Over the years dance has become one of my main topics of interest, especially with the rising popularity of shows such as So You Think You Can Dance, America’s Best Dance Crew, Dancing with the Stars and Triple Sensation. Although I am not dancer myself ( but I shall be taking classes in the new year) I truly have come to appreciate the art of dance, the amazing creativity of every dancer, and the dedication and hard work it takes to be one. These shows have raised the platform for dancers and have made people come to understand their work. Many young dancers from across the country have gone out to audition for So You Think You Can Dance Canada, in the hopes of making it to the Top 20 and beyond to learn and be taught by brilliant choreographers, and mentored by skillful judges.
Some of my favorite types of dances to watch specifically in the auditions are the raw street styles like b-boying, popping locking, and krumping because they’re different, fun and a refreshing change from the typical contemporary and ballroom pieces often shown.
I was fortunate enough to be able to sit down and chat with former SYTYCD contestant Miles Faber who was part of the top four of So You Think You Can Dance season one. Being a dedicated watcher of season SYTYCD, I loved almost every single routine on the show, and found Miles’ commitment and strength to mastering all types of dances thrown his way, to be really inspirational. Miles took some time off of his busy tour across Canada to answer some questions about his start in the dance industry, how his career has changed since the show, and what So You Think You Can Dance means for dancers.
AD: Who, if anyone, inspired you to become a dancer?
MF: I started dancing because of this girl name Tara Wilson, who I started dancing with in Calgary. She started teaching me and introducing me to popping, b-boying and hip hop. Then when I saw the crew called the Electric Boogaloos, that was it. They’re the creators and founders of popping,which started in Fresno California in 1976 and Boogaloo Sam or Sam Solomon is the creator. He created this group called the Electric Boogaloos; they came and taught in Calgary in a workshop. I had been b-boying all the time but when they came I started getting into popping.
AD: And that was in high school?
MF: Yea, I think that was in grade eleven, Seems like a long time ago now [laughs]
AD: Was it nerv-racking or intimidating when you started teaching your own workshops with Alive Dance Works?
MF: The thing about Alive was when I started teaching there I was sixteen, she [Tara] saw me just doing my own thing and she was like “Wow , you have to come and teach”, and I said “Well I’ve never taught before”. There was this lady named Jen Therogood who was the director of Alive, she took me under her wing and taught me everything to know about teaching. My dads a music teacher and I played drums so I learned a lot about teaching from him too, but as far as teaching a dance class and the structure of it, I learned a lot from her. She taught me the ropes and then I started teaching. It was crazy I was teaching people who were older than me and it was really weird. [Laughs]
AD: That’s great, you were so young! But was there ever a moment or moments of doubt or regret when you started in the dance industry?
MF: For Sure in Calgary, because it’s really small and your potential for growth is only so large so at one point a found myself at a standstill and then I made the decision to move to Toronto which was about two years ago. I just wanted to see what I could do and learn and I knew it would push me to get out of my comfort zone. It was kind of like big fish small pond, I was in the scene but the scene was only so big, so when I moved out here it opened my eyes to everything. At first I was like “Everyone is so much better than me” and you go through all that but you have to keep going because if you keep doing it you grow and you learn from it, if not, not so much.
AD: Why do you think the response towards dance has changed so much over the years?
MF: I think the show, So You Think You Can Dance has a huge impact on that. It’s bringing dance into the mainstream, into the main culture. Bringing it onto TV raises the respect, kind of on the totem pole, it’s like actors, singers, musicians and dancers went up a bunch of notches because of this show. It makes dancers like stars and we’re used to being in the background
AD: For sure, and people really appreciate it more. So for any dancer I think Micheal Jackson has had a huge influence in them. Was their a particular video of his that really impacted you?
MF: Hmm which one had the biggest? I mean Micheal was huge, like you said for every dancer. The people I actually learned from, the Electric Boogaloos actually taught Micheal, so as soon as I found that out I was like Wow! I just skipped right to the source. Everything Micheal was about , all his dancing, his videos , his voice was all inspiration to every dancer and artist in general. So I don’t know if there was one that stood out for me, I think it was all brilliant, the guy was insane.
AD: So on stages like shows like So You Think you Can Dance there are constantly different genres of dance being performed like Tap, House, and Vogueing , What do you expect so see more off in the future?
MF: They will probably start to integrate more urban styles, like they have already like they integrated House. Hopefully they will start getting into the funk styles which is Popping and locking but those are hard to do, much like Tap You can’t just take a dancer who has never done Tap before and give them a Tap Routine.
AD: Do you think you’ll see more B-Boying?
MF: I hope so, I’d love to but b-boys have a different type of mentality, b-boys are very one track minded, they don’t really care about the other types of dances. b-boying is a whole culture it’s a whole way of life so people just follow it and follow that path, they want to be a b-boy and that’s how they want to live. So a lot of b-boys won’t want to go on that show, they won’t want to be bold, They’re scared of it and they’ll say “I don’t care about that” but it’s just cause they’re scared and they don’t think they can do it. So I hope so, I hope more will come out, and I hope that eventually a routine will get on the show.
AD: So what opportunities have opened up for you since the show?
MF: It’s been non-stop. I just shot a MTV movie called “Turn the Beat Around” I’ve been teaching across the country. Right now I’m planning a tour overseas and hopeful get to Japan too.
AD: What have you gained from traveling across Canada and teaching young dancers from all over the country?
MF: I love Canada and a lot of people want to go to the states but Canada has a lot to offer. I’ve never been to the east coast before and I just went to St. Johns and flying over it was beautiful it looked like Scotland, so being able to see all of Canada makes you appreciate it more. A lot of the Canadian dancers around the country are really hungry and they want to learn. It’s a cool community to be apart of because Canada’s so big and their so many dancers and they all want to learn. You go out there and they treat you really nicely and they give you all their respect, I learned how to be a better teacher, how to be a better person, communicate better with everyone and the more you teach the more you learn too, so I’ve been learning more about my dance in the class triple time.
AD: What have you learned from being in this industry for so long that you’d like to share with dancers who are just starting?
MF: I think it’s a really important thing to be yourself and try not to change the way you think because of what people are looking for and think about what you should be like because if you’re yourself and you’re your own person, your own character, you’ll stand out more. It’s not only how you act or your dance, stay true to yourself stay humble because they’re will always be someone better than you, in everything and that’s just the way it is
AD:: Over confidence can really get to a person
MF: Exactly so be confident but don’t be cocky, and be humble.
AD: Great advice
Interested in taking a workshop taught by Miles? Visit www.milesmoves.com
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