CELEBRATION OF DANCE GALA BENEFITS THE DIZZY FEET FOUNDATION
Photo Credit, Getty Images
On Saturday, July 27, familiar faces from the dance world gathered in Los Angeles to celebrate National Dance Day at the Music Center. The day culminated in the 3rd Annual Celebration of Dance Gala, a fundraiser for the Dizzy Feet Foundation created by So You Think You Can Dance producer Nigel Lythgoe.
It was an evening to honor the best in dance as well as raising money to give kids the opportunity to experience such a joyous art form. Press Pass LA was there on the red carpet to talk to television’s favorite dance stars and the importance of giving back.
Lythgoe walked the red carpet with frequent guest host Christina Applegate. When we asked him when he was going to name the Anchorman 2 star a permanent judge on the Fox show, he said, “Scheduling problems with Christina prevent it from happening.” However, Applegate joking referenced the real issue by pantomiming the fact that it was a money issue that was keeping her off the show. That humorous exchange left the two of them in a fit of laughter.
A few other familiar faces from SYTYCD gave us the inside scoop on who they wanted to work with from the Season 10 cast. Choreographer Stacey Tookey told us, “I had a little snippet of Makenzie in the first week and I want to get my hands on her in a duet. She’s so talented. Also, Amy, Jenna. I just want to dig in and get my hands on all of them.”
Judge Mary Murphy revealed what surprised her the most after a decade on the show. “Definitely what surprises me is a lot of the guest judges we are having. It’s been a lot of fun for me. You never know who you are going to get,” said the Hot Tamale Train. While she praised Wayne Brady and Christina Applegate, Murphy only laughed when the name Carly Rae Jepsen was mentioned. Jepsen was a rather awkward host who was out of her element on the July 23 show.
Fan favorite tWitch went from a former contestant and All-Star dancer to an audition round judge this year. He commented on what that experience was like for him. He said, “It was actually pretty awesome. I was very nervous about it first. I’ve been in that situation before. It was very exciting. I feel like I’ve had in my hand in shaping Season 10.”
Even with everyone sharing their enthusiasm about Season 10 for the dance competition show, no one was forgetting what the night was all about. Dancing With the Stars pro Sharna shared why participation in the Dizzy Feet Gala was so important to her. She said, “Nigel Lythgoe is such an incredible presence for us and what he has done for dance. Anybody who is involved in this industry and cares about it is here tonight.”
Former contestant and current choreographer Travis Wall added, “What they [Dizzy Feet] do for dance is amazing and the inner city kids and dance programs that they’ve started, it’s really great. It’s helping people achieve something.”
However, it was choreographer Christopher Scott who summed it up the best, “[Dizzy Feet Gala] is the most important thing we do [as dancers] all year.”
