And the Oscar Goes to…the Dancers!

If you were watching the Academy Awards last Sunday, you may have recognized some familiar faces. No, not George Clooney and Kristen Stewart: The “So You Think You Can Dance” alums who lit up the stage during the glamorous opening number and later performed to the music of the Best Original Score nominees! (They shared the stage with The LXD, who you can read about in the April issue of DS.) DS spoke with “SYTYCD” Season 3 contestant Jaimie Goodwin (who danced in the “Score Suite”) about the Oscar experience.

Dance Spirit: How did it feel to dance live for such a huge, international audience?


Jaimie Goodwin: It was the most exhilarating performance I’ve ever done. During rehearsals, we were all relaxed. It wasn’t until that night, when we saw the audience file in and J.Lo, who presented us, waiting backstage, that we realized what was happening.

 

DS: What was it like backstage?

JG: The energy was crazy! We were talking about how amazing it was to be performing for artists like Meryl Streep and Sandra Bullock who were sitting just a few feet away from the stage. And we talked about how blessed and thankful we were to be there.

DS: What was the rehearsal process like?

JG: The schedule was intense. We rehearsed from 10 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday, for three weeks. The most challenging part was combining the two worlds–The LXD and the contemporary dancers. The LXD dancers have a different vocabulary and they’re much more relaxed. It was cool to know that you can get amazing things done and still have that much freedom. It loosened everyone up.

 

DS: Did anything unexpected happen during the show?

JG: You see the stage on TV and it looks immaculate. But because it moved and shifted, there were nails popping up. During tech rehearsal there was blood everywhere! Fortunately, I didn’t get hurt, but it was scary.

DS: What was it like to perform alongside other “SYTYCD” alums, like Kayla Radomski, Jakob Karr, Nick Lazzarini and Channing Cooke?

JG: That was cool–and also kind of weird. I knew most of them from competitions growing up, though we danced at different studios. At one point, we said to each other “Did you ever think we would all be performing together?”

DS: Did you go to any Oscar parties?

JG: Adam Shankman [who produced the Academy Awards show] threw us an after-party at the Roosevelt Hotel right across the street from the Kodak Theater. People were in and out all night. And of course, the dancers ended up improvising in a corner.

DS: What’s up next for you?

JG: Doing the dancer thing–auditioning in L.A. and taking class. I’m also touring with New York City Dance Alliance on the weekends. Jakob Karr and I do that together and it’s a blast.

Photo of Jaimie Goodwin on “So You Think You Can Dance” Season 3 by Kelsey McNeal/Fox.