« Reality TV Listings: August 2, 2010 | Home | The Bachelorette: Final Rose Ceremony Spoilers »
RTVM Exclusive: Interview With Allison Holker, All-Star Dancer On So You Think You Can Dance
August 02, 2010 09:00 AM by Nancy Floyd
When Allison Holker first appeared as a finalist on So You Think You Can Dance during season two, she quickly became a fan favorite. Now, five seasons later, she’s back on the show as an All-Star dancer. A lot has changed in her professional and personal career since her first appearance on the show. Most notably she became a mom! Allison sat down with Reality TV Magazine for an exclusive interview to discuss motherhood, being an All-Star, who she thinks will win this season, and what really goes on behind-the-scenes…
Reality TV Magazine: How has your life and career changed as a result of So You Think You Can Dance?
Allison: It opened a lot of doors. Not even just professionally, but even in my own eyes it opened doors. I was willing to try things. I had never tapped before, never done Broadway, never danced ballroom. The show made me realize I’m not just a contemporary dancer; there are other options out there. I can try new things.
Reality TV Magazine: What do you think of the new format allowing All-Stars to compete with the finalists?
Allison: I think that having the All-stars–and I‘m not just saying this because I am an All-Star–has really upped the show because there’s a whole new confidence. When there are two contestants appearing together, especially the first few weeks of the show, there are so many nerves going on that you can’t give it your whole performance because you’re so nervous. You have all these things going on inside so you want to dance full out but you’re kind of holding your own self back. But having us there, we’ve already experienced all that and know we don’t want to be like that. So we tell them “don’t hold back. You’re with us, we’re gonna dance. We’re gonna have fun out there.†From the first episode of the show, those contestants came out with fire, when usually if we weren’t there, they’d have those nerves. I think it’s really given them something different to go off of. Now, the contestants know that it helps them a lot. Where the show was in the first episode of the competition week, we started off so strong. Usually you aren’t getting such strong performances until week five or six of the competition.
Reality TV Magazine: Why do you think there have been so many injuries this season?
Allison: The thing that’s funny is that there have been injuries on other seasons. I think the reason people have been talking about it this season is because it happened back to back. In past seasons, there’s always been someone sick or getting injured but they were never right in a row. The fact that it happened four weeks in a row makes it very evident. And there are only 10 contestants this season so when four of them are injured it’s very noticeable.
It’s a very known thing that this show is very hard on your body; you’re in rehearsals all day long and doing stuff your body isn’t used to. No matter how trained you are, when you’re learning a different style of dance, your body isn’t used to using those muscles. It’s not that none of us warm up; we all do. You’re being thrown around in a lot of numbers. Not in a bad way. It’s beautiful choreography but I think you’re given so little time to be on the stage and the choreographers want the wow factor all the time—and we as dancers want to do that because we want to get the oohs and ahhs from the audience. Dancers have a hard time saying ‘no, that’s not gonna work.’ We make it work. It’s unfortunate about all the injuries but it happens. As a dancer you have to know that your body is going to be torn up at some point in your life.
Reality TV Magazine: One of the biggest changes since you first performed on season 2 of So You Think You Can Dance is that you became a mom [to daughter, Weslie, now two years old]. How do you balance your career and motherhood?
Allison: It was actually pretty hard at first to figure out that balance. I had her and I started working three weeks after she was born! I came back to So You Think You Can Dance for the 100th episode and I had to lose all that weight so it was hard. It was hard to go on a trip at first, even if it was just for three days. I didn’t want to miss her and have her miss me. You feel bad, but it’s not just feeling bad. I worried, is she going to be ok? I came to the realization that she’s with her father who is a great father or my mother so I know she’s ok.
I’m a working mother. And that’s not a bad thing. I think a lot of people, when I first started working, looked at me like, “why aren’t you at home with your daughter?†And I would ask back, “why aren’t YOU at home with yours?†It’s ok to work but more power to me and more power to my daughter because we have such a great relationship. Because when I work and come home, when we are together, our time is special. I take her out, take her to the park, out on excursions, to art classes or dance lessons, to the beach. When I’m with her, it’s just about her. It is hard though but once you’re put into being a parent you learn that that’s how it is. You can’t complain about it. You’re gonna be exhausted. I have experienced something that none of my friends have, especially my dancer friends. I love it and I’m so grateful for where I’m at.
Reality TV Magazine: How do you think you’ve changed as a dancer since becoming a mother?
Allison: It’s definitely changed my dancing a ton, actually. It matured my dancing a lot. Before I could always dance maturely but I was never actually mature, if that makes sense. I was kind of a spastic dancer, going 100% the whole time and doing the craziest things. What I’ve learned is different levels in myself. Life has dynamics in it and that’s what people like to see. People are never going 100% in life all the time. They want to relate to you and see you on their level. I think I’ve been able to tap into that better because of me maturing and seeing a different side of life.
Reality TV Magazine: You’ve definitely had some memorable performances this season. What have been your favorites to perform or watch?
Allison: Oh my gosh. I don’t know if you saw this last week but the number that Billy and Ade did was such a beautiful piece. Gorgeous! I had seen it in rehearsals and thought it was gorgeous; I knew it was about a homeless man and a business man but I didn’t realize, until I saw the video package, the connection of them being old friends. I think it was the coolest concept and it was so brilliantly done. They just complemented each other well. I was so proud of Stacey Tookey. She came on this season with such beautiful choreography. [Thursday] night I actually got to dance with all of the guys which was a lot of fun.
Reality TV Magazine: That performance was amazing! Was it originally choreographed for Lauren? Did she have to sit out because of her injury?
Allison: Yes, that was supposed to be Lauren in it. I learned it the night before at 11pm! I was so stressed! No one could do it like Lauren. I think they definitely need to perform that one on tour. It was one of the best numbers on the show. Lauren was supposed to be Alice. She did a fantastic job [in rehearsals] and it was very unfortunate she couldn’t perform. For me, it was a fantastic time. It was very overwhelming dancing with all the guys but I loved it!
Reality TV Magazine: Who is your favorite choreographer to work with?
Allison: It’s really hard to say. One of the biggest things I love about being an All-Star is that the show has changed immensely since I was on it 4-5 years ago. The choreographers have upped their game and they’ve brought in so many new [choreographers]. Before this season, I had never worked with Mandy Moore or Sonya [Tayeh], but I got to work with them this year.
My favorite choreographer—and I feel bad saying this because he’s one of my best friends–is Travis Wall. I was blessed to finally have my chance to work with him this season. It really meant a lot to me and a lot to him. I’m close to his mother so it meant a lot to me and to her that I got to dance in the routine called Fix You. Travis is just pure genius as a choreographer. He’s so young and so talented. I also love working with Mia [Michaels] because she’s crazy and her ideas are insane, but she knows what she wants and pulls it out of you.
Reality TV Magazine: You’ve danced with all four of the remaining finalists (AdeChike, Lauren, Robert & Kent). What can you tell us about them?
Allison: Kent is the funniest guy in the entire world. Hands down. He really is the farm boy. I don’t even know how else to say it. His eyes are always like a deer in headlights in the cutest way possible. He’s always smiling and he’s always like “That’s so cool.†He’s hysterical and lights up my life. AdeChike is a woman’s man. He’s always putting the moves out there. It’s hysterical. Everywhere he goes, he’s always like “What up girl?â€Â Robert is such a beautiful dancer and one of the most genuine people I’ve ever met in my entire life. He doesn’t just ask how you are; he wants to wait for your answer. He’s actually interested in how you really feel. He is such a sweet person. He’s very gifted. I love Lauren! She’s crazy and funny and…kind of like a tomboy in the cutest way possible. I love that she’s so chill. She gets along with everyone. It’s tough being the only girl in the competition. She’s in a tough spot. There is a lot of pressure on her, but she handles it so well. She is the perfect person to be in that position.
Reality TV Magazine: So, who do you think will win this season?
Allison: That’s hard. Don’t ask me that! [Laughs] I don’t know. I think any of them could win actually. If you look at the four, Lauren is the last girl and she’s killing it. She’d be an awesome representative. She’d handle the press well, she’d handle the publicity. She knows herself even though she’s young. She’d be an awesome representation for a girl dancer. I think Robert is the underdog right now, but he’s one of the most talented dancers and can do any style. He could win because he’s the underdog. Kent could just win because he’s the most adorable thing. [Laughs] There’s still two big weeks left to see what happens. It could go either way. It’s really hard to say because I am friends with them all. It really could be any of them.
Reality TV Magazine: On the show, it seems like everyone is great friends. Does everyone really get along that well? Is there any drama or any dating going on behind-the-scenes?
Allison: Everyone really is so close. We all hang out after rehearsals. Everyone chills, hangs out. The contestants are all really cool. There really is no drama. The only drama we’ve had is the injuries. And everyone has boyfriends and girlfriends so it’s kind of boring. I kinda wish that people were single just to see what would happen but everyone is in a relationship so it’s kind of lame.
Reality TV Magazine: What’s in store for you after So You Think You Can Dance concludes?
Allison: I’m going on tour [with So You Think You Can Dance]. There are a few project that have been talked about but it’s kind of one of those things you don’t really know. I know Mia [Michaels] is working on a few projects that she’d like to use a few people from the show. And I’m really hoping that next year I’ll be another All-Star.
Reality TV Magazine: When will you find out if you’ll be returning as an All-Star?
Allison: Who knows? Probably a week before the season starts next year.
Reality TV Magazine: So you just need to keep your schedule open and hope for a call?
Allison: [Laughs] Yeah, exactly.
Want more? Follow our tweets on Twitter and “like” us on Facebook! For other great So You Think You Can Dance news, please feel free to check out SirLinksALot: So You Think You Can Dance and then come and discuss the show on our reality TV message boards.
For more breaking news about celebrities and entertainment visit our sister site SheKnows.com!
Photo Courtesy of FOX
Topics: FOX Reality TV Shows, So You Think You Can Dance |
« Reality TV Listings: August 2, 2010 | Home | The Bachelorette: Final Rose Ceremony Spoilers »
August 11th, 2010 at 3:56 pm
People should be watching Minute to win it. It is so amazing. Tonight’s episode is all about office games. It should be awesome. tonight at 8 on NBC