Marko Panzic Interview & Q&A for Dance Train 2009

Marko Panzic 24

So You Think You Can Dance TOP20 08

WA star Marko Pranzic now 24 years of age began his training with Johnny Young Talent School in Perth. He credits teachers Alison Cottrell and Bernie Bernard for nourishing his passion for dance.

By the age of 17 Marko was already a veteran performer on the Perth Corporate scene looking for something more and a new challenge. He decided to go into business for himself and opened a dance school. After 3 years and over 350 kids enrolled in the school Marko was leaping from one success story to another. It was at this time he heard that his all time idol Janet Jackson was touring Melbourne. And one of Janet’s dancers Teresa Espinosa was conducting workshops.

“I was obsessed with Janet, and I was like Oh, my god, that’s my dream, I’m going to go and take class. I was 19 at the time, and I loved teaching in Perth. I had everything set, finances were great. I could’ve happily lived there probably for the rest of my life.  After the class she (Teresa) came up to me, and she was like, ‘Wow, you should move to America, you know you could work as a professional dancer.’  It was the actual first time that anyone had looked at me and told me it was possible.”

From there Marko headed to LA for a dance class blitz. At 21 years of age with his love and desire to be a dancer renewed he moved to Sydney and began working immediately. Two years on in 2008 he auditioned for So You Think You Can Dance…

Q&A

It was a big leap of faith, a dancer of your talent, auditioning for a new show. How did you cope?

Marko: It was a big risk because I’d built a career on teaching and choreographing, where I was respected by my students and the people I was working for. It was really hard for me, because when it came to Top 100 Week, I shared the room with a lot of my students. Every time I’d go on stage, all I thought was, ‘They’re all watching me. And if I stuff up, it’s all over.’

The most difficult thing is the expectations you place on yourself and the expectations of others watching you.  You have an idea of what you want to look like on TV, but it’s never what you imagine. I chose dancing because it’s non-verbal, I can have an emotion with no-one knowing what’s going on inside of my head. On SYTYCD there’s a camera in my face asking, ‘Tell me how you feel right now?’ it killed me, the pressure was intense.

There is a perception in the industry that you have to ‘make it’ young. What do you think about that?

Marko: I believe the older you are, the wiser you are, and the better and stronger you are, you can give more of yourself to the choreographers because you’ve lived. I believe a great dancer is someone who can show emotion, allow yourself to live a little before jumping into ‘this is what I want to do mode’.

Top 20 in the 08 series of SYTYCD and then you were invited to choreograph for the 09 series, how was it from the choreographer’s angle?

Marko: It’s a completely different show. First series of So You Think was very interesting because we were the first to do it. Everything was very experimental. It was interesting for me to come back in series two and see how much easier the dancers had it this time round, because they knew the game. They watched it last year.

I loved choreographing on the show. It was really difficult. You probably get a solid four hours with them, without cameras around. It was probably more nerve-wracking than being on the show. I’m an interesting choreographer, because I believe you can never be prepared for what you’ve got. I will have bits of choreography set out, but I love to go in and make it more organic and really pull it out from the dancers, and really make it about them.

What advice do you have to other choreographers who are going to experience this for the first time?

Marko: Do you know what, I did it four times, and every time was even worse than the other.  So I don’t even know what the heads-up – I feel like the heads-up would be: Have no expectation; you have to not think about what’s going on around you and what people are saying because you’re getting so much feedback; it all comes down to opinion, and you have to stay strong about your instinct and what you are as an artist.

It’s all about just staying true to yourself.  Because this type of environment can make you conform to doing something you don’t want to do.  And if you’re not strong enough, and if you don’t stick to what you want to do, it will get the best of you.

How do you balance the buzz of SYTYCD?

Marko: I look at it as a gift. If you read my resume, or if you come to a workshop of mine, you’ll know that I’m all about the real art form. I’m all about giving, that’s the best thing as a dancer, as a choreographer, as a teacher, that’s why I love it so much, is that you’re inspiring people and you’re teaching. I think that’s what attracted me to this show, improving the Australian dance scene, improving the way we view dance, making dance better in this country.

My dad was always – he’s European – it’s not a real job. And then this show happened, and I appear on this show. My dad’s the proudest father ever. I believe it’s the longest apprenticeship you’ll ever do.  Because you actually never, never pass.  You’re always continuing to grow, you’re never at the top of your art form.  And I know that, I always know that there’s someone better than you out there, and you have to live off that.  You can’t ever think you’re the best in your game, because that’s when it’ll bite you in the bum, and you lose everything.