Tessandra Chavez has always had a desire to create: The San Diego native founded her own company, Unity Dance Ensemble, when she was just 15 years old. Today, her intensely emotive work onmusic videos, concerts and TV shows like "So You Think You Can Dance" and "Dancing with the Stars" has garnered her an Emmy win and two World Choreography Awards. Her latest endeavor brings her back to her company as they compete for the top spot on NBC's "World of Dance."
Chavez recently spoke with Dance Magazine about how the show has taught her new skills, and why she embraces both criticism and failure.
Mia Michaels has learned the power of inspiring those she works with. Here, rehearsing Rockettes. Photo courtesy MSG
Dancers are human, which means they're bound to make mistakes from time to time, both on and off the stage. But what happens when those mistakes burn bridges? In an industry so small, is it possible for choreographers and performers to recover?
In a moment of vulnerability, three-time Emmy Award winning choreographer Mia Michaels opened up to Dance Magazine about some of the bridges she herself has burned, the lengths she's gone to in order to rebuild and the peace she's made with the new direction her career has taken because of them. —Haley Hilton
Shankman on the set of 2007's Hairspray. Photo by Daniel James, courtesy Shankman
Adam Shankman came into the spotlightin 2007 when he choreographed and directed the movie-musical Hairspray and made his first appearances on the "So You Think You Can Dance" judging panel. But he was already more than a decade into his career as a choreographer and budding director. Today, Shankman is a Hollywood mainstay who has worked on scores of movies, TV shows and commercials, including dance classics like the Step Up franchise, which he produced. Next up: Directing the film What Men Want, which opens in January.
He recently spoke to Dance Magazine about his path to Hollywood and why the dance studio remains his favorite place.
Allison Holker and Logan Hernandez in Christopher Scott's "Say You Won't Let Go," one of the routines that got him an Emmy nomination. Screenshot via YouTube
"So You Think You Can Dance" choreographer Christopher Scott woke up one morning last month, rolled over like he usually does to check his iPhone—and found a barrage of text messages and notifications. The very first text he read was from fellow "SYTYCD" choreographer Mandy Moore: "Congratulations!"
It turned out that he'd just gotten his third Emmy nomination for choreography. (Moore had received one, too.) "We find out at the same time as everyone else," says Scott. "Everything official from the television academy comes through the mail weeks later."
Although we watch "So You Think You Can Dance" for the killer choreography and fantabulous dancing, sometimes the show is downright hilarious, too. Here are seven laugh-out-loud "SYT" moments that still have us giggling.
Mandy Moore at the 2017 Creative Arts Emmy Awards, during which she took home her first Emmy. Photo courtesy Inline/AP
Every year, as soon as the Emmy Award nominations are announced, the first thing I do is scroll down (way, way, way down) to find the nominees for Best Choreography. Last week's announcement was no different, and it was a delightful surprise to see tap queen Chloe Arnold become a first-time nominee for her work on "The Late Late Show With James Corden." Alongside Arnold, Mandy Moore, Travis Wall, Al Blackstone and Christopher Scott received nominations for their dances on awards heavy-hitter "So You Think You Can Dance." (Shout-out to Blackstone for his first Emmy nod!)
I do, however, have a bone to pick with the Emmys. Namely, that the routines for which these choreographers were nominated do not appear on the nominations section of the site. Worse, not even the episodes in which the Emmy-nominated dances appear are listed.
Being focused on one style eventually gave Al Blackstone more opportunities. Photo by Daryl A. Getman, Courtesy Blackstone
These days, everyone tells you how important it is to be versatile. But what if you're convinced there's just one style that's right for you? It can be tough to balance a deep interest in a single specialty and still meet many choreographers' expectations. Luckily, you don't have to choose between all in or all over the place, as long as you follow your interests thoughtfully.
Look at all those baby faces!! Do you know which "SYT" season this classic photo is from? #classic (via Instagram)
Bless you, Person Running the "So You Think You Can Dance" Social Accounts. For the past week, that anonymous hero has been taking a fabulous little walk down memory lane, posting pics from seasons past—way past, in some cases. And they're bringing back alllllll the memories.
Look at all those baby faces!! Do you know which "SYT" season this classic photo is from? #classic (via Instagram)
Bless you, Person Running the "So You Think You Can Dance" Social Accounts. For the past week, that anonymous hero has been taking a fabulous little walk down memory lane, posting pics from seasons past—way past, in some cases. And they're bringing back alllllll the memories.
There's nothing else we'd rather be doing than dancing.
Call us partial, but when it comes to career choices, being a dancer takes the cake. It certainly isn't easy, but every moment we're in the studio or onstage, we get to do something we love. Here are 13 reasons why being a dancer is—in our humble opinion—the best thing in the world.
There's a new challenge taking over social media and it's bringing out the dancer in everyone. So You Think You Can Dance: Next Generation winner Kida Burns (aka Kida the Great) has inspired a new trend thanks to an impromptu dance session in his kitchen. In a recent Instagram post, Kida and fellow dancer Jabari Timmons break it down to the tune of the Nintendo Wii song.
Make room for a new dance show in your television lineup. King of the competition series Simon Cowell (he's behind hits like "The X Factor" and "America's Got Talent") is said to be working on a new project just for dance fans: "The Greatest Dancer." The Telegraph reports that Cowell's show is expected to replace "Strictly Come Dancing" (the UK version of "Dancing With The Stars"), and will feature dancers from every genre.
Mandy Moore loves the chaos of live television. Photo by Lee Cherry, Courtesy Bloc Agency
In the dance world, Mandy Moore has long been a go-to name, but in 2017, the success of her choreography for La La Land made the rest of the world stop and take notice. After whirlwind seasons as choreographer and producer on both "Dancing with the Stars" and "So You Think You Can Dance," she capped off the year with two Emmy Award nominations—and her first win.
You've come a long way on "So You Think You Can Dance"—from assistant to the choreographer (Season 1) to creative producer (Season 14). What keeps you returning to the show?
"So You Think You Can Dance" was one of my first jobs, so it feels like home. I love the chaos of live television; as soon as one show is over you're on to the next.
2017 has been quite a year here at Dance Magazine. From launching our new website to celebrating the magazine's 90th anniversary, it's been a thrilling 12 months. To wrap up the year, the Dance Magazine team took a moment to share each of our favorite highlights.
