INTERVIEW WITH ZAC BRAZENAS

Zac Brazenas is fresh from touring with Kylie Minogue’s Aphrodite tour and is back in Sydney for a few weeks. DanceLife caught up with Zac to talk about the tour, his career to date and that important move from Australia to overseas to live his dream!
You grew up and trained as a dancer in Australia. What made you decide to venture overseas to try your luck as a dancer and how hard was this transition?
I felt I had reached a plateau in Australia, and I had always dreamt of training in America and also wanted to train in ballet, as I never had done before. So I went on a ship to work and save money. Then the LADF convention came to Oz and I went to it with the intension of winning a scholarship to train at the Edge in Hollywood and I did win the scholarship and I also won a flight to LA. I then used that to get there and auditioned for their full time course. And the rest is history! The transition was easier as I had made a lot of contacts and worked with alot of choreographers while I was on scholarship. But 5 classes a day 5-6 days a week for a year while sharing a 2 bedroom Apartment with 5 others and sometimes living off under 5 dollars a day was definitely not easy.
You’ve just completed touring with Kylie Minogue’s Aphrodite tour. What was the audition process like for this gig?
The audition was intense. It was a private call with the best in LA. Tony Testa and Sonya both choreographed a section of “can’t get u out of my head” we learnt both sets and then they put them together and then we started auditioning it was quick and exciting. The energy in the room was intense. They did cuts as we kept running it in groups until they had it down to about 15-20 of us. Shirts off was the next step with freestyle after every run thru of the chorey. Then we had to do our own walk across the room one at a time. They wanted to see our personalities! After that we were put on tape and asked our special skills. And then we waited weeks to find out who made the cut – arghh it never gets easier! Lol
Having danced for a number of international artists since your move what has been the key to your success and continualemployment?
Being versatile, keeping in shape, being no drama on a job, work your ass off and have goals.
What advice would you give to an Aussie dancer wanting to make the move to London?
London not sure but LA I’d say be prepared! Visa’s are expensive and not easy to get. Ask people who have done it. Go there on a vacation and do tons of classes. Make friends and connections. Speak to an agent or 2 and be patient. It took me a couple of years to start booking the big artists.
Tell us about the moment when you thought to yourself “I’m absolutely living my dream right now”?
There have been a few. When I was on scholarship In Studio E I use to look out the window and see the Hollywood sign and I’d think it then. Another time when I booked my first world tourwith Celine Dion. And another performing on NYE with J Lo in Times Square NYC.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
In five years Ill probably be a yoga teacher back in Sydney!
Zac is represented by Jeep Management
www.jeepmanagement.com