Fans of reality television dance shows will recognize the names Travis Wall, Nick Lazzarini, Teddy Forance, and Kyle Robinson.
Wall earned an Emmy nomination for his work on So You Think You Can Dance, Lazzarini won the first season of the show, and Forance has been a part of recent seasons of Dancing With The Stars. Most recently you may have seen them on Oxygen's All The Right Moves, a show that chronicled their journey to create a new contemporary dance company called Shaping Sound.
The foursome gathered some of the most talented and well-known artists in the dance world right now -- including Jamie Goodwin, a top-10 finalist on the third season of SYTYCD -- and kicked off a 15-city tour earlier this month. On Friday, June 7, they're headed to the Valley to perform their eponymous show for one night at the Chandler Center for the Arts.
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We talked with Goodwin, who is the female lead in the touring show, about Shaping Sound. Goodwin has an impressive résumé of experience, competing on SYTYCD and working in television (Glee, Vegas, and All The Right Moves) as well as in film (High School Musical 3, Rock of Ages, and Movement One, a dance documentary).
For Goodwin, being a part of Shaping Sound is like coming full circle in her dance career, since she and Wall were dance partners when they were both growing up in Virginia. She remembers that Wall knew he wanted to have his own dance company -- even back then.
She says the show takes the audience into a dream-like world based around her character's re-occurring dreams about a man with whom she's in love. He's referred to as "The One." She says it's an idea that Wall, who's always been interested in the concept of dreams, has been working on for years.
"They wanted to tell stories and that are real, that people can relate to," Goodwin says of the inspiration for the show.
Though some numbers in the show have been done before, most are brand new. And even if you've seen the foursome's work before, this show should offer something fresh. The choreography is mostly contemporary, but it involves a variety of other dance styles as well, including hip hop and ballroom. The show also contains a wide range of music, everything from Queen to The xx. One of Goodwin's favorite portions of the show is a jazz section set to the song "Sing, Sing, Sing."
For those who know the choreographers and cast members through their work on TV but may not be as familiar with the theater-performance dance scene, Goodwin says Shaping Sound is a perfect crossing over point. The show contains several "surprise moments" for the audience and uses props in creative ways.
Though it may appeal to a mass audience, Goodwin says the choreographers aimed to "highlight the dancers and artists in a honest way." It's a high energy, visually-stunning show fueled by a passion for the art of dance.
"I really think the show is great, whether you know dance or not," she says. "It's not just about doing the moves...[but also about] seeing past just the dance moves and into the artistry."
Tickets to Shaping Sound at Chandler Center for the Arts on Friday, June 7 at 8 p.m. can be purchased online. Ticket prices range from $39 to $89 per person. For more information, visit the Shaping Sound website.
