We focus on two of the top dancers from So You Think You Can Dance, Season 12 and try to pick their brains about their futures and the future of Dance in general. If enthusiasm is any measure, we have a lot to look forward to. Please meet winner Gaby Diaz and runner-up Virgil Gadson.
I&S: First off, congratulations on your win/runner-up placement. Do you see yourself leveraging your ranking to open new doors in your career or was this an accomplishment which brought personal satisfaction…or a bit of both?
Gaby Diaz: Thank you! I’m definitely going to use the momentum from the show to help me transition from Miami to LA. I think this experience just made me even hungrier to go out and audition for more opportunities.
Virgil Gadson: It’s a bit of both. Opened new doors and a huge accomplishment in my life to make it as far as I could on the show this season.
I&S: Your bios both cite age three as the point at which you began dancing. But at what age did the passion take over and you decided that this would be your life’s work? Can you expand on the circumstances surrounding that point in your life?
GD: When I got to high school and started training more seriously in classical styles and learning about the history of the art form, I knew it was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I love that you can never stop learning and growing as a dancer.
VG: I would have to say at the age of 12 years old. That’s when I knew I was going to be a dancer or performer for the rest of my life. I’ve always imagined myself on stage like my idols, Michael Jackson, MC Hammer, James Brown and Sammy Davis Jr.
I&S: What does the performance and the physical act of dancing feel like for you personally? What do you hope an audience looks for in your performance? Or, in a larger sense, what should the general public understand about dance in order to appreciate your work?
GD: Performing is a release for me. I tend to not say or express what I’m thinking or feeling, but dance is a safe place to allow myself to be vulnerable. I hope audience members can feel that my performances are raw and come from everything in me and that it’s more than just me acting on a stage.
VG: Dancing is a talent and gift that I share with others. I want people to understand what I’m saying through movement and music without using words.
I&S: Push yourselves into the future: You each own a dance company. Your troop is just about to perform an original work you choreographed. What do you hope your audience takes away from their visit? What is it about your style that sets you apart from other dance companies?
GD: I would love to have an all style company. I want audience members to gain appreciation for all forms of dance, not just what is most commonly seen on television. I hope they can walk away from a performance having enjoyed experiencing something new and wanting to come back.
VG: Dancing is a talent and gift that I share with others. I want people to understand what I’m saying through movement and music without using words.
I&S: You both are participants in a continuum of human expression which stretches back in time before language was invented. No pressure, but where do you see yourself fitting into that timeline? Are you a conservator, an expander, a creator or maybe even a destructor? What will people in 100 years say about the work(s) you create?
GD: Right now, I love conserving the knowledge and appreciation of the classical styles that pioneered the art form. Eventually, I would love to create work that expands the dance world and that can pave the way for other artists after me to continue expanding it.
VG: I just would like dance to live on. I want to create and opens doors for those dancers that don’t think it’s possible to have a successful career. We are artist just like musicians, singers and actors. Being the next Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire and Sammy Davis Jr. is what I would want people to see or recognize me as that dance mogul.
To follow these performers…
Gaby Diaz:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/itsgabydiaz
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsgabydiaz/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dance12Gaby/
Virgil Gadson:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/vgadson3?
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vgadson3/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dance12Virgil/