Your mum was a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, and ran her own dance studio. What impact has that had on you and the way you choreograph?
For the most part, it goes hand-in-hand. To be able to learn from one of your parents, it’s like whatever their craft is, it imprints. It’s funny because I find myself in a lot of situations where I’m trying to choreograph and she does pop in my head many times, and I’ve definitely stolen a couple of tricks of the trade!
You went on tour with Madonna in 2004.
Oh my gosh, yeah. It all feels so long ago now. So much has changed since then in terms of the focus of what I do now, but it was sort of my swan song dance and I ended up in Portugal and thought, you know, now’s the time to make a change and I started working with Anne Fletcher and Adam Shankman and they really changed my life with what I’ve been fortunate enough to do now. I’ve been blessed with everything.
You’ve also worked on Hairspray, 27 Dresses, Starstruck – have those influenced what you’re doing now?
Not at all! It’s a completely different beast! Of course, you’re always working and having previous experience is always a benefit, but Glee is such a special project and there wasn’t much reference to it – nothing had really been done like it. A lot of this was very much a shot in the dark. I think Ryan had this gem and as we were all working on it, knowing that it was such a passionate project for everyone I think we were watching the magic happening during the pilot, and hoping that other people would see it.
Have you found it a challenge to choreograph for differently-abled bodies, different fitness levels, different abilities than "the usual"?
Completely, but I also feel like it’s really opened me up to a whole other part of dancing. When you spend your life in a dance studio, in front of a mirror, working on perfection and improvement, that becomes what you do. My appreciate for trained dancers is, of course, outstanding, I think it’s a wonderful, wonderful art to get into. But then being put in this position, I think it’s really taught me about, or re-taught me about, why people dance. The joy in it. It’s OK that your legs don’t go up to your ears and you can’t stay on your good leg when you’re turning. I just love watching people dance and people have latched onto that with our characters. We know that Cory is not our best dancer, but there’s a difference because you don’t feel embarrassed for him, you actually endear to the character.
On The Glee Project you're working with people who aren’t necessarily self-confident. Mentoring them the way you have brings out the beauty of imperfection.
I completely agree! When I first walked in the room I asked myself ‘why am I doing this? Why am I starting over?’ Literally starting over. It’s funny cos someone had asked me about the contenders on The Glee Project ‘oh you have some great dancers’ and it’s- through the audition process, of the 40,000 there was definitely a great amount who could dance against anybody, any artist, then there are voices that auditioned as well that were technically perfect, and some of those people that have that all-around polished look, but that doesn’t work on Glee. That’s not what we’re about. So getting in the room with these kids, it’s obvious that they don’t know how to turn over their shoulder or look back or clap on beat. It’s a bit of a frustration but at the same time when they get it, there’s a confidence that you can’t teach, that the camera can catch and I think that’s the magic that we’re always looking for. Like when they got it and they know it – even if they look kinda foolish.
Who are the stand-out performers on The Glee Project? What is it that they do that you find interesting?
That was the biggest challenge. If you look at the scripted Glee, you can’t really say ‘oh, this is the best one’, because they all have such random combinations of ability, so we have a couple of incredible singers, but they don’t really move very well! There are some wonderful dancers that vocally aren’t as strong so it is that great combination so meeting these kids.
How does The Glee Project differ from all the other reality talent shows out there?
I think pop culture at this point is infatuated with extreme competition shows, but I feel like X Factor is something a little bit different but I know as far as in the States the So You Think You Can Dance and American Idol and Top Model and things, it’s all one honed craft that everyone is competing against so at the end of the episode it’s ‘oh look, we all made this pizza using this cheese, who is the best?’ This is a little bit different because its such a broad scope of talent you’re really learning who these people are, what they’re good at. You know, there’s something about a scripted show that endears you to these characters because you can relate to them. I think when you see people’s weaknesses and their vulnerabilities, it pulls at your heartstrings. It’s not the show that at the end of it there will be ‘one picture of this model’ – that’s not what it is. That’s what’s special about this show is that each week because the challenges are easier on some and harder on the others, and they’re completely different each week, you’re not able to have a favourite because it moves each week there’s a standard person you’re like ‘oh this is their moment’ so it’s not just about one talent. Not about perfection. It’s about finding the perfect person. The perfect person who is not perfect.
So has Glee been a catalyst for teenagers being released from polish and poise?
Oh completely! The general message of the show is being OK with what you’ve got and knowing that it is perfect. That what you have to offer is better than what everyone else has even though it’s very, very tailored and specific to yourself, it’s being able to find that. I feel like you can watch your favourite character [on Glee] and be it that they’re disabled or overweight or maybe not the prettiest or anything, but they still have permission to perform and they have permission to be themselves, and they work within a group. As a younger adult, it would make me definitely think ‘ok, this is ok’ and I know that there’s a group of people out there that can accept me for this and love me. If we all happen to get together and sing and dance, then that’s an added bonus.
Do you have any advice for young, aspiring dancers?
Mix it up. I feel like nowadays there’s a lot of younger dancers that are really just fixated on one type of dance, one thing that they do. The more open you can be to switching it up and trying new things with your body then you’ll be able to bring up a whole skill set that you didn’t know you could. And if you don’t like it in the beginning, you’ll like it in the end!
You’ve done a bit of work with the charity Stand Up To Cancer. What can you tell us about that?
It all sort of started with my mother. She had cancer eight years ago now and so it’s just been a passion – not only for myself, but I think it’s a global issue that affects so many people. I want to be a part of that.