"OMG I miss Salsa so much!"
"I want to say 'Hi' to all the Salseros and Salseras, especially those in Toronto!" Romina exclaimed as she took a few moments from an outrageously jampacked day to share her feelings and experience as a member and competitor of CTV's So You Think You Can Dance Canada (SYTYCD-Canada) show and competition.
Romina's entire being is her art, whether it is dance, voice or acting, whether it is the stage or the set, her art is her life.
Romina has spent her life learning the different languages of dance. Starting with one year of ballet when she was nine years old, Romina continued with Jazz and Tap until she was 17. The urban scene caught her as she started working with hip-hop at 15. Voice and acting lessons developed her presence on a stage or a dance floor. Auditioning for film exposed Romina to other genres, and learning the choreography of those genres was essential to win a role.
Success came with a dancing part in How She Moved where Romina learned stepdancing, yet another genre or language of dance. "I take it and I work it and I mimic the style to learn it," she baldly says when faced with unknown choreography, a SYTYCD-Canada signature.
While most people would run from the unknown; challenge and fear, yes, fear drives Romina to master that new situation and to soar as she continues,
"Whenever I feel fear, I am driven to expose myself to what I fear and I challenge myself."
Throughout 2008, Romina was working with acting parts and teaching dance on the side. That was to change.
Romina's life and her stomach flipped when she heard about the SYTYCD-Canada audition. "I felt fear and butterflies in my stomach!" Romina exclaimed breathlessly.
Romina knew she had to be there." I wanted to challenge myself and grow professionally."
While indeed SYTYCD-Canada is a competition, it is a show where the competitors are cast members working together as a team doing their absolute best while producing a first class professional show.
"It's a show. We're the cast," Romina emphasises. "Yes, there is one winner, but we're working, getting better, we're learning that much more. We provide each other with a positive atmosphere and it comes back."
Romina continues, "We will leave that much more professional... more accomplished."
SYTYCD-Canada is indeed a total experience as Romina says, "I[we] are learning about our limits and hidden talents we never knew we had. We're being helped in all aspects; life, the business, and dance. It is transforming!"
Early morning calls and long days are the norm. And that long day is only getting started after the official 6:00pm. wrap. "We rehearse and work and work and work," Romina says as she knows she has to get it right, working through the night to get that figure or move or pattern working.
SYTYCD-Canada is hard work too, but for a dancer it is rewarding despite pain. "It is physically exhausting and painful. With so many [dance] genres, it hurts differently for each one," Romina says.
"Oh! I worked the muscle *this* way!" Romina exclaims.
Yet Romina says, "And it is *so* rewarding!"
Having access to massage therapists helps keep the body in tune, but, keeping the mind grounded is absolutely necessary for success in a very intense environment.
"I make it my personal duty to meditate. It helps to filter out negativity and the stress of doing the show. It keeps me focussed and happy," Romina says.
While the uncertainty of elimination looms over all of them, Romina has not broken stride.
"You never know who will be bottom three. I go in thinking I'm dancing for my life and for the opportunity to dance with all my heart!" Romina exclaims, her eyes shining with passion, if one could see through the phone.
While SYTYCD-Canada may have Romina's heart and body, Salsa has her soul.
Romina became very quiet when told of the Facebook group the Toronto salseros dedicated to her SYTYCD-Canada run with links and information for voting.
"I miss going out there, learning new things. I have so much admiration for the scene."
"I only danced salsa for 30 seconds [for the Dance for Your Life], not enough," Romina sighs.
But, like a true salsera, Romina found a way to get her fix.
"I got away. I played hooky for one night for about an hour and a half. It was a Tuesday. I went to Ba Ba Luu, but they were all at Six Degrees!" She groaned.
Editor's Note:
Facebookers can support Romina at the link below.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=29404037426
Air Dates for SYTYCD Canada
Top 18 Results Show
Thursday October 16th 2008 @ 7:30pm.
Top 16 Performance Show
Wednesday October 22nd 2008 @ 7:30pm.
Top 16 Results Show
Thursday October 23rd 2008 @ 7:30pm.
Top 14 Performance Show
Wednesday October 29th 2008 @ 7:30pm.
Top 14 Results Show
Thursday October 30th 2008 @ 7:30pm.
Top 12 Performance Show
Wednesday November 5th 2008 @ 7:30pm.
Top 12 Results Show
Thursday November 6th 2008 @ 7:30pm.
Top 10 Performance Show
Wednesday November 12th 2008 @ 8:00pm.
Top 10 Results Show
Thursday November 13th 2008 @ 7:30pm.
Top 8 Performance Show
Wednesday November 19th 2008 @ 8:00pm.
Top 8 Results Show
Thursday November 20th 2008 @ 7:30pm.
Top 6 Performance Show
Wednesday November 26th 2008 @ 8:00pm.
Top 6 Results Show
Thursday November 27th 2008 @ 7:30pm.
Top 4 Performance Show
Wednesday December 3rd 2008 @ 8:00pm.
Finale
Thursday December 4th 2008 @ TBA.
Tape Dates for SYTYCD Canada
Limited Tix available through CTV's link:
http://www.ctv.ca/mini/dance2008/tickets.html
Top 18 Results Show
Thursday October 16th 2008 @ 6:30pm.
Top 16 Performance Show
Monday October 20th 2008 @ 6:00pm.
Top 16 Results Show
Thursday October 23rd 2008 @ 6:30pm.
Top 14 Performance Show
Monday October 27th 2008 @ 6:00pm.
Top 14 Results Show
Thursday October 30th 2008 @ 6:30pm.
Top 12 Performance Show
Monday October 27th 2008 @ 6:00pm.
Top 12 Results Show
Thursday November 6th 2008 @ 6:30pm.
Top 10 Performance Show
Monday November 10th 2008 @ 6:00pm.
Top 10 Results Show
Thursday November 13th 2008 @ 6:30pm.
Top 8 Performance Show
Monday November 17th 2008 @ 6:00pm.
Top 8 Results Show
Thursday November 20th 2008 @ 6:30pm.
Top 6 Performance Show
Monday November 24th 2008 @ 6:00pm.
Top 6 Results Show
Thursday November 27th 2008 @ 6:30pm.
Top 4 Performance Show
Monday December 1st 2008 @ 6:00pm.
Top 4 Results show (Finale)
Thursday December 4th 2008 @ Time TBA.