The Dirt: Travis Wall

March 8, 2010

It’s crazy to think that it’s been four years since former comp kid Travis Wall first pirouetted onto the scene on “So You Think You Can Dance” Season

2. While he didn’t take the title (it went to West Coast Swing dancer Benji Schwimmer), Wall has become one of the show’s best-known success stories—not only as a dancer, but as a choreographer, too.

 

Growing up training at his mother’s studio, Denise Wall’s Dance Energy, in Virginia Beach, VA, Wall was no stranger to performing. As a kid, he was a regular on the competition circuit, where he took regional and national titles. But now he’s focusing on choreographing, setting pieces on competition and convention dancers as well as professionals. Wall made his choreographic debut during Season 5 of “SYTYCD” with his memorable contemporary piece (to Jason Mraz’s “If It Kills Me”) for Jeanine Mason and Jason Glover. He returned four times throughout Season 6, proving to America that his movement can vary between delicate and hard-hitting, tender and intense. Since then, the 22-year-old has danced at and helped choreograph the Academy Awards, and is quickly becoming one of the most in-demand dancers and choreographers around. We’re predicting that an Emmy nomination isn’t far off for this multitalented dance man. 

 

Performer you would drop everything to go see:
BEYONCÉ SHE IS EVERYTHING!

One thing most people don’t know about you:
I used to be in a boy band. What a mess!

If you weren’t a dancer/choreographer, what would you be?
A fashion designer

If you could work with any performer, past or present, who would it be?
BEYONCÉ ! I would also love to create a visual show set to all Jason Mraz music.

Favorite dancers of all time:
I’m gonna go with recent dancers: Wade Robson, Nick Bass, Misha Gabriel, Tony Testa, Ivan Koumaev, Jaimie Goodwin and Taja Riley.

 

 

 

Photo of Travis Wall teaching at NYC’s Broadway Dance Center by April Cook