Toronto article--Tour bus blues
They think they can dance, and so do fans
Oct. 26, 2006. 01:00 AM
A capacity crowd jammed the Hummingbird Centre for the Performing Arts last night for "Ramalama (Bang Bang)" — and they're weren't disappointed.
The show-stopping song from season two of Fox TV's highly rated show So You Think You Can Dance was among the numbers they hoped to see as dancers from the program went from the small screen to the live stage strutting their stuff.
Some fans got an extra bonus when they showed up earlier in the day to get their tickets and got to see many of the performers arriving for rehearsal.
Vanessa Hasid, 22, wasn't complaining about the six-hour drive from Montreal after getting to see Dmitry Chaplin — known for tearing off his tight T-shirt during performances — up close and personal.
"I felt like I was having a heart attack," Hasid said.
"I haven't missed a show since it started. It was one of those shows where you could really connect with the dancers on a personal level."
The 10 dancers — plus two understudies — are five shows away from the end of the 37-show, 35-city tour, which has sold out in every venue, often in as little as two hours.
It has been a gruelling run, with rehearsals starting 10 days after the show ended in late August, then boarding two specially outfitted mega-buses to go on the road.
Tour producer Simon Sidi said he was "surprised and delighted" by how quickly all the shows sold out. As for the performers, "They're the worst, really horrible, I hate them all," deadpanned Sidi, before breaking into laughter. "No, they're really lovely kids, they're great because they work together as a team and they really support each other."
Heidi Groskreutz, 25, said the dancers really didn't understand how much impact the show had on fans until they started touring.
"We didn't know anything about the show and how it was affecting people when we were on it because we were so isolated. This has been our first chance to get a different perspective," Groskreutz said.
Winner Benji Schwimmer, 22, had the extra task doing an extensive press tour across the U.S. following his win.
"It hasn't really hit me yet. I've either been living in an apartment or a hotel room or a tour bus for the last seven months of my life. Maybe when I go back home, I might settle in a little bit more, but it hasn't hit yet," Schwimmer said.
"I'm just happy that (dance) is starting to get recognized. I think dance deserves it and it's the most under-appreciated art form you can get," he added.
Travis Wall, 19, who placed second, said while he enjoys the screaming female fans, he's also glad to encourage younger boys to follow in his footsteps.
"I think that's awesome because little boys ... it's sometimes hard to (get) them to stay in dance because not only is there school, but there's sports and stuff. So when they have someone to look up to, I think that makes them push more," Wall said.
Unlike the TV show, the element of fierce competition and fear of elimination is gone from the tour.
"The TV show is a different setting because it's a competition and you're just worried about trying to stay there. Where, on the tour, you get a chance to meet the people that got you through the competition because (they) voted for you," said Donyelle Jones, 27.
After each show, fans are treated to an extended autograph session, which often means not getting back on the bus until 1 a.m. "You can't sleep on the bus, it's really hard because some people are up talking, some are watching movies, so you always want to be a part of that and see what everyone's doing. So you always end up staying up all night," said Allison Holker, 18.
"It's amazing, the tour bus. I'm going to cry when I have to leave it; it's been our home for two months," Wall added.
Holker, like the other dancers, is just starting to think about what comes after the tour.
"It's going to be hard to leave. It's going be a big shock, like ohmigosh, what am I doing right now? It's going to be scary ... to be honest," she said.
Wall, who has an agent, said it's vital to take advantage of the momentum from the show and tour. "After the tour, we're all going to be fresh fish thrown into the water and we have to stay on top of our stuff and I plan to. You have to constantly keep your face out there," he said.
Labels: tour article
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home