Exclusive interview with super-dancer Tommy Franzen

Interview by R.M. team

Note: The author's views are entirely his or her own and may not reflect the views of RetoxMagazine.com

Retox Magazine’s exclusive and fun interview with Chokolate’s dancer Tommy Franzen

Retox Magazine: Hi Tommy. Nice meeting you!

All right, we know all about your fabulous moves on SYTYCD (BBC’s So You Think You Can Dance competition) where you came second. We had watched the show, copied – or tried to copy your dance moves, and like many wanna-be amateurs, practiced them in front of our bedroom mirrors. We also know about your current involvement as a dancer, resident director and choreographer of two dance numbers for the West End street dance bonanza ‘Blaze’, and we know you have been in the Mamma Mia! and Harry Potter movies too. Oh yeah, and the Beijing Olympics! Nice work Tommy! Indeed, you have proven yourself to be a fabulous dancer! (For those who are in doubt, we recommend you Google Tommy and watch those sizzling video clips!)

So here’s the thing: For this interview we’ll be digging into your personality fun-bags rather than your much Googleable career history, giving your fans some good, funky Tommy Franzen juice! Up for it? Sweet.

Are you like real good buddies now with Arlene and Nigel (judges on SYTYCD)? – Catch a pint, smoke a joint type?

Tommy Franzen: If this were the 20th century then yes I would probably have a pint with Arlene but as it's the 21st century we are twitter buddies instead. Nigel is a bit more difficult as he's in America most of the time being very busy. I can't say I know either of them very well to be honest.

 

Retox Magazine: How has your personality changed since completing the competition and coming second in SYTYCD?

Tommy Franzen: Coming out of the competition I've realized that I'm capable of pushing myself a lot harder than I had thought. As a result I've set new and higher goals for myself to achieve. On the other hand I've probably become a bit more unsociable as I spend more time on my computer keeping my fans happy on Facebook and Twitter. I do enjoy keeping them posted on what I'm up to so it's worth the time.

 

Retox Magazine: Has anyone ever told you that you can’t dance?

Tommy Franzen: No that hasn't happened...yet but I was really nervous every week that one of the judges on SYTYCD were going to tell me just that in front of 8 million viewers. Don't know if I was just lucky or actually did something right.

 

Retox Magazine: What’s the longest period of time you’ve continuously danced for?

Tommy Franzen: I'm not sure actually. Normally when you are performing you do short bursts of 3-5 minutes but in a class you can be dancing more or less constantly for one hour and a half.

 

Retox Magazine: What does Tommy do on his regular day off? What’s fun for Tommy?

Tommy Franzen: I would either take dance classes, go rock climbing or make the roads unsafe on my motorbike.

I still enjoy taking classes and as a dancer you need to constantly progress. It's a part of our profession to keep training. Rock climbing is relatively new to me but I absolutely love it. I do 3-4 indoor sessions a week, if I've got the time, and I try to go on outdoor climbing trips as often as possible. Some sessions I can't get enough of and don't leave the place until 8 hours later. Crazy I know...

Another major passion I have is motorbikes. I had my first moped when I was 11 and since then there has always been a motorbike in my life.

On a more low key day I would read a book, watch a show, go to the cinema or a restaurant. I love food!

 

Retox Magazine: What’s the most embarrassing situation ever you’ve danced yourself into? Have you ever even had one of those?

Tommy Franzen: I was doing my first job in “Joseph” and once I ran out onto the stage in the wrong number. I was at the centre of the stage and felt no one around me so I looked over to one side to find all the others there in static positions. I ran back through them and almost knocked a guy off his headstand as I was caught mid air jumping into the wings.

 

Retox Magazine: Have you ever started fancying your dance partner?

Tommy Franzen: Oh yes… When I was 16 I did my first love duet with a girl that was quite a few years older than me. We both started secretly fancying each other and after throwing her up and down over my head a few times, we were in a 16 months relationship together. At least we didn’t have to work hard on convincing the audience that we were in love and it was a very exciting way of getting together with someone.

 

Retox Magazine: Arlene Phillips, the judge on SYTYCD, once commented: “Every move that Tommy made was extraordinary, every ripple, everything.” Do you think you have a ‘rippling’ effect on girls (or guys)? Do they fancy you more because they know you can move and ‘ripple’ well?

Tommy Franzen: Who doesn’t like a ripple or two? Being one of the few boys at the dance school I started out at, we were always in close surveillance by the girls. If you had a bit of talent to go with it then not before long you would see “I love xxxxx” written on tables, walls, chairs etc around the dance school. Sometimes I would get calls from random girls to my home phone in the evenings and that used to freak me out a bit. Stalkers! Haha!

I do think though that many people find talent attractive and so do I to some extent. To answer your question yes I’m sure some girls (and maybe boys) fancy me because of how I can move and ripple more than for any other reason. Well most people don’t know me personally so how would they be able to fancy me unless it was for something like that?

 

Retox Magazine: I once read a review on Blaze in The Independent, where Jenny Gilbert starts her review by stating, “Researchers at York University have discovered that we are born pre-programmed to dance.” Hmmm… Do you believe in that?

Tommy Franzen: I can kind of believe that. I think it’s in our nature and most kids love to dance around when they hear music.

Retox Magazine: So why do some of us have two left feet? LOL.

 

Retox Magazine: If we peak into an alternative reality where you may never have become a dancer, what career path do you think you would have chosen? Do you think you would have been a submarine architect like your dad? (Was he really a submarine architect? – Wow!)

Tommy Franzen: Hmmm…. That’s a tough one. Yes my dad did make blueprints for submarines. I don’t think I would’ve been doing that though. My dad was also a filmmaker and if I were to follow in his footsteps then that’s the direction I’d probably go. Filmmaking is something that I actually would like to do in the future.

 

Retox Magazine: What’s your current ambition?

Tommy Franzen: To make my own show. It’s in the works at the moment but at this point I can’t reveal any information about it.

 

Retox Magazine: Where will we see you when you are blazing 60?

Tommy Franzen: Probably hanging off a cliff somewhere with a pipe in my mouth still addicted to rock climbing.

 

Retox Magazine: If you were to choreograph a ‘Retox Magazine move’ what would the move be? In 10 words please! (Don’t you wish we were doing a video interview right now? LOL)

Tommy Franzen: Ripple from chest down to knees, step ,step clap.

Exclusive interview for Retox Magazine, London UK:
interview with Tommy Franzen, managed by Chokolate Ltd.

Tommy Franzen and Lizzie Gough at Move It 2011

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