As the deadline for entries for online dance competition Dance Upon a Dream approaches, Dance Australia caught up with the competition's founder, Australian Josh Horner, to find out more about the man behind the comp. As well as hosting Dance Upon a Dream, Horner is known in Australia for his recent work as a judge on Dancing with the Stars Australia and is also a choreographic consultant for Disney.
For Horner, professional dance life began at the Australian Ballet. He danced with the company for five years before moving into musical theatre. So what was it about musical theatre lured him away?
“I grew up being an all rounder.” replies Horner. “I did every style in competitions and concerts so I really was a theatrical kid….especially when my teacher and mentor was David Atkins. He was actually the one to encourage me to go to the Australian Ballet School. It was amazing training. It was when I played the role of Jack in Graeme Murphy's Tivoli, [a collaboration between the Australian Ballet and Sydney Dance Company], and won an Australian Dance Award and received a Helpmann nomination that I realised that there is way more out there than being in a ballet company. I felt I had gained enough experience in the Australian Ballet playing numerous principal roles in both ballets and contemporary works that I wanted to do everything as a dancer so it was just the right time to jump ship and start my musical theatre career. I wanted to extend my career and challenge myself to make it in another field of performance. I’m so glad I took the leap! It certainly paid off.” Horner says he doesn’t miss ballet one bit. “It was hard work,” he laughs.
Currently Horner’s career can best be described as multi-faceted. “Right now I have just moved back to LA working as a TV host and a choreographic consultant for Disneyland,” he says. “I’m also working on a TV project of my own and managing Dance Upon a Dream and building the business here in the USA. It’s a huge job and growing every day. I’m enjoying the business side of things and making incredible new dance friends around the world... I love it."
Horner is also a judge on Dancing with the Stars Australia, but explains that he found the job almost by accident. “I was pitching some TV projects to ABC here in the USA (like Channel 7 in Australia) and in the meeting the executives said “you would be fabulous ON camera talent””, he recalls. “I kind of laughed it off and then went to a TV host class and created a reel. I sent it off to my Australian agent and then within one hour of sending the link to my reel I was told that producers wanted to see me. A quick Skype interview and a flight to Australia and before I knew it I was the new judge on the show. It happened so quickly and at a really busy time for me. I was also choreographing the Disneyland Parade Soundsational at the same time so when I started I had to commute back to LA through the week to finish staging the parade for Disney. It was manic and I learnt so much about live TV and fast!”
While Horner’s career sounds incredibly rewarding, he does have at least one more dream to fulfill and that is to work as an imagineer. Not sure what an imagineer does? “An Imagineer is basically the fusion between imagination and engineering,” explains Horner, “It’s where the brains of a concept can join with the brains of people that can make it a reality. It’s a very amazing place to be. I have only been in the offices of Disney Imagineering three or four times and every time I go there I want to stay and play. It’s still something I would like to tick off my very long ‘ To do list’. I have two major projects to pitch them... One being a ride.... OMG it’s amazing...”
And so to Dance Upon a Dream. The online competition is designed to allow dancers to compete internationally, without leaving home. Dance Upon a Dream's structure is simple. Dancers simply submit footage of themselves dancing in a local competition. The uploaded videos are then judged by a panel from Dance Upon a Dream, with dancers divided into categories according to age. And yes, there are some pretty cool prizes to be won.
So what inspired Horner to create the competition?
“I judge many dance competitions across the USA and some in Australia and I would always wonder how the Aussies would compete against the Americans,” he replies. “I also wanted to bring the whole competition world together at one place and have them compete it out online.”
It’s about making international competition accessible too. “I really felt for parents as well,” remarks Horner. “The parents spend so much money on their dancing children that I wanted to make a financially easy way for them to get their child exposed and noticed on world wide level and also make it accessible to everyone. I love shows like SYTYCD but I would always think there are probably three or four or five other kids at that school that deserve the chance to be seen and celebrated. This way everyone feels equal and can show off their talents plus the parents love it because they really get the most out of their money for buying the video of their child’s solo. (My videos are still sitting in box back home collecting dust). With modern technology and YouTube, it was a no brainer to create a massive competition online to give everyone a second chance at their routine as well as being noticed.”
There are some fabulous prizes to be won, says Horner. “We offer wonderful prizes that help with the education of dance like MDM shoes that train your feet while you dance in them and scholarships to Broadway Dance Center and the Hollywood Summer Tour. These educational prizes mean more to me than a plastic trophy or plaque. I feel the parents deserve better credit for spending so much money on their children that we should help them.”
There’s no doubting Horner’s passion for this project. “I was so proud to show Nigel Lythgoe the site just last week,” he says. “When he looked at me gave me a huge smile and said, ‘what a clever idea,’ it made all the sleepless nights worth it.”
For more information, go to www.danceuponadream.com
For those who are interested in entering the Dance Upon a Dream competiton, there is still time. Entries for 2013 close 10 September 2013.