“So You Think You Can Dance,” the Emmy award-winning show that’s turned us all into dance enthusiasts, is taking its stars from television sets to the stage as part of their new tour.
The top 10 finalists from season 14 and two of the show’s all-stars are coming to Boston’s Orpheum Theatre on Oct. 13 to perform their routines live. This weekend’s show won’t be the first time season 14 winner Lex Ishimoto has performed in the Hub, as he previously trained with Boston Ballet’s second company.
We caught up with Ishimoto to chat about coming back to town, the new tour and more.
What can fans expect from this upcoming show?
They can definitely expect to see some of the more popular routines from the show, but there will also be some new routines that fans have never seen. I can’t give too much away—you’ll have to get a ticket to see.
You recently trained with Boston Ballet’s second company. What was that experience like?
It was absolutely amazing. I spent around two years with them. They have one of the best programs in the world right now. Having that training and having that professionalism built into me by Boston Ballet was great. I feel like I did a lot with those skills. Once you have ballet training, you can do anything and they really did motivate me.
I love Boston in general. I love the city’s energy. I feel like the city itself has so much love for the arts. I performed at the Boston Opera House a few times, so I’m really excited to return [to Boston] and have a good show.
What were some of your favorite places to check out in Boston?
I love shopping, so Newbury Street is the place to be. I spent a lot of time walking around there. There’s a spot called Bodega that I absolutely love because I like shoewear. But other than that, I just loved going to the central parks in Boston like the Common and the Public Garden. I’d love to just see what’s new and meet up with some old friends. Maybe we’ll hit up a couple coffee spots. I can’t come to Boston without going to Dunkin’ Donuts.
What do you think of Boston’s dance community?
I’m from California, so the dance community there is very large and it’s exploded a lot recently. Boston’s known for their community as well, but on a smaller scale. But there’s some big love in the community here. The love makes it feel like a big community, which I really appreciated when I moved out here. It made it a smooth transition because there was so much support. I felt comfortable taking classes outside of the Ballet and meeting people that way. The dancers here are amazing at what they do and they’re really holding it down in the east coast.
Now that you’ve won, what’s next for you and your dance career?
I’m not too much of a future guy, so we’ll just have to see what’s next for my career. I like to stay in the present and live life in the moment that it’s in. There’s a high probability of me joining Travis Wall’s Shaping Sound Company, but after that, you might see a wild streak. We’ll see.
If you go:
Oct. 13, 7:30 p.m., Orpheum Theatre, 1 Hamilton Pl., Boston, $43.50+, crossroadspresents.com
