After The Curtain is the second show for the eclectic dance company, conceived and choreographed by Travis Wall, and tells the story of Vincent, a man fighting to find his creative voice after the death of his one true love.
You can catch After the Curtain for one night only, on Thursday, November 9 at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts. To purchase tickets, which start at only $39.75, go to Strazcenter.org.
Travis Wall will dance the part of Vincent and will be joined on stage by shaping sound founding partner Nick Lazzarini, the Season 1 winner of the Fox reality show So You Think You Can Dance. A native of Mountain View, California, Nick grew up and trained in the San Francisco Bay Area. Nick plays the part of Leo, Vincent’s brother and sometimes tormentor, who malevolently reveals Vincent’s deep secrets.
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Dancing with shaping sound for the first time is Michael Dameski, the 2014 winner of the Australian version of So You Think You Can Dance. Michael dances the role of Jude, a spectral alter ego to Vincent, who taunts him throughout the show as Vincent struggles with self-identity in a time when such thoughts were left unrecognized or unrealized.
Also new to shaping sound: Denver native Barton Cowperthwaite who both joyously and tragically dances the role of Sebastian, the ill-fated lover. Many know Barton from the Lifetime original film “Center Stage: On Pointe”. Barton recently understudied the role of Jerry in the National Tour of An American in Paris; Michael Keefe (Clyde) from Westwood, Massachusetts, who trained at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts; and Riley Kurilko (Swing) from Lake Forest, California and a graduate of the Orange County School of the Arts.
Returning to the company are Mia Dilena (Ellenore) from Toronto and a graduate of The Ailey School in NYC and jay Jay Dixonbey (Edwin) from Detroit and creative director at Power Dance Company in West Bloomfield, Michigan. They both were featured in shaping sound’s first show Dance Reimagined.
They all are joined by longtime shaping sound alumni and favorites Chantel Aguirre (Lily), Channing Cooke (Associate Choreographer and Swing), rory freeman (Luther), Kate Harpootlian (Rose) and another Toronto native Lindsay Leuschner (Vera).
The dance company shaping sound was established in Los Angeles in 2012 by Travis wall and partners Nick Lazzarini, Teddy Forance and Kyle Robinson. The company is an evocative
It was a pleasure to sit down with Nick Lazzarini for this exclusive Hotspots interview.
At what age did you start dancing and how did that come about?
I started dancing at the age of 5. My mom was trying to get me to play soccer and all I could do was watch the dancers. She asked me what was going on in there and I said I don’t know, but I want to do that. I have been in dance ever since.
When did you know it would be your career?
I kind of always had a sneaking suspicion I would be a dancer when I grew yup. I pretty much was all in when I was 12. At that age I was on a local kids TV show and home schooled and when I was 19 I moved to LA to continue my career.
Take us back many years ago, how did it feel to win So You Think You Can Dance?
It was pretty incredible when they called my name. When you are on the show and you are in this bubble, so you don’t really know what’s going on outside the bubble. It was the first year of the show, so we didn’t know what to expect and it was very stressful. At the end, it was just me and my bestie Melody so it really didn’t matter who won. Now that I look back on it, I have to admit, it was better that I won.
When and how did you become friends with Travis?
Travis and I met each other at a national dance competition when he was 9 and I was 12 and we were competing against each other. I remember thinking Travis was an awesome dancer and we became friends. When we were teenagers we went to see the movie Anchorman, and we thought it was the funniest movie we have ever seen. From that day on we became best friends.
When did you, Travis and your partners decide to create the dance company Shaping Sounds?
It was our brain child in 2011. Travis was choreographing for the first time on SYTYCD, and he hired all his friends. It was such a collaborative production that we decided how do we make this happen every day, and that’s when we decided we should open a dance company. However, it wasn’t until we were cast on the reality TV show All The Right Moves, that we were motivated to take the steps to put together a really professional company.
How did you pick the name?
We were brain storming, about what we wanted to say about our company. We know our choreography is very musical and music driven. Travis was on a runway and he noticed there was a curved wall that took the sound away from the neighborhood around the airport. He thought to himself, this is shaping the sound and he thought that would be a great name and we agreed.
Your company has performed at some major events/shows. Do you have a favorite and why?
We did a really fun job last November as we got hired to perform at Microsoft’s annual big seller’s convention. They flew us to Maui for 4 days. This was such a cool different opportunity for us.
What do you do for fun?
I love going to movies and watching reality food television shows. In addition, I bought a house a couple years ago and I enjoy renovating the house.
Your second show After the Curtain is coming to Florida. Tell me about this show and what the Florida audiences should expect from it?
The story was created by Travis. He had a vision and he was inspired by the artist Son Lux. It’s a gay love story set in a 1930’s cabaret.
What does the future hold for you and for Shaping Sound?
I would love to find a boyfriend as I have been single for 8 years. So if any of your readers are interested, contact me. In all seriousness, I am getting older and I know I can’t dance forever, so I started taking comedy lessons and I am thinking I will start to act.
For the company, continuing to grow the company and the brand of Shaping Sound. We want it to have show’s running all over the world, just like Cirque Du Soleil. In addition, we are in talks right now to produce a show on a Cruise line.
For more information on the company go to: Shapingsoundco.com.
