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The Bakersfield Californian Thursday, October 27, 2011
Eye Street Editor Jennifer Self | Phone 395-7434 | e-mail jself@bakersfield.com
Index Halloween events .................................... 23 Parade of Ponds ...................................... 24 Arts Alive .................................................. 26 McDonald’s singer .................................. 27 The Lowdown with Matt Munoz.............. 28 Scott Cox .................................................. 29 Bakersfield Celtic Music Festival .......... 33 Calendar .............................................. 35-37
Free up your dance card Local finalist on Fox dance show to perform BY MATT MUNOZ Bakotopia.com editor mmunoz@bakersfield.com
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fter reaching the finals of “So You Think You Can Dance?,” Bakersfield dancer Sasha Mallory is eager to say thank you to the local fans who helped get her there in the most expressive way she knows how: through dance. Mallory will join the other top 10 finalists from season eight of the Fox competition at the Rabobank on Tuesday. In a phone conversation before a tour stop in New Orleans, Mallory, despite being exhausted from the relentless dancing, wanted to make sure her local fans knew how appreciative she still is. “The reaction from people was so awesome,” she said during a phone interview before a tour stop in New Orleans. “I just couldn’t believe it. I’m so thankful for all the support.” It’s been a whirlwind of a year for the 23-year-old, who became a show favorite after wowing judges with her athletic grace and charm. Originally joined at the auditions by her sister, Natalia, she continued alone in the competition, rising through the ranks to become the show’s runner-up. Mallory’s popularity was given a boost thanks to a ‘Team Sasha’ campaign led by family and online supporters, some of whom reached all the way to Trinidad, where much of her family resides. Preferring to avoid getting caught up in the hype, the spiky-haired dancer with the bright smile said she intentionally steered clear of the press and Internet in order to stay focused. “I can’t believe how big it got and how many people wanna know more about me. I’m just this goofy person. I just handle myself and go with the flow. I’m not really an online person, so when I saw the ‘Vote For Sasha’ posts, I couldn’t believe it. Apparently people liked the way I dance, which is kinda cool.” On the show, Mallory and the other contestants were paired to perform pieces choreo-
graphed by some of the biggest names in professional dance during the weekly two-hour performance shows. Following each episode, viewers were able to vote for their favorite dancers. Eliminations were announced the following night. The grueling pace continued until the announcement of the final four: Mallory, Marko Germar, Tadd Gadduang and Melanie Moore, who would win the competition. Recalling that final moment, Mallory described herself as more relieved than disappointed over the results. “I was just so thankful. It could have gone either way and I would have had the same feelings because of how much I learned and the friendships and memories I made —so many connections, too.” But despite Mallory’s joy, there was no time to savor the experience. Rehearsals for the 32-date tour began immediately following the August finale. “After I saw myself on a billboard, it just freaked me out,” she said. “I’ve never been the center of attention before. The show that we’re doing right now is full-on dance from beginning to end. There’s one break between the first and second half. People seem to enjoy the show a lot. It’s just fun to see the crowd reactions to what we put together. Our bodies are just dying from all the rehearsing and work, but we’re having a blast.” Following the completion of the tour, Mallory said she plans to move to Los Angeles to work with an agent. “I have a few teaching jobs lined up, and I’m going to be choreographing and teaching on faculties of competitions and convention-type deals — just kind of traveling and doing that. I’d also like to take some acting classes and get into acting.” Mallory added that she’s having a hard time containing her excitement for Tuesday’s show and looks forward to seeing all her family and friends again. “I’m so excited to perform in Bakersfield and I hope everyone can go. Please just cram into the arena. I just wanna dance in front of you. I cannot wait for the show.”
JEFF SINER / CHARLOTTE OBSERVER
Sasha Mallory and Jess LeProtto perform during the “So You Think You Can Dance Tour 2011” at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, N.C., in September.
‘So You Think You Can Dance Live’ When: 7 p.m. Tuesday Where: Rabobank Arena, 1001 Truxtun Ave.
Tickets: $37 to $57 Information: 852-7777 or ticketmaster.com