So You Think You Can Dance Australia

Style: HIP HOP
AGE: 28
HOMETOWN: Central Coast, NSW
DANCING SINCE: 5 years old
OCCUPATION: Beach bum

WHO INSPIRED YOU TO FIRST DANCE? Music did. My love of dance has always come from music first.

EARLIEST MEMORY OF DANCING: Listening to Tina Turner and dancing up and down the driveway with my sister.

SIGNATURE MOVE; The ‘maniac’ from “Flashdance”

WHERE WE’VE SEEN YOU? Guy Sebastian’s “Like It Like That’ music video, the Australian Deaf Society TV commercial and I also danced for Vanilla Ice at the V Festival

THING YOU’LL MISS MOST ABOUT HOME: My husband Simon, going to the beach and sleeping in

LUCKY CHARMS OR RITUALS YOU DO BEFORE WALKING ON STAGE? I close my eyes and visualise myself performing on the stage with everything going smoothly!

WHAT STYLE DO YOU HOPE TO PICK OUT OF THE HAT? I would really love to give the Rumba, Tango or the Paso Doble a go, I think they are really strong and sexy.

HOW MUCH DANCE TRAINING HAVE YOU HAD, AND IN WHAT STYLES? I have done casual class visits from the age of about five, but never did exams or competitions. I started off with jazz, but once I got to high school, I stopped going to dance schools and choreographed routines with our school dance troupe. In my early 20’s I started hip hop classes, joined a crew and got serious about hip hop dancing. I have also been taking weekly Bollywood classes for four years.

WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE PROFESSIONAL DANCER? Wade Robson. I think his choreography is genius; it’s so creative and fuses many styles.

WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL BE YOUR WEAKNESSES IN THE COMPETITION? That I’m not very flexible or classically/ technically trained.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE AUSTRALIA TO KNOW ABOUT YOU? I really want Australia to enjoy watching me dance and to feel inspired. I love what music and dance does for people’s soul, whether they dance themselves or just enjoy watching the art form.

Style: JAZZ / LYRICAL / TAP / MUSICAL THEATRE
AGE: 22
HOMETOWN: Gold Coast, QLD
DANCING SINCE: 7 years old
OCCUPATION: Dancer

WHO INSPIRED YOU TO FIRST DANCE? I can’t recall being inspired by someone. It was just something that I wanted to do.

EARLIEST MEMORY OF DANCING: My first dance class was tap. I remember being really shy but picking up the steps fairly quickly and my teacher showing a high interest in me.

WHERE WE’VE SEEN YOU? I have performed in “Wicked” in the US, on a P&O cruise or as “Barney” in Dubai.

CRAZIEST JOB YOU’VE DONE: As a lady skunk, or played the front end of an elephant on “Barney”.

FAVOURITE DANCE MOMENT FROM FILM, TV OR THEATRE? I have many, but the one that really did it for me was on SYTYCD US Season 4 with Katee and Josh choreographed by Mia Michaels performed to ‘Hometown Glory’. It gives me shivers every time!

LUCKY CHARMS OR RITUALS YOU DO BEFORE WALKING ON STAGE? I always make sure I’m completely centered by taking deep breaths and pacing back and forth. I also do exercises like push ups to help keep my energy up and to get me pumped.

HOW MUCH DANCE TRAINING HAVE YOU HAD, AND IN WHAT STYLES? I started training in tap when I was seven but it wasn’t until I was 12 when I tried jazz and other styles. I was trained in a very old manner, which looking back, it has given me so much technique and stage presence. It wasn’t until the past few years that I had started to explore other styles like contemporary and lyrical which is more so what I see my style to be now.

DOES ANYONE ELSE IN YOUR FAMILY DANCE PROFESSIONALLY? My sister started dancing when she was young, but then I took over from her. Our family is very music orientated – we have always had songs playing throughout the house.

WHO WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO MAKE PROUD OF YOU? My family and my dance teacher who has taught me since I was little. They have all put so much time and energy, into helping me achieve what I love, so for them to see me hit new heights, I think would be the best reward of all.

WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL BE YOUR STRENGTHS IN THE COMPETITION? I think I make a strong partner and love working off someone else not only physically but energy wise.

Style: JAZZ / JAZZ FUNK / CONTEMPORARY / MUSICAL THEATRE / HIP HOP
AGE: 21
HOMETOWN: Brisbane, QLD
DANCING SINCE: 13 years old
OCCUPATION: Commercial Dancer

EARLIEST MEMORY OF DANCING: My earliest memory of dance is putting shows on for my parents in the lounge room. I remember my dad took me shopping at our local shoe store and the only ones I wanted were a black shiny pair because I thought they were tap shoes! Obviously they weren’t, but that didn’t stop me from putting on tap shows in the lounge room… on carpet!

IF I WEREN’T A DANCER… I would be a singer, actor, creative writer, clothes designer or stylist.

WHERE WE’VE SEEN YOU? I work as a commercial dancer, so you may have seen me dancing on various TV shows.

THING YOU’LL MISS MOST ABOUT HOME: I’ll miss all nine of my housemates and our backyard pool.

FAVOURITE DANCE MOMENT FROM FILM, TV OR THEATRE? My favourite film is “The Sound of Music”. I used to hire it from the video store and then hide it when it was time return it!

RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Single. Some of my friends and I were joking that I should use the show as a bit of a dating forum – eligible bachelors please send in a pic and profile!

LUCKY CHARMS OR RITUALS YOU DO BEFORE WALKING ON STAGE? I used to have a lucky pair of underwear. I don’t believe in luck, things happen for a reason when we create the possibility.

WHAT CAN’T YOU LIVE WITHOUT? My body – it sounds silly but I’m addicted to exercise and it’s my main outlet of self expression.

WHAT STYLE DO YOU HOPE TO PICK OUT OF THE HAT? Ballroom will be my biggest challenge, but I love challenges! Anything fun that gets the blood pumping!

HOW MUCH DANCE TRAINING HAVE YOU HAD, AND IN WHAT STYLES? For a girl, I started dancing quite late. I was in high school and begun dancing as an elective subject, then started at my local dance school. I mostly did jazz and musical theatre, later being introduced to contemporary and jazz funk and most recently have found a great passion for hip hop and learning its different styles and history.

WHO WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO MAKE PROUD OF YOU? I’d like to do the Australian dance industry proud. I think some Australian dancers are under the impression that the best dancers are overseas, when infact we have amazing talent here and SYTYCDA is a great way to showcase this!

Style: JAZZ FUNK / BROADWAY
AGE: 23
HOMETOWN: Perth, WA
DANCE SINCE: 5 years old
OCCUPATION: Dance Teacher

WHO INSPIRED YOU TO FIRST DANCE? My mother got me to dance when I was young and Michael Jackson kept me going as I got older.

EARLIEST MEMORY OF DANCING: Dancing with a broken arm to “Thriller”.

IF I WEREN’T A DANCER… I’d be a mac genius or a helicopter pilot.

WHERE WE’VE SEEN YOU? You might have seen me in a “ find thirty” advert in a blue B-ball shirt, or “The Footy Show” dancing behind Jo Beth Taylor. If you have travelled to Tokyo you may have seen me in “One Man’s Dream” or “Big Band Beat” at Tokyo Disney. I have also been on a Holland America Cruise Line Ship on either the Veendam or Zuiderdam.

CRAZIEST JOB YOU’VE DONE? Being Peter Pan was pretty fun, I got to fly by cables. Also working on a cruise ship was crazy because you could be having dinner in Barcelona and the next afternoon you could be having gyro for lunch at Santorini.

FAVOURITE DANCE MOMENT FROM FILM, TV OR THEATRE? Mia Michael’s piece with the bench and Travis Wall on SYTYCD US.

RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Married. I met Stacey at Tokyo Disney – she was Wendy and I was Peter Pan.

HOW MUCH DANCE TRAINING HAVE YOU HAD, AND IN WHAT STYLES? Since I started dancing at the age of 5, I have trained in jazz, ballet, tap, acrobatics and hip Hhp. Once working professionally I was taught roughly how to partner.

WHO WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO MAKE PROUD OF YOU? Well I know that my wife, mum and sister will be proud. But I would like friends and family that haven’t seen me dance – for instance my brother in Adelaide, sister in Melbourne and father in Belgium to have the opportunity.

WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL BE YOUR WEAKNESSES IN THE COMPETITION? My weakness would be my technique. Because I have danced all my life, it will be expected that I will be a technician, when in reality what I have mastered is my style and ability to adapt to others.

Style: BREAKDANCER
AGE: 26
HOMETOWN: Gold Coast, QLD
DANCING FOR: 9 years
OCCUPATION: Dancer

WHO FIRST INSPIRED YOU TO DANCE? Michael Jackson.

EARLIEST MEMORY OF DANCING: Doing Michael Jackson in primary school at the school social.

IF WEREN’T A DANCER… I’d be a professional skateboarder or personal trainer.

WHERE WE’VE SEEN YOU? I was a semi finalist in “Australia’s Got Talent”, was an extra on “The Strip” and have featured on “Totally Wild” and “Toasted TV”.

CRAZIEST JOB YOU’VE DONE: I was a topless waiter.

THING YOU’LL MISS MOST ABOUT HOME: My mum and dad of course.

LUCKY CHARMS OR RITUALS YOU DO BEFORE WALKING ON STAGE? I don’t really have one. I just get on stage knowing I’m going to impress!

WHAT STYLE DO YOU HOPE TO PICK OUT OF THE HAT? Hip hop or ballroom.

HOW MUCH DANCE TRAINING HAVE YOU HAD, AND IN WHAT STYLES? I recently completed a year of fulltime dance that included all styles of dance.

WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE PROFESSIONAL DANCER? I really don’t have a favourite, however I think Crazy Kujo is an awesome bboy!

WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL BE YOUR WEAKNESSES IN THE COMPETITION? My lack of flexibility.

WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL BE YOUR STRENGTHS IN THE COMPETITION? My strength.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE AUSTRALIA TO KNOW ABOUT YOU? That I’m a genuine honest guy!

Style: BREAKDANCING / HIP HOP
AGE: 25
HOMETOWN: Mt Druitt, NSW
DANCING SINCE: 10 years old

OCCUPATION: Thermo Climatic Engineer (i.e. cool way of saying Aircon Technician)

WHO INSPIRED YOU TO FIRST DANCE? Old school Bboys, and they always will!

EARLIEST MEMORY OF DANCING: Sidestepping and clicking during pre-school and winning a trophy for it.

IF WEREN’T A DANCER… I’d be at home playing PS3, eating rice or playing basketball.

WHERE WE’VE SEEN YOU? I was in SYTYCD Australia Season 1 (Top 50) and Season 2 (Top 40).

CRAZIEST JOB YOU’VE DONE? Suprisingly air-cons don’t really get crazy, but I have performed in front of 10,000 women before!

RELATIONSHIP STATUS: In a relationship with my beautiful girlfriend Brooke since July 2000. She’s a dancer too.

FAVOURITE BANDS/ARTISTS TO LISTEN TO? The Bamboos, Method Man, Redman and local funk bands.

WHAT STYLE DO YOU HOPE TO PICK OUT OF THE HAT? Latin or hip hop

HOW MUCH DANCE TRAINING HAVE YOU HAD, AND IN WHAT STYLES? I’ve never really done any dance training aside from my own. I regularly do hip hop classes and lately have been doing Jazz and Contemporary classes to improve my technique.

WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE PROFESSIONAL DANCER? I would have to say Gene Kelly for genres other than my own and Bboy Remind from SEC (USA) when it comes to Bboying. Also Kelly Abbey, watching her dance makes the hair on your neck stand up, but at the same time, watching and listening to her teach can make even a bald dude’s hair grow in an instant!

WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL BE YOUR STRENGTHS IN THE COMPETITION? My strengths in the competition would be my showmanship and my strange ability to attract people when I dance. I don’t know what it is, but apparently people love to watch me dance, and that in itself gives me more motivation to be comfortable when I get on stage.

Style: Jazz

Age: 21
Hometown: Sydney, NSW
Dancing since: 3 years old

Who inspired you first to dance?
My big sister, I wanted to do everything she did.

What is your earliest memory of dancing?
At my first concert at three years old. No one told me I would be performing in front of an audience and when I finished, I cried so much that someone had to take me off stage!

If you weren’t a dancer, what would you be?
An actress.

Where have we seen you already?
I tried out for the last season of SYTYCDA and have featured in two “Bonds” TV commercials.

Audition Song: Breakin’ Dishes

Hobbies:
Designing and making clothes, running and having a good coffee with my friends.

Favourite dance moment from Film, TV or Theatre:
Definitely “Flashdance” where she pulls the bucket of water on herself.

What lucky charms or rituals do you have/do before walking on stage?
I do this weird thing where I have to breathe in and out five times because 5 is my lucky number.

What can’t you live without?
Milk and yoghurt – I have a dairy addiction!

What style do you hope to pick out of the hat?
Im a jazz dancer so it would be cool to pull out “jazz” but would love to challenge myself to contemporary or ballroom!

How much dance training have you had, and in what styles?
I’ve been dancing since I was three, then in 2007 I did a full-time performing arts course and haven’t looked back since. I trained in jazz, tap, ballet and contemporary.

What do you think will be your strengths in the competition?
My commitment, I hate doing things by half. I put my heart into everything I do and I hope that shows as a strength for me.

What would you like Australia to know about you?
I’m a bunch of surprises!

The first week of ratings sees the return of some of 2009’s favourites on Ten, plus the premiere of the Good Wife on Sunday nights. Here is the summary of Ten’s programming for the week starting Feb 7, 2010.

The Biggest Loser.
Continues Sundays from Jan 31 at 6.30pm and weekdays 7.30pm from Feb 1.

Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation
Now in its new home, 7.30pm Sundays from Feb 7. The first ep for season 2 sees guests Basil Bush for the Baby Boomers, Shadow Treasurer the Hon Joe Hocky for gen X and actor Joelene Anderson from Ten’s Rush fior gen Y.

The Good Wife.
Featuring Emmy, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild award winner Julianna Marguiles, the Good Wife premieres on Ten at 8.30pm Sunday Feb 7. The show is a drama in which Julianna stars as a wife named Alicia and mother who boldly assumes full responsibility for her family and re-enters the work force after her husbands very public and political corruption scandal lands him in jail.

House
Is back, 9.30pm Sundays from Feb 7, episode 3 of season 6.

The Circle
Ten’s new morning chat show, replacing 9AM is called the Circle. Premieres on Tuesday Feb 9 at 10am.

Bondi Rescue
Is back! Series 5, episode 1 will be seen on Tuesday Feb 9 at 8pm.

NCIS
Finally – new episodes return to Tuesday nights. 8.30pm from Feb 9.

So You Think You Can Dance Australia
Its new regular weekly timeslot will be Wednesday 8pm from Feb 10.

Burn Notice
Michael’s new time is 10pm Wednesdays from Feb 10. Burn Notice returns with Season 3, episode 6.

Law and Order SVU
Back on Ten, at 8.30pm Thursdays from Feb 11. Season 11, ep 1.

Medium.
Thursdays 9.30pm from Feb 11.

Programming information from Ten, and subject to late changes.

[updated]

Finally the last days of summer programming are getting nearer, with Ten releasing their programming line up for Week 6, commencing Sunday January 31, 2010. Week 6 is actually the last week of summer non ratings but typically both Ten and Seven tend to start many shows a week early in an attempt to capture audiences first. Nine, on the other had, with the Winter Olympics looming on Feb 12 are not likely to air any of their key 2010 titles until after the Olympics, which finish on Feb 26.

Shows returning that week to Ten include The Biggest Loser (it is just me, or have they really been trying to make that look and sound like Masterchef? – there will even be a Biggest Loser Masterclass this year, most likely to air 7.30 Friday nights like the original Mastercehf Masterclass did), So You Think You Can Dance Australia (which is on for a massive six and a half hours that week), Good News Week, Burn Notice, House, Medium. Army Wives also returns, but in a very late night timeslot. The 7pm Project, as well as its late night repeat remain for that week.

Here is the program breakdown:

Sunday Jan 31:
6.00 Simpsons
6.30 Biggest Loser season premiere
7.30 So You Think You Can Dance Australia season premiere
9.00 House season premiere
11.00 Movie: Star Wars: The Phantom Menace

Mon – Fri from Feb 1
6.00 Simpsons
6.30 Neighbours
7.00 7pm Project

Monday Feb 1
7.30 Biggest Loser
8.30 Good News Week season premiere
10.00 Ross Noble’s Australian Road Trip premiere

Tuesday Feb 2
7.30 Biggest Loser
8.00 So You Think You Can Dance Australia
9.30 NCIS Rpt

Wednesday Feb 3
7.30 Biggest Loser
8.00 So You Think You Can Dance Australia
9.30 Burn Notice premiere

Thursday Feb 4
7.30 Biggest Loser
8.00 So You Think You Can Dance Australia
10.00 Medium season premiere

Friday Feb 5
7.30 Biggest Loser
9.00 NCIS Rpt, 2 eps
11.00 Outrageous Fortune

Saturday Feb 6
6.00 Simpsons
6.30 Movie. Star Wars: Attack of the Clones
9.35 movie: Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith

Late night on Ten includes Ten News with Sports Tonight, followed by the 7pm Project Late, followed by the Late Show with David Letterman. News starts at 11.00 Mon, 10.30 Tue, 10.30 Wed, 11.00 Thur and 11.30 Friday. Army Wives will air at 12.30am Tuesday night (Wed morning if you prefer it that way!).

Programming information: Tv Tonight.

All aspiring dancers get you tap shoes on and ready to audition for a chance of a lifetime as the audition process for the 2010 series of So You Think You Can Dance Australia is about to fire up.

The winner of the 2009 series Talia Fowler says, “Auditioning for SYTYCD was easily the best decision I ever made. After so many years of hard work to become a dancer, being part of the show was so amazing. It gave me the support and confidence I needed to fulfil my dreams. Then the unbelievable happened and I was voted Australia’s Favourite

Dancer. The ultimate experience was performing on SYTYCD in the US. It was a once in a lifetime experience I will never forget. If your dream is to dance then go for it, you never know what can happen.”

Auditions are open to anyone between 18 and 35 and kick off in September 2009, it is also important that you pre-register, you will then be given a specific time to audition.

AUDITION VENUES & DATES

ADELAIDE AUDITIONS
From September 17 at the AUSTRALIAN DANCE THEATRE
126 Belair Road HAWTHORN

SYDNEY AUDITIONS
From September 24 at the CARRIAGEWORKS
245 Wilson Street EVELEIGH (That’s where parts of Mastercehf and Aus Next Top Model were filmed)

PERTH AUDITIONS
From October 1 at the WAAPA Edith Cowan University
Building 1, 2 Bradford Street MOUNT LAWLEY

MELBOURNE AUDITIONS
From October 6 at the MINISTRY OF DANCE
Level 1, 64 Sutton Street NORTH MELBOURNE

BRISBANE AUDITIONS
From October 13 at the QUEENSLAND BALLET Thomas Dixon Centre
Cnr Drake Street & Montague Road WEST END

Register at www.ten.com.au/dance