Burn the Floor

Kieronkulik,
My 14 yr. old daughter has trained all her life to be a "Burn the Floor" type dancer.
Ballet, Jazz, Hiphop, Flamenco, Tap, W.C. Swing, Salsa, Hustle, Ballroom/Latin.
I also know a few other amazing young dancers that are trained for the Burn the Floor format. (a few from Buddy Schwimmers studio).

I mention this because...I think it would be a wonderful idea that...say, after the show...you guys have a "Burn the Floor" workshop event , where the dancers give workshop classes in the dance styles...but with an edgy feel. Maybe a weekend event. You could draw the jazz dancers, ballroom/latin dancers, salsa dancers, swing dancers...etc. You could even have a "Burn the floor" comp. in the evenings.
...just throwing it out there.

I hope the Production comes to L.A.
 
Hi kieron! Good to have you back. Thanks for offering to converse with our members!

Actually I have not seen the most recent version of this show. I saw the DVD of the show. And actually I was a bit turned off by the interpretation of some of the latin dances. I love to see experimentation and mixing of styles (I too have a background in contemporary and ballet besides ballroom training), but I thought in some ways it had gotten too dark for my taste in some of the pieces.

It sounds like this version goes even farther away from the roots of latin and ballroom?

On a side note, have you had to learn much of the traditional ballroom/latin for your part in the show? How did it go if so, and what do you think of the styles?
 
I can tell you Jason is revered in Australia, changing the way ballroom dance is perceived.

Anything to improve the standing and following is a good thing :-)
 
Hi Everyone,

Sorry for not posting earlier. My name is Damon and am a cast member of Burn the Floor. I would love to answer any questions relating to dance life as a performer in the show as opposed to a competitor or social dancer.

It has been such an incredible experience traveling in such a profession and hope to continue to do so for years to come. I look forward to chatting with you all soon.

Damon
 
Hello Damon,

How's the run of Burn the Floor going?

Question for you concerning keeping in good shape to dance a show multiple times in a short period of time and then traveling to the next city to repeat the same, what do you do to keep your body in good shape for the dancing? I'm referring especially to muscle fatigue and injury. Do you guys have a masseuse on staff? Lot's of advil?
 
btfgus said:
Hi Everyone,

Sorry for not posting earlier. My name is Damon and am a cast member of Burn the Floor. I would love to answer any questions relating to dance life as a performer in the show as opposed to a competitor or social dancer.

It has been such an incredible experience traveling in such a profession and hope to continue to do so for years to come. I look forward to chatting with you all soon.

Damon
Click to expand...
Hey Damon, great to have you here on DF! :cheers:

I'd love to know what you're own dance training and background were, and how you first got involved with the show. Similarly, what do you like best about dancing in the show (vs. social or competitive) and what the least?
 
Hey latingal.

You mentioned that this show sounds like it strays further away from the latin and ballroom. It really depends on how you look at it. For Jason Gilkison, this is the true depiction of Latin and Ballroom. He was taught by the master, Wally Laird, so he his constantly teaching the dancers about the correct weight, and body postions. If you are aware of Jason's competitive career, you would know his reputation of being the 'best male lead in the world'. These dancers are always put to the test when it comes to technique. But they are also taught character.

All Jason has tried to do with this show, is actually pay homage to the roots of each dance. The original 'Burn The floor' was flashy, and colourful, and took dance away from the 'dancesport' style. This show is different. Its much more organic, and we hopefully inspire dancers and non dancers out there, to know that dance has so much history. This show is based on Jason's life, and has so many personal touches. And while some moments are dark, the show has this amazing heart to it.
We are just trying to turn whats become a 'sport' form of dancing, back to an 'art' form of dancing, showing parents out there what it was like, and showing kids out there, what it will be like. It really does cater for everyone and everything. We are not trying to change the artform either, but just showcase another way of doing it. Im sure you would definitely approve of the way the show balances it all out.
If you have any other questions, or if you cant make it to the show, i believe the new shows dvd is available at stores or at amazon.com
Any section of the show, i would to discuss, as there are so many elements that the audiences are always curious about.
Chat soon

Oh, and the company do a warm up everyday, which focus on core strength, but they do this amazing latin and ballroom warmup.
I was always a good jazz dancer, and my forte was partner work, so when i joined this company, i couldnt help but feel a bit of regret, that i had never tried latin dance before. For the past 4 years, i have done all the warm ups, and learnt so much about the technique, so i perform alot of the dancing now on stage, as well as my own tap dance breaks. I still have so much to learn, but its something i now love doing. I just wish i could turn back time and start 15 years earlier. I love going to the comps, and love all the different styles.
But hey...... better late than never!!!!

The show does offer q and a packages, so people can meet the cast after for some questions. They can also come in, a few hours early and watch the warm up of the dancers and meet production crew and company. If anyone is interested in that, just send me a message, and ill inquire the correct procedure of doing that, and how to set that up. 'Burn The Floor' always has its doors open to the public, especially to dance schools, as we love to do workshops, and hopefully inspire future stars!!!!
 
Thanks for the reply Kieron...

It's nice to hear that you've enjoyed your foray in to latin and ballroom, I too wish that I had started it at least 15 years earlier - but you're right better late then never. Perhaps you'll decide to take up competitive dancing when your stint on the show is over?

As for the show content, it is always wonderful when a dance goes back and rediscovers it's roots and blends it with the here and now and new. I think my objection to a few of the pieces in the original show was that it portrayed a few of the dances in a very "flat" light. It was just my opinion that it lacked subtlety and variation and over emphasized in some areas, but that is just my take and only on certain pieces. The new version sounds like an interesting journey.

Do you get to meet many people in the q&a sessions? I wonder if you find any youth who are inspired to actually go out and find a ballroom to take lessons or classes? It's difficult to get the young inspired to ballroom dance.
 
latingal said:
Hello Damon,

How's the run of Burn the Floor going?

Question for you concerning keeping in good shape to dance a show multiple times in a short period of time and then traveling to the next city to repeat the same, what do you do to keep your body in good shape for the dancing? I'm referring especially to muscle fatigue and injury. Do you guys have a masseuse on staff? Lot's of advil?
Click to expand...

Hi Latingal,

Thanks for your questions. As excited as we are about being in San Fran, we have not yet performed here. We have been in an intense week of rehearsals at the theatre and have our first dress rehearsal tonight, with previews starting on Friday (30th). We have needed a lot of changes to fit our production into this venue.
You do need to be in ultimate condition to perform with a dance company such as ours. We perform eight times a week plus promotional work. Generally our day off is a Monday which usually means traveling to the next city and starting our schedule again.
The dancing alone keeps us in good shape but we do have, prior to every show, a thorough warm up and technical exercises to assist us. Many of us also work out at the gym or do pilates.
A cool down after the show is also vital to avoid muscle fatigue and injury. Then there is the dreaded ice bucket. After our cool down we stand in knee deep in ice for as long as we can take it. Usually thirty seconds. This helps reduce any inflammation in the lower joints.
As far as physical therapy goes it is very expensive to travel a masseuse with us, so we tend to seek out good people in each location. (Any recommendations are most welcome).

Regards

Damon
 
Hi Damon,

Thanks so much for the answers....

btfgus said:
We perform eight times a week plus promotional work. Generally our day off is a Monday which usually means traveling to the next city and starting our schedule again.
Click to expand...

How many times do you do multiple shows the same day? Sounds like a tough schedule.

btfgus said:
A cool down after the show is also vital to avoid muscle fatigue and injury. Then there is the dreaded ice bucket. After our cool down we stand in knee deep in ice for as long as we can take it. Usually thirty seconds. This helps reduce any inflammation in the lower joints.
Click to expand...

Ice bucket???? Owwww. Hadn't thought of that one, and not sure I'd like to try it. *grin* Does everybody do that? Is it preventative?

What type of promotional work do you all do when you hit a new city?
 
SDsalsaguy said:
Hey Damon, great to have you here on DF! :cheers:

I'd love to know what you're own dance training and background were, and how you first got involved with the show. Similarly, what do you like best about dancing in the show (vs. social or competitive) and what the least?
Click to expand...

Hey SDsalsaguy,

I started dancing at the age of ten with a push in the back from my parents. A year later I started competitions and it has been the main part of my life from that point forward. I met Rebecca at the age of seventeen and we have danced together from then on. We were married in 2002.

We decided to move from Australia to London to continue our dance training. A year later we received a telephone call from Jason Gilkison asking if we would like to join a new show, "Burn the Floor". Naturally we jumped at the chance. Ten years later we are still touring with the company, although it is a totally different show from the original arena production.

The thing I like best about dancing in the show is that it is a group effort. Instead of competing against one another, we are joined as a team. The energy of us all striving for the same goal is quite overwhelming.

The most difficult thing about performing in the show is that we are on stage as opposed to being on a floor. There is only one side where there is audience and this can be challenging, especially to demonstrate ballroom.

Damon
 
latingal said:
Hi Damon,

How many times do you do multiple shows the same day? Sounds like a tough schedule.



Ice bucket???? Owwww. Hadn't thought of that one, and not sure I'd like to try it. *grin* Does everybody do that? Is it preventative?

What type of promotional work do you all do when you hit a new city?
Click to expand...

We perform single shows Tuesday through to Friday then what we call the double double. That is double show Saturday, double show Sunday. It is tough end to the week with the reward being a day off on Monday.

Most of us use the ice bucket where the facilities are available and yes it does help prevent further injury as well as treat current ones.

In a new city we try and get as much media coverage as possible. Such as have media attend our dress rehearsals, interviews with newspapers and tv stations, visit night clubs etc. So we do not stop performing just because we have stepped off stage. It is a continual effort.

Damon
 
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