like when I'm teaching, it gives me more credibility and whatever, whatever.
56:01
SPEAKER_02: My number one moneymaker is actually social media.
56:03
SPEAKER_02: So crazy.
56:05
SPEAKER_02: Wow.
56:05
SPEAKER_02: Although dance takes me the most time and the most effort and everything, like I'm doing that because I want to.
56:13
SPEAKER_02: So sometimes, even on particular dance jobs, I might break even.
56:17
SPEAKER_02: Like I might not be actually making any money because after my flight and rental car and whatever, for a little while I actually had apartments in both coasts, and I would leave my car in LA and whatever.
56:26
SPEAKER_02: And it just really depends on the person's individual situation.
56:31
SPEAKER_02: But yeah, I do know a few dancers that are sort of by coastal, and most of them they make it work because they've established some sort of space in either city, and then they're they're direct booking, and that's kind of how it works.
56:44
SPEAKER_02: Like, as a new dancer, I wouldn't really say it's feasible or it or it makes sense.
56:48
SPEAKER_02: But in terms of LA New York, New York is going to be mu leaning much more towards musical theater-based, heavy kind of things, whereas LA has a lot more of your like artists' music videos, TV series, and things like that.
56:59
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, that's great advice.
57:01
SPEAKER_05: I've always wanted to be a bipostal, but I could never figure it out.
57:03
SPEAKER_05: I was like, nope, can't do it.
57:05
SPEAKER_05: It just doesn't seem financially worth it.
57:06
SPEAKER_05: Like, and then establishing yourself like in a whole nother place that I've never lived, you know.
57:11
SPEAKER_05: It's like I'm like, mm-hmm I don't have time for that.
57:13
SPEAKER_02: I'll just I'll just start with me fresh, exactly.
57:16
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
57:16
SPEAKER_02: And that's what So you think helped me so much with is it kind of gave me a platform to meet a lot of the top choreographers.
57:22
SPEAKER_02: Totally to also have a platform to present myself, which yeah, I I can't imagine what it would have been like if I just like one day decided to like leave my ballet company and start taking class at Millennium.
57:32
SPEAKER_02: Right.
57:33
SPEAKER_03: Right, right.
57:35
SPEAKER_02: You know, so in that way, so you think really helped me out.
57:37
SPEAKER_02: But yeah, that would be super difficult to like try to establish yourself on either coast doing that.
57:42
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
57:43
SPEAKER_05: So which platform is like your your moneymaker as far as social media?
57:49
SPEAKER_05: Is it TikTok?
57:51
SPEAKER_02: It's Instagram actually.
57:52
SPEAKER_05: It's Instagram.
57:53
SPEAKER_05: Wow.
57:53
SPEAKER_05: That's so interesting.
57:54
SPEAKER_05: I actually don't feel like I've ever really like talked to an Instagram like influencer at this like at your level before to like know that that's like your how you pay your bills.
58:04
SPEAKER_05: That's amazing.
58:05
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
58:06
SPEAKER_05: And your content, your content is spectacular, so duh.
58:09
SPEAKER_05: And like I'm not surprised.
58:10
SPEAKER_05: I mean, every single video you make, I'm I'm just cracking up.
58:15
SPEAKER_02: Thank you.
58:16
SPEAKER_02: Thank you.
58:17
SPEAKER_02: Um really it wasn't my number one moneymaker basically until like this year when like it just took over.
58:24
SPEAKER_02: Like everything took over.
58:25
SPEAKER_02: I mean, I was I I've been still doing dance jobs this year because luckily the industry has sort of opened back up for a lot of things uh here and there.
58:32
SPEAKER_02: Uh like in September it started back up and you know, we're taking COVID tests every single day and whatever.
58:37
SPEAKER_02: But but yeah, it's uh I signed with like a new like agency manager for for social media branding and things like that.
58:45
SPEAKER_02: And uh yeah, it just really brought on tons of opportunities in terms of like brand campaigns and sponsorships and things like that.
58:52
SPEAKER_02: So that has been really has been a really interesting year for me.
58:56
SPEAKER_05: Wow.
58:57
SPEAKER_05: That's so cool.
58:58
SPEAKER_05: I love hearing that.
58:59
SPEAKER_05: Well, I feel like we're probably towards the end of our chat, Alex.
59:05
SPEAKER_05: So we've learned so much about you and your amazing career and everything that you've been doing and and so many different credits that you've shared in all sides of the industry.
59:15
SPEAKER_05: And I'm curious to know what your favorite job looking back on your entire dance career so far, which is still not over.
59:23
SPEAKER_05: You still have lots of more jobs coming your way.
59:25
SPEAKER_05: Out of all of the jobs that we've done, what has been your favorite job?
59:30
SPEAKER_05: And do you have any fun stories to share from any of your jobs that are just like a story that you'll never forget, or a moment that was just something that impacted you so much, or a silly moment that happened?
59:43
SPEAKER_02: Okay, my obvious one is Greater Showman, but I'll go with a little bit less obvious one and then I'll tell a story from Greater Showman.
59:50
SPEAKER_02: So, my less obvious one is actually a Trident commercial that I shot several years ago.
59:56
SPEAKER_02: It's with the the dude from Areno 911, the guy that wears the short shorts.
1:00:00
SPEAKER_05: Oh my god, I love him.
1:00:02
SPEAKER_02: Whatever.
1:00:02
SPEAKER_02: He's incredible.
1:00:03
SPEAKER_02: Anyway, that commercial was like I was saying before, actually, about working well and then having choreographers hire you over and over again afterward.
1:00:12
SPEAKER_02: So this was my first time working with a choreographer called Kat Burns.
1:00:15
SPEAKER_02: She now choreographs like basically any comedy thing you see on TV.
1:00:18
SPEAKER_02: Case the ex-girlfriend, or like I just did a new Apple TV series with her.
1:00:22
SPEAKER_02: Like, literally, she's great.
1:00:24
SPEAKER_02: She's I love working with her.
1:00:25
SPEAKER_02: So, anyway, this particular trident commercial was the first time we had worked together.
1:00:29
SPEAKER_02: It was just so fun because it was it was actually a like a short film/slash commercial.
1:00:33
SPEAKER_02: So it was like a short film that was like maybe like seven, eight minutes long.
1:00:36
SPEAKER_02: You can find it on YouTube under phone keys gum.
1:00:40
SPEAKER_02: And tried to link to it.
1:00:41
SPEAKER_02: And and then there was like a 30-second commercial spot.
1:00:43
SPEAKER_02: And it was just so ridiculous.
1:00:45
SPEAKER_02: Like I love doing comedy.
1:00:46
SPEAKER_02: And so it was, it was just like it was like this dominant is like, check your pocket, check this like phone keys, gum, check.
1:00:52
SPEAKER_02: And there's this like jingle, and it was just so silly, and there was so much improv in it that was it was just so funny.
1:00:57
SPEAKER_02: I remember like this one time.
1:00:59
SPEAKER_02: I mean, so not COVID safe these days, but like he was like, There's this part where he's like chewing gum, and he's like, Are you chewing gum?
1:01:05
SPEAKER_02: And I was like, I wasn't in the in the scene.
1:01:07
SPEAKER_02: And he's like, Here, take mine, and he like pulls it out of his mouth and like puts it in my mouth.
1:01:11
unknown: Oh my god.
1:01:12
SPEAKER_02: And then and then he like pulls out a new piece for himself and he's like, like it's just the whole thing is so ridiculous.
1:01:18
SPEAKER_02: And he's like, he's like supposed to be this like great choreographer that's like incredibly awful.
1:01:23
SPEAKER_02: So it's just it was like Oh my god, I gotta say it.
1:01:25
SPEAKER_02: It was one of those jobs that I like didn't want to finish the day.
1:01:28
SPEAKER_02: But then in terms of like a more like mainstream job at my favorite being like greater showman, it was just such an incredible, like we worked on it for the main portion was like six months, but it was basically a year because then we did reshoots and then we did promo and all those things.
1:01:43
SPEAKER_02: And just working so closely with Hugh, like seeing him every single day, he is like I can't even explain like how great of a person he is.
1:01:53
SPEAKER_02: Like, literally, I think by day three, he probably knew everyone's name in the room.
1:01:57
SPEAKER_02: Um comes by every morning, like, hi Alex, hi, but like one by one, like hugs.
1:02:03
SPEAKER_02: Like he's just so personable.
1:02:04
SPEAKER_02: He's like, even for like, I mean, he's like a super, super A-list celebrity.
1:02:08
SPEAKER_02: And like, even for a regular person, I would say he's so nice and genuine.
1:02:12
SPEAKER_02: But like, as like a super A-list celebrity, he's just beyond.
1:02:17
SPEAKER_02: Like he, you know, he'll be like, Oh, like, you know, like, oh, how was your weekend?
1:02:20
SPEAKER_02: Like, you and you're like, oh good.
1:02:21
SPEAKER_02: He's like, like, no, but like what did you do?
1:02:23
SPEAKER_02: Like he like he really wants to know when he asks you questions, like he really wants to know about you.
1:02:27
SPEAKER_02: He like really, he's like just so genuine.
1:02:30
SPEAKER_02: And that kind of made the process so special because like seeing him every single day in such close quarters and working with him so closely, like was was just like a complete treat.
1:02:41
SPEAKER_02: Like it was, you know, it's just it's incredible.
1:02:43
SPEAKER_02: I mean, like working with a lot of celebrities, like some aren't the best, and and then you know, working with him, and you're like, wow, like you're just you deserve everything in the world.
1:02:53
SPEAKER_02: I mean, like, literally, you're I he's so great.
1:02:55
SPEAKER_02: So that's just kind of like a general that I've always really loved.
1:02:59
SPEAKER_05: I love that.
1:03:00
SPEAKER_05: Oh, yeah, that's awesome to hear.
1:03:02
SPEAKER_05: Yay! Well, Alex, this was such a fun chat learning all about you, and I'm so proud and happy for everything that you've accomplished in your career.
1:03:12
SPEAKER_05: And it's just like it's so inspiring, and you're such a great person and such an amaz amazing educator as well.
1:03:18
SPEAKER_05: Because I've personally taken your class and have watched you teach on conventions, and I'm so I'm super happy that you're able to, you know, find time in your busy schedule to still give back to so many dancers of the up-and-coming generation on convention faculties and things like that.
1:03:31
SPEAKER_05: So you're doing really great things for our dance industry.
1:03:35
SPEAKER_05: And I'm just so happy to have you on the pod.
1:03:37
SPEAKER_05: It was so great chatting with you.
1:03:38
SPEAKER_01: Thanks for having me, guys.
1:03:40
SPEAKER_07: Yes, it was such a pleasure.
1:03:42
SPEAKER_05: Well, to lead us out, Alex, do you have any final words of encouragement or advice to any dancers out there who may be your fans or look up to you and want to pursue, you know, the same career path that you have, or any inspirational things you'd like to share?
1:03:59
SPEAKER_02: I guess work hard, be a sponge, absorb everything, you know, and don't take criticism too hard.
1:04:07
SPEAKER_02: I think I think a lot of us have a tendency to get offended at criticisms, like first and foremost, and be defensive about it.
1:04:14
SPEAKER_02: But I think all criticism, whether or not it sounds like it's constructive, can be good and can be can be received in a in a constructive way.
1:04:23
SPEAKER_02: I think that like I see a lot of people like saying, like, oh, I I I couldn't stand this performance or whatever.
1:04:29
SPEAKER_02: And like often I may be in those performances and I don't take it personally.
1:04:32
SPEAKER_02: I just think it's like it's one of those things that like you put your work out and let it be criticized because if everyone told you that they liked everything, it would be such a boring world and like it just wouldn't be good.
1:04:42
SPEAKER_02: So I think criticism in general is good and let it happen and don't be hard on yourself about it, but realize that there is room for improvement to make yourself better and always have a good attitude because more often than not, like the teachers are gonna want to work, and choreographers really are gonna want to work with people that have good attitudes.
1:05:01
SPEAKER_02: I know when I'm in a classroom and I'm teaching, like if there's like a student like working really, really hard or really just hungry for like wanting to work and information so that like you want to help them.
1:05:11
SPEAKER_02: You want them to succeed.
1:05:13
SPEAKER_02: So I think that that attitude is more important than really almost anything else.
1:05:20
SPEAKER_06: We would like to send thank you.
1:05:22
SPEAKER_06: Thank you to Alex Bong for joining us on the podcast.
1:06:05
SPEAKER_06: Don't forget to find virtual competition is posted in March.
1:06:10
SPEAKER_06: So I'm going to only have a few more things to put us in March 1530, and it's one standard one side of first one of the on the world of the feedback feed.
1:06:24
SPEAKER_05: So some of the fast-that's in the industry.
1:06:27
SPEAKER_05: Also, and also additional feedback of feeds, and so many soft certified as uh all contestants are eligible to read and feed in the top 20 talents live streams and winning work, and what it's turned out on our website of course to wait to do that.
1:06:47
SPEAKER_07: Uh season two of making the impact of school and stone.
1:06:50
SPEAKER_07: And we've got even more great conversations coming up.
1:07:01
SPEAKER_06: Thanks so much for tuning in and listening to Making the Impact.
1:07:04
SPEAKER_06: Until next time, keep dancing.