We have been witnesses to her creativity and skill in explosive and sensual dance movements through the unmatchable choreography she has set on Chayanne for his videos and live performances. Who can forget dance pieces such as Baila Baila, Boom Boom, Caprichosa, Salome, and most recently Tu Boca? We sure can’t and we are sure neither can some of you.
In the professional dance world, she is well respected and admired by both artists and dancers alike. In our world, the world of the viewers…the fans who indulge in the artist’s performances and let’s face it, sometimes even emulate their dance moves from the videos of our favorite songs, she is just as bright a star as the artists themselves. This, on its own, is a great accomplishment. More often than not, to a fan, choreographers are an unknown person in the artist’s professional team. But ask any fan of Chayanne who Nancy O’Meara is and without a doubt, most will tell you; she is The Woman Behind the Rhythm.
Never one to shy away from adoring fans, Nancy has granted Pandora’s Caja and Chayanne Rocks an exclusive interview: an insight into her world which we have received with great pleasure and the deepest gratitude. Not only is this the first fan driven personal interview Nancy has agreed to, allowing us to learn more about her as an artist and as a person (learning more about Chayanne is a definite bonus as you will soon discover!), but it is the first time that two Chayanne fan-created entities have come together to work on a project of this magnitude. It has been a true enjoyment to have collaborated with long-time friend Anniee Renes of Chayanne Rocks, who for many years has fed the video-viewing appetite of Chayanne fans worldwide.
So dear friends, below is the first half of the interview. Please make sure to visit Chayanne Rocks to view the other half http://www.chayannerocks.com/nomeara.html By viewing both sites you will be able to read the interview in its entirety.
So it’s without further ado… here she is: The Woman Behind the Rhythm.
♫ Peace
Nancy the Professional (Dancer, Choreographer, Director)
Q. You started working with Chayanne as a dancer; I believe it was Baila, Baila? How did you transition into his choreographer?
A. Yes indeed Baila Baila was the first video I worked on with Chayanne.. I was the dance captain back then. I was always dancing around in my free time and especially when we had sound check. I was asked to put some choreography together for a TV show Chayanne was doing. That was the first time He saw what my choreography was like. Chayanne hired a choreographer to do Salome.. Lucky for me he was unhappy with the way it turned out so I got to re-choreograph it for the video. That was the beginning.
Q. Tell us a bit about what drives you as a choreographer? Where do you derive your inspiration?
A. I’m inspired but the people I surround myself with. I love music. And when you dance it’s so freeing and fun… It’s really as simple as that.. I’m always inspired by Chayanne because nobody works as hard as he does.
Q. Every choreographer has those special things that they look for in dancers when they are auditioning. What is it that you look for in a dancer?
A. I look for confidence, it’s so attractive.. It’s important to bring your personality to the party. Strong technique is always a plus.
Q. Do you look for something different from your male dancers than your female dancers?
A. I like my male dancers to emulate a football team. Strong, masculine, and working together is key. Ladies, I prefer them to be able to out dance the men but continue to show their feminine side.
Q. You work with many of the young and upcoming stars - How do you feel that dance for stage and video has changed over the last 10 years, and what do you to do stay current with the changes?
A. It’s a lot more commercial nowadays and some videos are like a mini production. Every artist is different, the more I get to know an artist the better I can choreograph and direct them. It’s a game of trust. I like to take the artist and make their personality bigger so it reads on stage or camera. I stay current because I stay in class. It can be dance class, acting class, hosting class, lighting, stage plots, etc. You can’t call yourself a chef and not cook. It’s important to keep up with your craft whatever it is you do.
Q. From the many hours of watching you perform, it is clear that you love being on stage; do you ever miss being on stage as a dancer?
A. HA HA I don’t miss it anymore I love being on the other side and sharing everything I’ve learned and continue learning with my clients. I still live on stage or in front of the camera... The audience doesn’t see it anymore only in rehearsals.
Q. How the he** do female dancers dance on those heels?
A. You train in them. I grew up at Gold Studios in Brockton Mass.; we had classes specifically for the ladies to learn how to dance in heels. I’m not sure how many studios offer something like that. I still have dancers that I train in the rehearsal period to make sure they look smooth and are using the right muscle groups to execute the choreography. Otherwise I could run into a bunch of injuries.
Q. As fans with websites, we serve a dual role of being both consumers and providers… dealing out the videos, pictures, interviews, ect. And, as such, we both know what it’s like to be overwhelmed with Chayanne-hungry fans screaming MORE! MORE! MORE! I think of you and all the huge people you’ve worked with so I know it’s magnified by at least 1,257 times. How do you deal with that? Do the fans ever drive your choices or visions when directing an artist?
A. Of course, I ALWAYS listen to the fans… Sometimes there might be a song that should in the set list that maybe Chayanne and I are forgetting about. Maybe there is concept that the fans would love to see that I can be inspired by. I must admit of all the artists I’ve been so fortunate to work with Chayanne has the best fans…
Q. As an athlete, what injury do you fear the most? What steps do you take to reduce the risk of injury? Have you ever had to miss work from an injury?
A. I’ve been very lucky… My body is strong and luckily I had good training. My left knee aches from time to time. When that happens I stretch a little more and drink more water and less red wine… Staying in Ballet or Pilates helps me to feel aligned and less prone to injury.
Q. You once said you would like to do a tap dance with Fred Astaire… do you really tap dance? You also spoke of a favorite bit he did with a shadow dance… was that your inspiration for the shadow dance that Chayanne performed in his “Mi Tiempo” tour?
A. Yes I’m a tap dancer and so is your friend Chayanne. He’s been tap dancing now for about 4 years. It part of our warm up and drills we do when we’re preparing for a new show. I should video that one for you guys. Chay has an impeccable sense of rhythm. I still remember his face when I brought his first pair of tap shoes to Miami… Yes indeed, Fred Astaire, Swing Time was my inspiration for Chayanne’s solo. We watched it together and had the same inspiration at the exact same time. It was a little spooky. We had a blast with that one.
Q. As a professional, what achievement are you the most proud of (to date).
A. I would have to say I’m the most proud of the recent Bill Board Awards in Puerto Rico when Chayanne and the dancers performed Tu Boca. So many things went wrong the day before that performance. I had to replace a dancer due to the fact he didn’t show up to rehearsal that morning. Very irresponsible and I hope he’s working on his issues as I write. We didn’t have the wardrobe ready. I had our stylist add something to Chayanne’s vest and when he put it on hours before the show he wasn’t sure he liked it.. Gulp.. Luckily he realized how cool it was. HA! You name it... it went wrong. The chair wasn’t there for rehearsal ahhhh. And then it was show time. Everyone’s brain was set in the right place and bang... IT WAS GREAT...I never say that about a performance... I was very happy with that one.
Q. Tell us about the first time that you worked with Chayanne?
Q. In a recent interview for “Step It Up” you spoke about learning and honoring the different boundaries of “the star”. Can you tell us one eccentricity of Chayanne’s?
Nancy Who Gets to See and Touch Chayanne in Ways We Only Dream About!
Q. What do you find most pleasing about setting choreography for Chayanne?
A. The most pleasing would be when he remembers the choreography and it starts to look good on his body… That’s always a good moment. When I wanted to change the intro to Provocame and have Chayanne appear at the top of the stage and wait 5 seconds before the song kicks in... woohoo the first time Chayanne felt what I had in my head was awesome.
He and I are usually on the same page and then he gives me a high 5 that is so hard I almost fall over… I play it off and act super strong though ha ha
Q. Obviously, working with a Latin artist provides you with many opportunities to travel and enjoy different cultures. Does directing for a Latin audience present you with any special challenges?
A. I don’t feel any special challenges... The Latin culture is so passionate and honest… I love that.
Q. Tell us about the first time that you worked with Chayanne?
A. The first time I worked with Chayanne was around the time his movie was coming out. Dance with me… He had a audition and wanted girls 5’8” I wore high heels and long pants so I appeared tall. I got the job and I think he was a little surprised when he saw me in my sneakers… that was about 13 years ago,… Wow. I thought he worked hard and found him to be shy… That’s why I gave him the nickname CHAY GUY…
Q. In a recent interview for “Step It Up” you spoke about learning and honoring the different boundaries of “the star”. Can you tell us one eccentricity of Chayanne’s?
A. Here is my top 5 rules everyone should know if you want to work for Chayanne.
1. Don’t be late
2. No excuses unless you’re bleeding or dying
3. Have a positive attitude…. We always say “ happy to be here EZ to work with”
4. Laugh whenever possible
5. Never say NO….. to an idea… We always try everything.
This isn't the end of the interview! It's only the beginning! Remember check out my girl Anniee's Chayanne Rock for more of this incredible exclusive fan interview of Nancy O'Meara, The Woman Behind The Rhythm!
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