We are performing a 17 minute promo from ZooNation’s new show Some Like It Hip Hop at Canada Square Park tonight at 7.30pm and it’s FREE!!! Why not come down to see what this new hip hop show, that I am partly choreographing and performing in, is all about?
The event is called Magical Of The Musicals and will be an evening full of entertainment.
We are opening Some Like It Hip Hop at Sadler’s Wells Peacock Theatre on the 20th October 2011 until 19th November 2011.
After a long suspense of waiting for what Cher Lloyd’s first music video will be like…It’s finally here!
It was a pleasure to work with Cher and I’d like to congratulate her on her debut video. I think she looks fantastic in it. I would also like to give a special thanks to my assistant Maria Swainson from RiRi Productions plus all my amazing dancers.
Choreography dancers: Stephanie Sit, Jack McKenzie, Sarah Richards, Lindon Barr, Sarah Jane Aboboto, Libby Hall, Daniel Uppal and Nader Musharbash.
Breakers: Bboy Lil’ Tim, Bgirl Roxy, Kay Banner, Bboy Ling and Bboy Silk.
I’m part of the 2nd iPhone dance app from Make Dance called “Street”. Learn moves from some of the UK’s finest dancers including Turbo, Lizzie Gough, myself and many more.
We’ll be performing a 20 minute extract of Some Like It Hip Hop at West End Live today (Saturday the 18th June). It’s taking place at Trafalgar Square at 5.20. Come and watch us to see what you can expect from the full show from 20th October – 19th November at Sadler’s Wells Peacock Theatre.
Since those toe tapping days Tommy has gone on to star in musicals, appear in films, adverts, and dance talent shows like âSo You Think You Can Danceâ (SYTYCD) U.K. If youâre still trying to place where you may have seen Tommy â think back to the âPepsi Can-Fuâ advert.
The âUrdangâ Academy graduate has achieved so much already, and is in talks to create his own dance show featuring âdancing and choreographyâ. He seems so passionate about this idea, he beams; âI really want my own project that I can put all my experience and heart in to.â Â I ask if he is worried that as a result of all the success and coverage of street dance in recent years, whether audiences will get bored of it. Tommy explains âYeah itâs possible but thatâs the risk with everything, choreographers could take things so far that thereâs no room to improve, but I think thatâll take at least a couple of years.â
The life of a dancer is certainly not all glitz and glam, Tommy recounts jobs where he has had little or no time to prepare and warm up âyouâre just on and you go ahead and do it and you donât have much time to take care of yourself.â While Tommy was in the bubble of SYTYCD he claims he had to âblock out everyday lifeâ he said âyou need to do that in order to do well, you canât have your mind anywhere else but in that place.â
SYTYCD dancer profile shots
I imagine one of the hardest things about a dancers life is the constant physical pressure. Tommy explains there are other less obvious aspects where dance can test you; âitâs also the mental pressure that you go through, itâs the panic of whether your brain has got enough capacity to take in any more information.âIt appears, not only do you have to be a positive healthy performer but you also need to be mentally strong. Tommy drives home the point âitâs such hard work to keep training all the time, you need to keep on top of it all the time even if youâre not working.â
No sooner had Tommy finished filming SYTYCD, then he was then snapped up by the smart people of Sadlers Wells to choreograph and perform in âBlazeâ the West End Street dance sensation. Used to dancing 10 hour days, the b-boying prince took it all in his stride. He explains that the unpredictability of dance is something he enjoys âyou donât know how much the next project is going to pay, but I kind of like that.
âThe thought of not really knowing, I kind of buzz off that.â
I ask Tommy what he thinks of starting to dance at an early age, he agrees that training earlier means youâll get more practise at the dance style, however âit could mean that you get bored of it earlier.â You often hear people reminiscing about the past, sighing âI really wish Iâd kept that upâ. Tommy himself is one example of picking dance up at a young age and has years of experience.
One dance forum suggested that all dancers who want to go pro are expected to commit to about 15 hours a week of technique training i.e. ballet, and anything up to twice that during summer months. Tommy explains that taking up technical dance styles that are designed to âtrain your body to look unnaturalâ at an early age can be âtough on the body in later years.â
The qualified massage therapist, yes you read correctly, feels most comfortable b-boying and conceptualising hip-hop choreography. We start discussing the topic of b-boying, or rather b-girling. He agrees that it is still very much a manâs game âI canât really think of any female b-girl pioneers off-hand, it would be nice to see more women in that styleâ adding âyou get a lot of b-girls that dance like men.
âIt is nice sometimes to see men dance like men and women dance like women.â
Most of the male pioneers of B-boying are old school battlers who stand for the East coast or the West coast of America. The U.S. soul and funk movement is where b-boying was given birth. From the hot stepping feet of James Brown, to battle-zoneâs like âHarlem Worldâ of 116th street, Harlem. âI Love dancing to old funk tracks, and I look up to East coast and West coast greats like Mr. Wiggles and the guys from Rock Steady Crew.â
I’m creating, alongside Supple (SYTYCD choreographer and Got To Dance creative director), a show called EDD!!, which is 20 minute solo piece for myself. The show will be on the 11th June 8pm at The Place Theatre in London for one night only as a part of a double bill. Book your tickets now!
We are doing a run from 20th October – 19th November at Peacock Theatre in London. The choreographers are Kate Prince, Tommy Franzen, Carrie-Anne Ingrouille, Ryan Chappell, Duwane Tayler.
Tommy Franzen and Charlie Bruce’s hip hop routine from week 1 of So You Think You Can Dance 2010. Video clip includes the VT and the judge’s comments as well.
Choreography: Simeon Qseya.
Music: “The Way I Are” by Timberland
This is Tommy Franzen’s final solo from “So You Think You Can Dance UK”. Series 1 week 6 (final week). The song is “Cry Me A River” by Justin Timberlake.
Tommy Franzen’s solo from “So You Think You Can Dance UK”. Series 1 week 5. The song is “Variations” by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Julian Lloyd Webber on the cello.
Simeon Qseya choreographed a hip hop routine for the choreography camp of So You Think You Can Dance 2011 and Tommy & Lizzie performed it for the contestants. Afterwards Simeon, Tommy and Lizzie taught the routine to the contestants but unfortunately the performance didn’t make the edit in episode 2. The video of Tommy & Lizzie rehearsing the routine is by no means polished as it was done in 2 hours but I thought it might be interesting to see the whole routine.
Karen Hardy’s red carpet event “Party Masquerade” was a great night and this is Retox Magazine’s take on the night. There is also a link to Tommy’s performance in the article.
Tommy is judging the UDO European Street Dance Championships 2011 at Euro Disney in Paris 8-10th April. All the judges will be doing a little showcase on the Saturday the 9th as well. Other judges are Turbo (UK), Mathias (France), Artemy (Russia), Malika (France), Glen Ball (UK), Sanflex (Holland) and Brendybb (Germany).
My solos from So You Think You Can Dance where taken off YouTube for some reason so I’m uploading them again and we’ll see if they stay on there. This one is from SYTYCD Series one, week 3. The song is Beggin’ by Madcon.
As Move It 2011 was so successful we would like to offer everyone free delivery on all orders over ÂŁ30 from my website shop until end of April. We’ve also kept our Ultimate Combo Deal from Move it, which includes a -T-shirt, sweatshirt and a mug for ÂŁ40. Including the free delivery that will save you almost ÂŁ15!!! Any size, any colour. Mix and match.
The new newsletter has just been sent out. If you sign up for my newsletter before the end of March you will be automatically entered into a prize draw for the chance to win a signed Tommy Franzen Mug.
Don’t forget to watch the Olivier Awards tomorrow (Sunday) at 6pm. I’m dancing with ZooNation in a hip hop interpretation of The Quintet and Somewhere from West Side Story. The night is also celebrating Stephen Sondheim’s 80th birthday.
@IAPonomarenko Iâm really happy and proud of my country đžđȘ to finally send these and hope they will prove to become very useful for đșđŠ đ 1 week ago
RT @joshbakerstory: The Shamima Begum story is out today. For the first time sheâs given what she says is her account of what happened. We⊠3 weeks ago
RT @IuliiaMendel: Ukraine has talent đđ
Watch this Ukrainian dance group Light Balance Kids, which took part in the American show America's⊠3 weeks ago