By Kristy Johnson
She was our favourite ballerina on the hit series So You Think You Can Dance, and now Talia is proving that she has much to offer off the small screen also. Dance Informa caught up with Talia to hear what she’s up to next.
What have you been doing since FAME?
FAME finished the end of November, so I had a little time off to see my family. It’s been a bit of a whirlwind. I’ve been living out of a suitcase really ever since the TV show started. So it was great to spend time with family. I’ve been knuckling down and getting back into my classical training and just spending hours and hours working on really finding that again. Doing commercial work and a musical it’s been really hard to find enough time to train throughout the day. It’s something you have to find time to do by yourself.
How have you found training with Queensland Ballet Company?
I’ve been going round different places in Queensland, and also doing classes with the Queensland Ballet Company, which is where I grew up basically. They said ‘you’re very welcome to come in and do classes with us’, training wise. Queensland Ballet Company has always been like that with class members. They’re very close. They’re like my family.
I’ve heard that you now have a position with LINES Ballet in the US!
Yes! That’s starting in September. I’m very excited to be making the move and getting back to the company lifestyle. I’ve really missed it.
Have you been to San Francisco before?
I have. I spent quite a few weeks there in 2009. When I went over to perform on the US So You Think You Can Dance, LINES was the one company that I really wanted to be a part of. I spent a few weeks there letting them see me and then I did an audition for them.
What do you hope to gain from being in the company?
I think one of the main reasons I really looked at LINES is because of what the dancers get to create under the influence of Alonzo King. He’s an amazing choreographer and I really want to be able to push my technique and even push my improvisation skills to a new level. I want to be able to work with different choreographers, and really find what works on my body well. He’s a very creative man, so I’m really looking forward to being able to make new pieces with them over there. At the same time I want to learn what I can do with my body as well, because I think it’s something that I feel I can improve a lot more on and I’m still only young. I still want to keep pushing my technique to the next level. I want to be able to come back and kind of look like a completely different dancer. I want to up my notch and push myself even further.
Is ballet where you would like to focus all your efforts?
I really enjoyed doing a musical a lot, and I think that’s something that will be further down in my career path. For the moment I know from what I’ve done, that where my heart really lies is within the company world. I’m looking to find a company that is very classically influenced but I also need that contemporary edge, like with companies along the lines of Sydney Dance Company and LINES. They’re companies that are very classically based but really push their dancers to different levels and are not always just performing repertoire. That’s where I really want to stay definitely for the next long while. While I’m still young enough and while my body is still able to do it.
What advice would you give to other Aussie dancers who would love to follow your career path and become a professional Ballet dancer overseas?
It’s such a tough process. Especially since being in Australia we’re so far away. I was lucky enough to have a trip over there organised for me. I think it’s always best to be able to go over and audition in person so they can get to know you as a person and not just as a dancer on a video. I just did it the normal way. I have spoken to other people who have done it. I sent information to LINES on who I am, why I was over in the US and that I would love to be a part of their company etc, etc. So I went over there and I spent about two weeks doing class every morning and just showing them my improvement. For me it’s always important to be there in person and a one-on-one audition is definitely what you’re always hoping to be able to get.
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