You may recognize the Emmy nominated, Canadian choreographer Stacey Tookey’s work from the popular dance show, SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE. However, lately Stacey has been busy critiquing dances on Canada’s new favourite dance series, THE NEXT STEP, which airs on Family Channel.
It’s finally time for the big regional dance competition, and oh my dance – are the stakes ever high! Michelle (Victoria Baldesarra), Eldon (Isaac Lupien), Riley (Brittany Raymond) and the rest of the A-Troupe dancers have been preparing for months and although they have encountered many obstacles along their journey, this is their biggest challenge yet. All of the excitement and drama that takes place during the Regional competition makes up a four-part series finale which begins Friday, December 13 at 7 p.m. EST and guest stars Stacey Tookey as one of the competition’s commentators.
THE MAGAZINE caught up with Stacey to talk about her role on THE NEXT STEP, growing up in the dance scene and getting nominated for an Emmy Award.
Can you tell us about your role on THE NEXT STEP?
I was hired to play myself as a judge / commentator at the final regional competition. It’s what the entire season has been leading up to. It’s a big deal. It was interesting because I was playing myself so I was very comfortable in the fact that I’m talking about dance and critiquing dance. I do that all the time. On the flip side, I realized as a dancer I’m very fidgety. I kept wanting to move and dance with them. It was really a fun role for me to take on – an acting role instead of a dancing role on TV.
Do you think THE NEXT STEP gives an actual portrayal of some of the drama that happens at dance studios?
Absolutely! I grew up in a dance studio. My mom still owns a dance studio – she’s in her 44th year. I grew up in that whole scene – competing, being a part of a team, and having other teams that are going up against you and the jealousy and sportsmanship and everything that goes along with it. I think that THE NEXT STEP does a really good job of portraying that and giving a little bit of insight into the whole competitive world.
Dance shows have created a renewed interest in dance. What else do you think they do for dancers and dance in general?
These dance shows have shone a new light on dance so the interest and popularity is so much more than it used to be. I think the biggest thing dance gives you is self-confidence and a place where you can be yourself. It’s okay if you look a little bit different than the next person. It’s a way to express yourself and there’s a freedom in artistry that there’s not in just being a teenager on the street. I think for that it’s a positive role model to have on television. Kids can reach out to dance and go, “Hey, I’d like to try that and feel good about myself.”
You’ve choreographed for many talented artists such as Christina Perri, and also for the dancers on SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE. What sparked your interest in dancing?
My mom has a studio so I started dancing at two and a half. I was probably about eight years old when I turned to my mom and I said, “I want to be a professional dancer.” I don’t know if that was just because I was always around it or that I just loved it, but from eight years old on I never wanted to do anything else. I just feel very blessed that I get to do it every day.
Choreography tells a story. What do you think makes for an incredible and memorable dance?
I think that you have to make the audience feel something. That’s my goal when I choreograph, whether it’s happiness, sadness, loneliness or despair. You have to make the audience feel something or you haven’t done your job. Dance is telling a story, so if you tell it properly then people will remember it.
Do you plan out the steps in advance or make them up as you work with the dancers? Is it the music or the moves that come first?
Ninety-nine per cent of the time, it’s the music. I’m always inspired by music. I don’t make up the moves before I get in the room because I feel like the dancers have a lot to do with it. I feel like you’re kind of robbing yourself if you pre-plan everything. There’s a beauty in what happens on the spot during improv. Sometimes the greatest things are mistakes. I always have a concept and an idea of where I want to start and finish. With that being said, I always start in the middle with my dancers and see if that maybe changes my mind a bit.
You’ve worked with several SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE dancers outside of the show. The Canadian version’s season 4 winner, Jordan Clark, is on THE NEXT STEP and you also recently worked with Kathryn McCormick, who was on the US version, for a music video. What’s it like seeing people you’ve taught grow and become great dancers?
I feel like a proud mom when I watch these dancers come off SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE and have huge careers in the industry. It’s a great show when it’s used as a springboard to launch these dancers’ careers into places that wouldn’t have maybe happened otherwise. When you get people like Jordan Clark, Kathryn McCormick and the dancers that are really, really talented, they get the exposure and then bam! They’re on TV shows, they’re in movies and I think it’s because of the show they have these huge head-starts. It’s a great thing that the show is doing for dance. It makes me super proud and I continue to hire dancers off of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE because they are some of the most extraordinary.
On the flip side, I think there are a lot of dancers that come off the show with the wrong attitude. Sometimes they get addicted to the mini-fame that comes along with the show and they don’t work hard. When you get off the show, you might be ahead of people but you cannot stop growing, you cannot stop taking classes and getting yourself out there.
Why do you think shows like THE NEXT STEP and SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE are so popular?
I think it’s dance right now! It’s really popular. It’s on television, people enjoy it and it makes people feel good. THE NEXT STEP is more about teen dance competitions and SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE is more of an individual thing, but these dancers have to fight for what they get. I think that’s really inspiring to watch. People like to watch others accomplish things and make mistakes as well, because we’re humans. In both those shows, dancers make mistakes and it’s okay, but what they actually achieve in a very short amount of time is exceptional.
Dance-wise, who would you love to work with that you haven’t had a chance to already?
A dancer and friend who I would love to work with would be Twitch!
Do you have any dance idols?
I grew up worshiping Karen Kain. She’s extraordinary. I like a lot of the old generation of dancers – Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse – who paved the way for dance early on. I think that classic kind of dancer is so phenomenal – they can sing, dance and act.
Besides music, what inspires you?
Life! Sometimes I’ll see a picture, a commercial, a movie, a scene on the street, two people, a specific moment in time. I think the biggest thing is just being open to it. You can have your blinders on and not see a lot of things, but if you’re just open to take in everything around you I think that’s when the inspiration comes.
Congratulations on your Emmy nominations! What’s it really like to get a call saying you’re nominated for an Emmy Award?
The first year, I didn’t believe it. I thought it was a joke. I was like, “Who’s pranking me? What’s happening?” Of course, it’s extraordinary and like nothing else. I love what I do so to get acknowledged at that level along with artists that I completely look up to, there’s really nothing like it. It’s a huge sense of pride.
Shows like THE NEXT STEP give hope to young dancers. What piece of advice would you give to someone who has dreams of pursuing dance?
If you want to pursue dance, you need to make sure that you are dedicated, determined and willing to take the good with the bad. There’s a lot of rejection in dance and that can be really hard to take, so surround yourself with really good people. If you know deep down inside that you have to dance, then there is a place for you. You just have to keep working to find it.
Thank you, Stacey! Catch the epic season finale of THE NEXT STEP, guest starring Stacey Tookey, Friday, January 3 at 7 p.m. EST on Family Channel!