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Dance shows on TV have become a phenomenon and choreographer Shane Sparks couldn't be happier about it. Millions of viewers are getting hooked on seeing what the competitors will do week after week. Dance fans are in heaven. This summer the dancers on America's Best Dance Crew and So You Think You Can Dance and are lighting up our TV screens. They are even making fans out of people who didn't know the difference between a Smooth Tango and Krump.
On America's Best Dance Crew (ABDC), Shane Sparks sits at the judges table with Lil' Mama and JC Chasez to watch groups of hip hop dancers take on the weekly challenges. He is no stranger to dance reality shows. He also choreographs routines and judges for So You Think You Can Dance. On ABDC, his weekly judging provides just the kind constructive criticism that helps keep the dancers inspired. His enthusiasm for the crews is obvious and he is not shy about being truly supportive.
Shane’s choreography can also be seen in videos, live performances, and special events. Shane teaches classes at the Millennium Dance Complex in Los Angeles. He choreographed “You Got Served” which earned him the 2005 BET Award for choreography and the 2004 American Choreography Award for Best Choreography in a Feature Film. Shane has choreographed dance numbers for the BET Awards and the Soul Train Awards. His work on So You Think You Can Dance just earned him an Emmy nomination.
LAist spoke to Shane after the taping of last week's show. We asked him about America's Best Dance Crew, working as a choreographer, and why he is so obsessed with playing Wii.
LAist: Last night was a big night. The energy in the room was insane.
Shane Sparks: Every time we get down to the top five or six it gets so crazy because it's like the best of the best now.
The show has tons of die-hard fans. Why do you think dance reality shows are so popular?
I wouldn't say all dance reality shows. I would say certain ones. America's Best Dance Crew, So You Think You Can Dance, and Dancing with the Stars are the truth. Those shows give you real dancers. They give you real choreography. They give you the heart and soul of the dance industry and you can actually get something out of it. People that see that and people that want that. They love it. Even if people don't know how to dance, they love to see the real. That's what we give them. You can't help but love the real.
As a choreographer and a judge, you give the crews so much positive feedback. Do you think it is part of your job to help keep them inspired?
Yeah, definitely. I learned in life, in my journey in this crazy business, that you can tell someone they're bad all day, but who are you to tell someone that they are bad. When you give them a solution- you're the man. Bottom line. Most people in this industry don't know their mistakes. Constructive criticism is the best advice you can give anyone in this world. That's the only angle I will come from. If I ever say anything harsh, it's because some people take advantage of the dance industry. They see the shows on TV and think they can just get on-stage and just do it. I don't like that. If you are going to get onstage and claim that you love it, then keep it real.
We were backstage last week with Fanny Pak and Super Crew. Right now the West coast crews are going strong.
Fanny Pak is going to be in the top 2. I have had faith in them from the beginning. They brought something so different from the last season. I thought those are the ones who are going to slowly creep up and blow everybody's mind. They are surely doing that right now.
They are not a street crew. People wondered if they were going to last. And look what they have done.
I love it. That's what I love about this show. You never know what's going to happen. There are so many different styles of dance. They label everything hip hop, but there are so many things under that umbrella. I love when people take it to another level. What they do is not hip hop, but it is hip hop.
It's not street, but it's hip hop.
Exactly and that's a whole other genre. That's a whole other style and it will open up an whole other world lot of dancers.
The other group with some so-cal dancers is Super Cr3w.
Super Cr3w! They got busy last night didn't they?
The audience went berserk.
I have never seen anybody respond to anything, the way they respond to dancers. These dancers, they get so much love. I have never seen a crowd go so crazy about a group of people. When you see a dance crew, the audience goes beserk. I love that.
How old were you when you started dancing?
Just dancing around, I was young like 2 or 3 years old, dancing at home. But actually starting to do crews and talent shows, about 9 or 10 years old.
When did you start doing choreography?
When I was about 20. Choreography wasn't my thing. I only did it because when I was in a crew because my main choreographer, the guy I learned so much from, went into the service. So that left me and my boy Chris to do our own thing. We were not going to stop, so we had to figure out a way to keep it going. We always had ideas, but when you respect someone so much, you can rely on them to do everything. So when he left and we were by ourselves, we started doing what we wanted to do. Choreography just came natural because I was around it. As far as my career, I never thought I would be a choreographer. I was in a singing group. I was going to dance. To be a choreographer, was never my dream. It's a gift. I move from inspiration and I have that gift to create.
You are also a choreographer and judge on So You Think You Can Dance. What other projects are you working on?
Right now I am getting ready to go to New York to do the choreography for Dreamgirls. It's going to be in Korea first and then hit the states after that. In 2009 there will be a whole show with Korean dancers and Korean singers. It's going to be crazy. We have to go there and do all the choreography, then we will come back here and do it for the states. It's going to be totally different. It's going to have a little hip hop feel to it. We are going to have lights and TV monitors on stage, revolving and mirrors, and all kind of crazy stuff to make it the best show ever.
Who is your favorite dancer of all time?
He goes by the name, Pop N' Taco. His name is Bruno Falcon. He was in the movie Breakin'. He is insane. Every popper who does this knows who he is and admires him. When I first saw that movie it inspired me to do everything I do right now.
Who is your dream person to work with?
Right now I would have to say Chris Brown.
What is your favorite thing about living in LA?
I love LA. I love everything about LA. I love the sunshine. I love the beautiful people. I love the opportunities it gave me to do what I do. The only thing I don't like is that I don't have family here.
Where is your family?
They are still in Cincinnati.
What would we find you doing on a day off?
I clean up. I do laundry. I wash my car. Exercise and go shopping.
Where do you shop?
I got hooked on the garment district downtown. I go down there every now and then to get a whole bunch of stuff that everybody can't get. Or if you can get it, you get it for $300 and I get it for $50. I also shop at Ed Hardy and Christian Audigier.
We hear that you are a Nintendo Wii fan.
I am crazy with that game. I got it when it first came out. Nobody that I knew had heard of it. And the people I know, who did hear about it, thought it was corny and said 'I'm not playing a Wii'.
Like, there's no Grand Theft Auto.
And I was like 'come on!'. I let everyone come to my house on a Friday night and play tennis. I invited Robert Hoffman, the star of Step Up 2, to my house. He'd never played it before. And he said, "This is my favorite game in the world!". All the dancers love this game now. We have Rock Band. We have Guitar Hero. I just had a birthday party and I had the Wii set up in the back room at this club called Falcon. The dancers were in the back playing video games. I love it. We are always trying to find something crazy to do on that game.
Super Cr3w
On Thursday night you can watch the 5 remaining crews get crazy on the America's Best Dance Crew Stage. No doubt Shane Sparks will be loving every minute of it.
America's Best Dance Crew
Thursdays at 10pm on MTV
The America's Best Dance Crew Live Tour featuring last season's winners JabbaWockeeZ and Brake Sk8 and more will begin on September 18 in Miami and be at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on October 12.
Photos of Shane Sparks by Chris Polk/MTV. Photo of Super Cr3w by Ewan Burns/MTV.
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