Steps to Stardom
Disney Channel star Jordan Clark is heading to our shores in September as part of a stage version of hit show The Next Step. James Croot caught up with the multi-talented performer.
Dancing may have been second nature to Jordan Clark, but acting certainly wasn’t. The 24-year-old Canadian star of Disney Channel’s teen drama The Next Step and its spin-off Lost
& Found Music Studios, admits she initially found becoming a thespian ‘‘really challenging’’. ‘‘I think in my first scene [on
The Next Step], I had to cry. I was like ‘I’m sorry you want me to do what?’ I remember being so nervous, but fortunately Alexandra [Beaton], who plays Emily, just told me to just look at her and follow her lead, which was like, so awesome. She really helped me.’’
And fortunately, as the show about a dance studio has progressed through four seasons, its mockumentary style has played to Clark’s strengths, as she’s brought the character of A-Troupe dancer Giselle to life. ‘‘It doesn’t feel as strange or foreign now, particularly because the show is really improv-based – you just go with your natural instincts.’’
Plus, being on the show has also allowed her plenty of opportunities to showcase the dance skills that saw her win the fourth season of So You Think You Can Dance Canada in 2011, not that the bubbly, vivacious Clarke originally set out to be a dancer.
‘‘I wanted to be a gymnast. We lived in a very small town in Ontario [Tottenham, population just under 5000], there’s still no gymnastics programme there to this day, so my Mum enrolled me in an ‘acro dance’ class, saying it was ‘the same thing’. I remember being so young and so upset – to the point that I had tears in my eyes – because I saw the ballet barres and began thinking ‘what is this? I don’t want to do ballet’. But then, I completely fell in love with it and got introduced to other dance styles, including ballet, all of which I adored. At the time, I wasn’t happy with my Mum, but I didn’t want to make her feel bad, so I didn’t say anything.’’
Mum, of course, has had the last laugh, now constantly reminding her extremely successful daughter of the credit she deserves for her career.
Which has just taken ‘‘the next step’’, with Clark one of the show’s two stars (the other is Trevor Tordjman) who have turned choreographer for a live, stage version entitled Wild
Rhythm. Touring Canada, the UK, Ireland and Spain earlier this year, they are now preparing to head our way in September.
‘‘It’s such a different experience, compared to the TV show,’’ Clark enthuses. ‘‘Having our fans in front of us gets us so excited – there’s so much adrenaline and energy pouring out. It’s a true interaction with them and the crazier the fans are, the crazier we are. Spain was wild.’’
She describes Wild Rhythm as like her and Tordjman’s ‘‘little baby’’.
‘‘We’ve had a say in the music, the way the lights look and he is amazing – he’s so great and so talented. He’s also probably the funniest guy I’ve ever met in my life, so our working atmosphere is fantastic.
‘‘Obviously, we’ve also let our fellow cast members have a say in the show too. We asked them all what they wanted to showcase for the fans, so some of them have solos and some have duets. We want to give the audience a little bit of everything, but we know that the fans like the tricks, so they are plenty of those in there.’’
Describing the stage show as very ‘‘family-orientated’’, she says the ‘‘coolest thing’’ about it is that they use popular music, as well as tunes from the TV show.
‘‘It’s excellent, because it means there’s at least one tune that everybody, even parents, know.’’
When asked what she thinks is the appeal of The Next Step, Clark admits it is a question she gets asked a lot.
‘‘I think at every point in someone’s life, there’s a time when they want to dance and express their emotions in that way. And with our show, it isn’t just the girls who are dancing either, our boys dance and they’re like, really good. Plus, it’s filled with drama and who doesn’t love a little drama in their life?’’
For her own part, Clark is keen to continue playing Giselle, eager to be a part of the already-confirmed fifth season.
‘‘Giselle has come a long way and I love that she got kicked out [of the elite A-Troupe], only to fight her way back and become dance captain. She took control of her situation and I think that’s really important for kids to hear – once you get knocked down, you don’t have to stay down, you can come back up even better.
As the father of an almost-9year-old budding dancer and Disney Channel fanatic, I have to ask Clark one more thing before our time is up – what advice would she give to someone wanting to pursue dance as a career?
‘‘The biggest thing for me to learn was to stop judging myself,’’ she says, without hesitation. ‘‘I think this goes for anything you want to do in your life. Just take in everything and don’t be afraid to look silly. That’s how you learn.’’ The Next Step’s Wild Rhythm Tour will visit Auckland’s ASB Theatre on September 28 (with shows at 1pm and 6.30pm). For more information, see livenation.co.nz.
‘Having our fans in front of us gets us so excited – there’s so much adrenaline and energy pouring out.’ Jordan Clark