One thing's for certain: Kent Boyd is not going to take anything about being chosen as a top 11 contestant on So You Think You Can Dance for granted.
Speaking with the Wapakoneta, OH, native on the eve of tonight's show, where it all starts for real, it's evident the charismatic, gifted Boyd lacks any pretension or boastfulness as he expresses how grateful he is to be on a show he's loved since he was a kid. (The interview continues here.)
From a Wapakoneta Studio to a Los Angeles Stage
AH: You know you have a Facebook fan page with more than 3,000 fans already? [Note: It's more than 15,000 as of July 23.]
KB: I just found that out yesterday! I haven't been on the computer that much and someone was like, "Kent, you have a fan page." I have a what page? What? I searched my name and there it was. I was just like, whoooa. That's weird.
AH: What's it like to not only have a growing fan base and have people totally taken by your incredible ability, but then to be one of the favorites to actually win the thing?
KB: It's very, very overwhelming, and I'm trying to take it day by day. And it kinda helps that I'm in this little bubble of training and working and I don't really know what's going on in the outside world. It's just so crazy for me to even think about people actually being my fans and actually being inspired by what I do.
I feel like I'm the one that gets inspired, not makes people inspired. It's just very crazy to even think about me in that kind of way.
AH: How long have you been in Los Angeles?
KB: About two weeks, so not that long.
AH: How's that been going and what kind of transition has that been?
KB: There's just so much that the other contestants are like, what? You haven't heard about this and this and this? I'm like, no! I don't know what any of that is! And they're just all freaking out and they want me to experience different types of food and different places.
AH: How did you get started in dance?
KB: I got started in dance pretty young. I guess I had too much energy around the house, and my mom said OK, sports are just one season. To get me out of the house, she knew a friend of a friend and she said, "Put him in dance." So she was like, OK! And she put me in dance.
AH: How much training did you have before you auditioned?
KB: Well, I'm at a studio in Wapakoneta and I've been dancing there for about 14 years. And I'm on the competition team, so I'm just a regular dance kid who goes to competitions and does all that stuff, so I have a lot of training, I guess.
AH: Most of it though has to be God-given, doesn't it?
KB: Yes, very much so. I'm very, very blessed to be able to experience this, and especially from where I am compared to where other people train. It's just a complete 180. You know, it's still very surreal and amazing for me to be out here.
AH: I bet there have been probably some dancers who are like, why shouldn't I be here? But with you, it's the other way around. You're just extremely humble and awestruck that you're even here.
KB: Yeah, I don't have a résumé and I do not have technique like everybody. I can't believe I'm here. Everything happens for a reason, and I believe that strongly. I try to focus on that a lot when I find myself struggling. OK, Kent, why are you here?
It's just very intimidating to dance with dancers like this, especially since I'm not around people like that. I'm not around amazing, brilliant, brilliant people all the time. Seeing them all the time, I can get kind of hard on myself. But you know, I just realize that I'm here for a reason. So that's where I try to find my comfort.
Working with Travis Wall
AH: Had you been a fan of the show for awhile?
KB: From Season 1, I've always been watching. I've been to the tour when they come to Columbus, I've been to two or three of the seasons, so I'm honestly like the typical kid who goes as a fan.
AH: Who were some dancers you enjoyed watching from previous seasons?
KB: Well, I loved everything from Season 2. I loved Travis [Wall], obviously, and Allison [Holker]. Allison was one of my favorites from the beginning. I really, really liked Jeanine [Mason, Season 5 winner] and everything that she does, and just the person she was on the show. I love Kathryn [McCormick, Season 6]. There are so many people that I admire, and all the guys like Adé and everybody, the way they move is just flawless.
AH: You know, when I spoke with Jeanine, we talked about working with Travis and how much it meant to her. What have your first couple of experiences been like with him?
KB: Being in their presence just makes me want to throw up, because I'm so nervous. But I mean, he made me very calm, so that was very reassuring. I'm always worried -- am I good enough for them? He played off what I could do, and that was good. I was just so worried. Like, OK, it's Travis freakin' Wall. How am I going to be able to move the way he wants me to?
But it was good, and I really enjoyed it. The way he works, and how I got to experience one of his pieces, was just a true blessing for me to even be there and witness what he does so brilliantly. He is a genius.
Alex Hoffman - Alex Hoffman is a graduate of the University of Kansas' journalism school whose credits include Midwest Commercial Journal, Lawrence ...
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