As one of the hottest shows on TV starts to heat up, Woman’s Day chatted to Ilona one of the first two contestants to leave the So You Think You Can Dance top 20.
After the show, she went home and made bacon and eggs and relaxed with her husband.
Are you happy with how far you went in the competition?
Yes, very happy, though I would have liked to have gone further. I would have like to have tried ballroom. I plan to keep dancing.
What do you think was your weakness during the competition?
At the start of the competition my confidence was probably my biggest weakness. I was the only girl in the top 20 who didn’t have full-time, formal training. I’m happy I did hip-hop and got a chance to mix it with the other, more technical styles.
How did you find the judges? Was their criticism useful?
Yes, I found some comments really useful, although I didn’t always agree with what they said. I personally loved our routine. There are a huge number of people who watch the show who don’t have any dancing experience and they tend to rely heavily on what the judges say about a routine. Unfortunately judging is very subjective and has a lot to do with personal taste, so they might not always like some of the more artistic pieces.
How will you remember your experience?
There’s just so much to remember! I loved the showcase week, it was so much fun. I really enjoyed connecting with the other amazing dancers. I got a chance to try styles I hadn’t tried before, like partner dancing. Even if it wasn’t all shown on TV, I learnt so much.
What was the highlight?
Definitely Matt Lee’s choreography. The jazz routine he put together for the top 10 girls was so much fun — there was so much female energy. I just loved the high heels and the high kicks. The crowd was also really amazing. It was a real boost to perform in front of such an enthusiastic crowd.
What are your plans?
I’m really getting straight back into the swing of things. I’m teaching dance full time. I also plan to travel to some smaller communities around the country and bring them some help with hip-hop dancing. I’d also really like to work on my choreography, but mostly I want to focus on performance and doing as much as I can.
You were the oldest of the girls in the top 20. Do you feel you best dancing is to come? Are you still looking to improve?
Definitely. I only started dancing at 24 and I haven’t had any full-time training, so I still feel like I’m just starting out. There’s so much more to learn and I really plan to keep going with it.
There’s obviously a lot of talent on the show this year. Who is your tip to win the competition?
There are a few standouts. I have a feeling it’s going to be one of the guys who wins it this year. I think Robbie and Nick are really versatile so they’ll probably go far. Also, Doug seems to already have a lot of fans, which will help him. But if I had to pick one I think Nick stands out the most.
Do you have any words of advice for any upcoming dancers?
Train and work hard in all different styles. Specialise in a style, but don’t limit yourself to it. Go for every audition — you might have to get used to rejection but the experience is invaluable. I also think that mental preparation before a performance is just as important as physical preparation. You really need to focus if you want to perform well.
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