You Can Dance...For Madonna!
Always one to exert her blond ambition, Madonna is on the hunt for the next best thing to back her up...on an international scale. Madge seeks a dancer to fill the ranks of her backup troupe for her upcoming 2012 summer tour. The Queen of Pop has joined forces with Smirnoff Vodka and launched a talent search entitled the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project, which has so far yielded hundreds of hopeful online submissions. After months of searching, the finalist compete in an event on Saturday, November 12 at New York's Roseland Ballroom.
The dancers - 11 finalists are from all corners of the world from as close as New York City and LA, and as far as Belgium and The Netherlands - arrived in New York City on Sunday and were set to task. Madonna's lead dancer Shay Normannhas been ordered by Madonna to turn these young upstarts into a dance-worthy ensemble.
"The chemistry between all of them is amazing," shared Shay Normann with EDGE. He's performed with Madonna on tour and choreographed several of her recent videos. Normann shares the artist's unique philosophy that the dancers enhance the palette of the stage as a canvas. "It takes some people months - and they've done it in 5 days. They've become one...all for her."
Normann put the group through the rigors of an explosive opening number, and at the center of it all will be none other than Madonna herself. "The diversity here amazing. Everyone is amazing with their unique style and they keep learning." Shay appeared eager to continue to test the limits of the talented team, many of whom are in New York City for the first time.
Give It Their All...
"You can't really describe it," the soft-spoken yet impressively present Alain Lauture (aka Hurrikane) said about this chance to work with Madonna. "We get to travel with one of the greatest artist and do what we love...and people enjoy it. It's never too late to follow your dream...here I am."
Among the impressive female competitors, Samara Cohen/Princess Lockeroo offers an unparalleled athletic strength in her dancing. She's got a gorgeously savage yet gentile appeal. "Everyone of us has a particular style that we do," she gushed. "The girls here are amazing and we can go as all out as the guys." To back up an artist as big as Madonna would be an amazing gift, Cohen says. "I'm ready to bring it. Just to see how Madonna works."
"I go full out to keep myself motivated," reported 'Lil Buck (aka Charles Riley). The baby-faced Memphis born native demonstrates a fierce prowess on the dance floor, yet an unabashed admiration towards his competitors. "Outside of the performance arena we're all friends. Everybody's cool." Riley is focused on proven himself an outstanding contender. "This doesn't happen to people where I am from. They'll say: if he can do it, I can do it."
And everyone had a favorite song of Madonna's that they would want to perform given the chance to work with the icon. From newer hits like "Hung Up" and "4 Minutes" to signature songs like "La Isla Bonita" and "Frozen" they all agree this is a life changing opportunity.
How Madonna will pick just one to join her on the road remains to be seen, but Shay does grimace at the decision in front of her. "I wouldn't be surprised if Madonna whispered in my ear and said...I'll take them all," Normann says proudly. "They are all hard workers and this is what Madonna is looking for - bad ass dancers!"
Madonna's Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project is set to launch on Saturday, November 12 in the heart of Midtown Manhattan's legendary Roseland Ballroom on 239 West 52nd Street.