Name	Dance-pop
Bgcolor	#87CEEB
Color	Black
Stylistic origins	Pop music • Post-disco • Club/dance • R&B;
Cultural origins	Late 70s, Early 1980s
Instruments	Drum machine • Keyboards • Synthesizers • Vocals (sometimes rapping)
Fusiongenres	House-pop, teen pop
Popularity	Moderate in both the U.S. & UK in the 1980s. Popular worldwide since the late 1990s. Very high in the US during the early 2010s.
Other topics	Boy bands • Girl groups • Eurodance • Teen pop • Stock, Aitken & Waterman • Dance-pop artists

Dance-pop (or dance pop) is dance-oriented pop music that developed from post-disco, beginning in the early 1980s.

History

Complete with pounding, dance club upbeats and catchy melodies, the songs of this music are fully formed and more influenced by pop song structure than pure dance music. Dance-pop songs are often primarily created by record producers, who then select a singer to perform the song. who sculpted polished Hi-NRG production for the likes of Kylie Minogue, Rick Astley and Bananarama. Other commercially successful dance-pop musicians include Paula Abdul, Madonna,, Christina Aguilera, Spice Girls, Britney Spears, and more recently, Katy Perry, Ke$ha, Victoria Justice and Lady Gaga. Dance-pop has often been the music of boy bands and girl groups (e.g. Mel & Kim).

See also

Post-disco

Disco

Electropop

Eurodisco

Europop

Eurodance

Freestyle

House

Synthpop

Teen pop

Hi-NRG

Adult contemporary

Italo disco

Bubblegum pop

New jack swing

Alternative dance

Dance-punk

Japanese pop

Contemporary R&B;

References

Category:American culture Category:Dance-pop

Name	Lady Gaga
Img alt	Portrait of a young, pale-skinned Caucasian female with blond hair
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta
Born	March 28, 1986New York City, U.S.
Instrument	Vocals, piano, synthesizer, keytar
Genre	Pop, dance
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, performance artist, record producer, dancer, businesswoman
Years active	2005–present
Label	Def Jam, Cherrytree, Streamline, Kon Live, Interscope
Url

Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American pop singer-songwriter. She began performing in the rock music scene of New York City's Lower East Side in 2003 and enrolled at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. She soon signed with Streamline Records, an imprint of Interscope Records. During her early time at Interscope, she worked as a songwriter for fellow label artists and captured the attention of Akon, who recognized her vocal abilities, and signed her to his own label, Kon Live Distribution.

Gaga came to prominence following the release of her debut studio album The Fame (2008), which was a commercial success and achieved international popularity with the singles "Just Dance" and "Poker Face". The album reached number one on the record charts of six countries, accomplished positions within the top-ten worldwide, and topped the Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums chart while simultaneously peaking at number two on the Billboard 200 chart in the United States. Achieving similar worldwide success, the follow-up EP The Fame Monster (2009), produced a further two global chart-topping singles "Bad Romance" and "Telephone" and allowed her to embark on a second global headlining concert tour, The Monster Ball Tour, just months after having finished her first, The Fame Ball Tour. Her second studio album, Born This Way, is scheduled for release in 2011.

Inspired by glam rock artists like David Bowie and Queen, as well as pop singers such as Madonna and Michael Jackson, Gaga is well-recognized for her outré sense of style as a recording artist, in fashion, in performance and in her music videos. Her contributions to the music industry have garnered her numerous achievements including two Grammy Awards, amongst twelve nominations; two Guinness World Records; and the estimated sale of fifteen million albums and fifty-one million singles worldwide. Billboard named her as the Artist of the Year in 2010 and ranked her as the 73rd Artist of the 2000s decade. Gaga has been included in Time magazine's annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world as well as Forbes' list of the 100 Most Powerful and Influential celebrities in the world. Forbes also placed her at number seven on their annual list of the World's 100 Most Powerful Women.

Life and career

1986–2004: Early life

Lady Gaga was born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta in New York City on March 28, 1986, the eldest child of Joseph Germanotta, an internet entrepreneur, and Cynthia (née Bissett). She learned to play piano from the age of four, went on to write her first piano ballad at 13 and began performing at open mike nights by age 14. Gaga was raised a Roman Catholic. At the age of 11, Gaga attended Convent of the Sacred Heart, a private all-girls Roman Catholic school on Manhattan's Upper East Side, but has stressed that she does not come from a wealthy background, saying that her parents "both came from lower-class families, so we've worked for everything – my mother worked eight to eight out of the house, in telecommunications, and so did my father."

An avid thespian in high school musicals, Gaga portrayed lead roles as Adelaide in Guys and Dolls and Philia in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. She described her academic life in high school as "very dedicated, very studious, very disciplined" but also "a bit insecure" as she told in an interview, "I used to get made fun of for being either too provocative or too eccentric, so I started to tone it down. I didn’t fit in, and I felt like a freak." Acquaintances dispute that she did not fit in school. "She had a core group of friends; she was a good student. She liked boys a lot, but singing was No. 1," recalled a former high school classmate. Referring to her "expressive, free spirit", Gaga told Elle magazine "I'm left-handed!"

At age 17, Gaga gained early admission to the New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and lived in a NYU dorm on 11th Street. There she studied music and improved her songwriting skills by composing essays and analytical papers focusing on topics such as art, religion, social issues and politics. Gaga felt that she was more creative than some of her classmates. "Once you learn how to think about art, you can teach yourself," she said. By the second semester of her sophomore year, she withdrew from the school to focus on her musical career. Her father agreed to pay her rent for a year, on the condition that she re-enroll for Tisch if she was unsuccessful. "I left my entire family, got the cheapest apartment I could find, and ate shit until somebody would listen," she said. Shortly after, her former management company introduced her to songwriter and producer RedOne, whom they also managed. The first song she produced with RedOne was "Boys Boys Boys", She also started the Stefani Germanotta Band with some friends from NYU. They recorded an extended play of their ballads at a studio underneath a liquor store in New Jersey, becoming a local fixture at the downtown Lower East Side club scene. Music producer Rob Fusari, who helped her write some of her earlier songs, compared some of her vocal harmonies to that of Freddie Mercury. He explained,

She was known thereafter as Lady Gaga. The pair began playing gigs at downtown club venues like the Mercury Lounge, The Bitter End, and the Rockwood Music Hall, with their live performance art piece known as "Lady Gaga and the Starlight Revue." Billed as "The Ultimate Pop Burlesque Rockshow", their act was a low-fi tribute to 1970s variety acts. In August 2007, Gaga and Starlight were invited to play at the American Lollapalooza music festival. The show was critically acclaimed, and their performance received positive reviews.

Fusari sent the songs he produced with Gaga to his friend, producer and record executive Vincent Herbert. Herbert was quick to sign her to his label Streamline Records, an imprint of Interscope Records, upon its establishment in 2007. She credited Herbert as the man who discovered her, adding "I really feel like we made pop history, and we're gonna keep going." While Gaga was writing at Interscope, singer-songwriter Akon recognized her vocal abilities when she sang a reference vocal for one of his tracks in studio. He then convinced Interscope-Geffen-A&M; Chairman and CEO Jimmy Iovine to form a joint deal by having her also sign with his own label Kon Live Distribution Gaga continued her collaboration with RedOne in the recording studio for a week on her debut album The album peaked at number one in United Kingdom, Canada, Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Ireland, and the top-five in Australia, the United States and fifteen other countries. Worldwide, The Fame has sold over fourteen million copies. Its lead single "Just Dance" topped the charts in six countries – Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States – and later received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Dance Recording. The following single "Poker Face" was an even greater success, reaching number-one in almost all major music markets in the world, including the United Kingdom and the United States. It won the award for Best Dance Recording at the 52nd Grammy Awards, over nominations for Song of the Year and Record of the Year. The Fame was nominated for Album of the Year; it won the Grammy Award for Best Electronic/Dance Album. Although her first concert tour happened as an opening act for fellow Interscope pop group, the reformed New Kids on the Block, she ultimately headlined her own worldwide concert tour, The Fame Ball Tour, which was critically appreciated and began in March 2009; culminating in September of that year. The cover of the annual "Hot 100" issue of Rolling Stone in May 2009 featured a semi-nude Gaga wearing only strategically placed plastic bubbles. She was nominated for a total of nine awards at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, winning the award for Best New Artist, while her single "Paparazzi" won two awards for Best Art Direction and Best Special Effects. In October, Gaga received Billboard magazine's Rising Star of 2009 award. She attended the Human Rights Campaign's "National Dinner" the same month, before marching in the National Equality March for the equal protection of LGBT people in all matters governed by US civil law in Washington, D.C.

|alt= Profile of a young blond woman. Her hair falls in waves up to her shoulders. She wears a purple leotard with visible sequins attached. Ample bosom, arm and leg are visible.]] Written over the course of 2008–09, The Fame Monster, a collection of eight songs, was released in November 2009. Each song, dealing with the darker side of fame from personal experience while she travelled the world, is expressed through a monster metaphor. Its first single "Bad Romance" topped the charts in eighteen countries, while reaching the top-two in the United States, Australia and New Zealand. In the US, Gaga became the first artist in digital history to have three singles (along with "Just Dance" and "Poker Face") to pass the four million mark in digital sales. The song received a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance while its accompanying music video was nominated for Best Short Form Music Video. The album's second single "Telephone", which features singer Beyoncé, was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals and became Gaga's fourth UK number-one single while its accompanying music video, although controversial, was met mostly positive reception from contemporary critics: praising her for "the musicality and showmanship of Michael Jackson and the powerful sexuality and provocative instincts of Madonna." Her following single "Alejandro" paired Gaga with fashion photographer Steven Klein for a music video similarly as controversial – critics complimented its idea and dark nature, but the Catholic League attacked Gaga for her use of blasphemy. Despite the controversy surrounding her music videos, they have made Gaga one of the first artists to gain over one billion viral views on video-sharing website YouTube. Musically, The Fame Monster has also received abundant success. Equating to the amount of Grammy nominations her debut received, The Fame Monster garnered a total of six – among them Best Pop Vocal Album and her second-consecutive nomination for Album of the Year. The success of the album allowed Gaga to embark on her second headlining worldwide concert tour, The Monster Ball Tour, just weeks after the release of The Fame Monster and months after having finished her first. Upon finishing in May 2011, the critically acclaimed and commercially accomplished concert tour will have ran for over one and a half years. Additionally, Gaga has performed other songs from the album at international events like the 2009 Royal Variety Performance where she sang "Speechless", a power ballad, in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II; the 52nd Grammy Awards where her opening performance consisted of the song "Poker Face" and a piano duet of "Speechless" in a medley of "Your Song" with Elton John; and the 2010 BRIT Awards where a performance of an acoustic rendition of "Telephone" followed by "Dance in the Dark" dedicated to the late fashion designer and close friend, Alexander McQueen, supplemented her hat-trick win at the awards ceremony.

Barbara Walters chose Gaga as one the "10 Most Fascinating People of 2009" for her annual ABC News special. When interviewed by the journalist, Gaga dismissed the claim that she is intersex as an urban legend. Responding to a question on this issue, she stated, "At first it was very strange and everyone sorta said, 'That's really quite a story!' But in a sense, I portray myself in a very androgynous way, and I love androgyny." Excited about bringing back Polaroid and "combining it with the digital era", Gaga was named Chief Creative Officer for a line of imaging products for the international optic company in January 2010 with the intent of creating fashion, technology and photography products. Her production team, Mermaid Music LLC, was sued in March by Rob Fusari; claiming that he was entitled to a 20% share of its earnings. Gaga's lawyer, Charles Ortner, described the agreement with Fusari as "unlawful" and declined to comment, however, five months later, the New York Supreme Court dismissed the lawsuit. In April, Gaga was named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people of the year. While giving an interview to The Times, Gaga hinted at having Systemic lupus erythematosus, commonly referred to as lupus, which is a connective tissue disease. She later confirmed with Larry King that she does not have lupus but "the results were borderline positive".

2010–present: Born This Way

Gaga's second studio album and third major release Born This Way, whose title was announced during her acceptance speech for Video of the Year at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, will be released on May 23, 2011. Its arrival will follow the release of its lead single on February 13, 2011. These dates were tweeted by Gaga at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Day, 2011. Described as "a marriage of electronic music with major [...] metal or rock 'n' roll, pop, anthemic style melodies with really sledge-hammering dance beats", Born This Way will be Gaga's third release in three years. She stated, "It came so quickly. I've been working on [the album] for months, and I feel very strongly that it's finished right now. Some artists take years. I don't. I write music every day." With two tracks already confirmed by Gaga – one she has been performing during The Monster Ball Tour, she has referred to the album as "the greatest" of the decade about "what keeps us up at night and what makes us afraid." Likening Born This Way to "bad kids going to church" that are "having fun on a high level", Gaga characterized her new music as "something so much deeper than a wig or lipstick or a fucking meat dress" and upon hearing it, Akon remarked that she will take music to the "next level."

Lending her vocal talent elsewhere, Gaga also paired with Elton John to record an original duet for the soundtrack to the forthcoming animated Disney feature film Gnomeo and Juliet. The song, titled "Hello, Hello", is scheduled for release in February 2011.

Musical style and influences

Gaga has been influenced by glam rock artists such as David Bowie and Queen, as well as pop music artists such as Madonna, Britney Spears and Michael Jackson. The Queen song "Radio Ga Ga" inspired her stage name, "Lady Gaga". She commented: "I adored Freddie Mercury and Queen had a hit called 'Radio Gaga'. That's why I love the name [...] Freddie was unique – one of the biggest personalities in the whole of pop music."

Gaga's vocals have drawn frequent comparison to those of Madonna and Gwen Stefani, while the structure of her music is said to echo classic 1980s pop and 1990s Europop. While reviewing her debut album The Fame, The Sunday Times asserted "in combining music, fashion, art and technology, Lady GaGa evokes Madonna, Gwen Stefani circa 'Hollaback Girl', Kylie Minogue 2001 or Grace Jones right now." Similarly, The Boston Globe critic Sarah Rodman commented that she draws "obvious inspirations from Madonna to Gwen Stefani... in [her] girlish but sturdy pipes and bubbly beats." Though her lyrics are said to lack intellectual stimulation, "[she] does manage to get you moving and grooving at an almost effortless pace." Music critic Simon Reynolds wrote that "Everything about Gaga came from electroclash, except the music, which wasn't particularly 1980s, just ruthlessly catchy naughties pop glazed with Auto-Tune and undergirded with R&B;-ish beats.

Gaga has identified fashion as a major influence. Her love of fashion came from her mother, who she stated was "always very well kept and beautiful." Entertainment Weekly put her outfits on its end of the decade "best-of" list, saying, "Whether it's a dress made of Muppets or strategically placed bubbles, Gaga's outré ensembles brought performance art into the mainstream."

Critical reception of Gaga's music, fashion sense and persona are mixed. Her status as a role model, trailblazer and fashion icon is by turns affirmed and denied. Gaga's albums have received mostly positive reviews, Her role as a self-esteem booster for her fans is also lauded, as is her role in breathing life into the fashion industry. Her performances are described as "highly entertaining and innovative"; in particular, the blood-spurting performance of "Paparazzi" at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards was described as "eye-popping" by MTV. She continued the "blood soaked" theme in The Monster Ball Tour, in which she wore a revealing leather corset and is "attacked" by a performer dressed in black who gnaws on her throat, causing "blood" to spurt down her chest, after which she lies "dying" in a pool of blood. Her performances of that scene in Manchester, England triggered protests from family groups and fans in the aftermath of a local tragedy, in which a taxi driver had murdered 12 people. "What happened in Bradford is very fresh in people's minds and given all the violence which happened in Cumbria just hours earlier, it was insensitive," said Lynn Costello of Mothers Against Violence. Chris Rock later defended her flamboyant, provocative behavior. "Well, she's Lady Gaga," he said. "She's not 'Lady Behave Yourself.' Do you want great behavior from a person named Gaga? Is this what you were expecting?" She later returned to the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards wearing a dress which was supplemented by boots, a purse and a hat—each fabricated from the flesh of a dead animal. The dress, named Time magazine's Fashion Statement of 2010 and more widely known as the "meat dress", was made by Argentinian designer Franc Fernandez and received divided opinions—evoking the attention of worldwide media but invoking the fury of animal rights organization PETA. Gaga, however, later denied any intention of causing disrespect to any person or organization and wished for the dress to be interpreted as a statement of human rights with focus upon those in the LGBT community.

Gaga's treatment of her fans as "Little Monsters" has inspired criticism, due to the highly commercial nature of her music and image. Camille Paglia wrote a cover story "Lady Gaga and the death of sex" on September 12, 2010, in The Sunday Times in which she asserts that Gaga "is more an identity thief than an erotic taboo breaker, a mainstream manufactured product who claims to be singing for the freaks, the rebellious and the dispossessed when she is none of those."

Public image

Contrary to her outré style, the New York Post described her early look as like "a refugee from Jersey Shore" with "big black hair, heavy eye makeup and tight, revealing clothes." She has another six known tattoos, among them a peace symbol, which was inspired by John Lennon whom she stated was her hero, Towards the end of 2008, comparisons were made between the fashions of Gaga and fellow recording artist Christina Aguilera that noted similarities in their styling, hair, and make-up. Comparisons continued into 2010 when Aguilera released the music video of her single "Not Myself Tonight". Critics noted similarities between the song and its accompanying music video with Gaga's video for "Bad Romance". There have also been similar comparisons made between Gaga's style and that of fashion icon Dale Bozzio from the band Missing Persons. Some have considered their respective images to be strikingly parallel although fans of Missing Persons note that Bozzio had pioneered the look more than thirty years earlier.

Gaga's influence on modern culture and society has provoked the University of South Carolina into offering a full-time course titled "Lady Gaga and the Sociology of Fame" in the objective of unravelling "the sociologically relevant dimensions of the fame of Lady Gaga with respect to her music, videos, fashion, and other artistic endeavors".

Philanthropy

Besides her career in music, Gaga has enhanced her repertoire as a philanthropist who has contributed to various charities and humanitarianism works.

Although declining an invitation to record a benefit song, Gaga held a concert of The Monster Ball Tour following the 2010 Haiti earthquake and dedicated it to the country’s reconstruction relief fund. This concert, held at the Radio City Music Hall, New York, on January 24, 2010, donated any received revenue to the relief fund while, in addition, all profits from sales of products on Gaga’s official online store on that same day were donated. Gaga announced that an estimated total of $500,000 was collected for the fund.

Gaga also contributes in the fight against HIV and AIDS with the focus upon educating young women about the risks of the disease. In collaboration with Cyndi Lauper, Gaga joined forces with MAC Cosmetics to launch a line of lipstick under their supplementary cosmetic line, Viva Glam. Titled Viva Glam Gaga and Viva Glam Cyndi for each contributor respectively, all net proceeds of the lipstick line were donated to the cosmetic company’s campaign to prevent HIV and AIDS worldwide. In a press release, Gaga declared, "I don't want Viva Glam to be just a lipstick you buy to help a cause. I want it to be a reminder when you go out at night to put a condom in your purse right next to your lipstick."

, October 11, 2009|alt=A blond woman speaking on a kiosk. She wears a white shirt and black glasses. Behind her, the balcony of a building is visible.]] Gaga attributes much of her early success as a mainstream artist to her gay fans and is considered to be a rising gay icon. Early in her career she had difficulty getting radio airplay, and stated, "The turning point for me was the gay community. I've got so many gay fans and they're so loyal to me and they really lifted me up. They'll always stand by me and I'll always stand by them. It's not an easy thing to create a fanbase." She thanked FlyLife, a Manhattan-based LGBT marketing company with whom her label Interscope works, in the liner notes of The Fame, saying, "I love you so much. You were the first heartbeat in this project, and your support and brilliance means the world to me. I will always fight for the gay community hand in hand with this incredible team." One of her first televised performances was in May 2008 at the NewNowNext Awards, an awards show aired by the LGBT television network Logo, where she sang her song "Just Dance". In June of the same year, she performed the song again at the San Francisco Pride event.

After The Fame was released, she revealed that the song "Poker Face" was about her bisexuality. In an interview with Rolling Stone, she spoke about how her boyfriends tended to react to her bisexuality, saying "The fact that I'm into women, they're all intimidated by it. It makes them uncomfortable. They're like, 'I don't need to have a threesome. I'm happy with just you'." She proclaimed that the October 11, 2009, National Equality March rally on the national mall was "the single most important event of her career." As she exited, she left with an exultant "Bless God and bless the gays," At the rally, she performed a cover of John Lennon's "Imagine" declaring that "I'm not going to [play] one of my songs tonight because tonight is not about me, it's about you." She changed the original lyrics of the song to reflect the death of Matthew Shepard, a college student murdered because of his sexuality. In September 2010, she spoke at a rally in favor of repealing the US military's Don't ask, don't tell policy, which prohibits lesbian, gay and bisexual people from serving openly, and released an online video urging her fans to contact their Senators in an effort to get the policy overturned. Editors of The Advocate commented that she had become the "fierce advocate" for gays and lesbians that future president Barack Obama had promised to be during his campaign.

Discography

The Fame (2008)

The Fame Monster (2009)

Born This Way (2011)

Tours

The Fame Ball Tour (2009)

The Monster Ball Tour (2009–11)

Awards and nominations

See also

Honorific nicknames in popular music

List of best-selling music artists

References

Further reading

External links

Year in Gaga: A Provocative 2010 — slideshow by Life magazine

Category:1986 births Category:2000s singers Category:2010s singers Category:American Roman Catholics Category:American dance musicians Category:American electronic musicians Category:American female pop singers Category:American musicians of Italian descent Category:American singer-songwriters Category:Bisexual musicians Category:BRIT Award winners Category:English-language singers Category:Feminist artists Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Interscope Records artists Category:Keytarists Category:LGBT musicians from the United States Category:LGBT rights activists from the United States Category:Living people Category:New York University alumni Category:Singers from New York Category:Sony/ATV Music Publishing artists Category:Wonky Pop acts

Name	Robin Antin
Caption	Robin Antin backstage during Los Angeles Fashion Week, Smashbox Studios - Culver City, CA, USA March 2008
Years active	1984—present
Occupation	ActressDancerChoreographerMusic video director

Robin Antin (6 July 1961, Los Angeles County, California) is an American dancer, choreographer, music video director, actress, clothing designer and entrepreneur. In 1995 in Los Angeles Antin, Christina Applegate and Carla Kama founded the modern burlesque troupe The Pussycat Dolls. In 2007 she created Girlicious. By 2005, she had been diversified into various media including: a pop recording group with international hits; a Las Vegas nightclub venue and floorshow; various merchandise; and a reality TV series.

As a choreographer, Antin worked with entertainers such as Paris Hilton, and artists such as Anastacia, Pink, The Offspring and No Doubt. Additionally, she was responsible for the dance ensembles in various films. In March 2009, it was announced that she had become the manager of Singer/Songwriter/Author Matt Goss. Robin Antin will be hosting the search for her new group in Ontario, Canada

She is the sister of celebrity hair stylist Jonathan Antin, director Steve Antin and actor Neil Antin. She appeared in an episode of her brother Jonathan's show Blow Out.

Career

Pussycat Dolls

Pussycat Dolls are an American pop and dance group and burlesque ensemble founded by choreographer Robin Antin in 1995. It began as a dance troupe based in Los Angeles, was "re-cast" as a music group in 2003. Nicole confirmed there will be a new cast of Pussycat Dolls in 2010, with her as the lead singer. However, it was surfaced in the news during an interview with Nicole Scherzinger that She has officially quit the pussycat dolls to concentrate on her own solo career and hoping to spend more time with boyfriend, Lewis Hamilton. It is unknown if the PCD will still carry on or not with the new lineup which consists of Rino Nakasone, Jamie Lee Ruiz, Vanessa Curry and Kherington Payne after Lead Singer Nicole has removed herself from the band. There might still be a chance where the old dolls will reunite a few years later after working on their solo material first.

Based in Las Vegas, it features a rotating cast of dancers around vocalist Jamie Preston. Current members include Hayley Zelniker, Amanda Nowak, Colby Amanda and Alicia Vela-Bailey. Former dolls include Rachel Sterling, Laura Diane, Ashley Gates, Bridget Nicole, Jennifer Affronti, and Jamie Lee Ruiz from who is now part of the second spin-off group.

The Pussycat Dolls Burlesque Review Founded in 2008 with Jamie Lee Ruiz, alongside Michelle "Jersey" Maniscalco, Jessi Peralta, Stephanie Moseley, Courtney Parker, and Jenny Robinson.

Matt Goss and The Dirty Virgins

After becoming Goss's agent, Antin cast The Dirty Virgins are a Vegas-based dance girl group, made-up of 4 dancers Tala, Emily, Amber and Monteece in Vegas to accompany him for his show. Along with them, she cast singers Mecca and Angela. From a style point of view they are very much like the original concept of the Pussycat Dolls.

Girlicious

Girlicious is an American urban trio (quartet until 2009) featuring Natalie Mejia, Chrystina Sayers and Nichole Cordova. Former member, Tiffanie Anderson departed from the group due to conflicts and differences. Their second album, named "Rebuilt", was released on November 22, 2010 in Canada. The girls were discovered by .

Paradiso Girls

The Paradiso Girls were a girl group consisting of 5 members from different countries; (she was appeard in the reality show ) from The United States, Aria Cascaval from France, Lauren Bennett from The United Kingdom, Kelly Beckett from Barbados and Shar Mae Amor from The Philippines. They are currently signed to Will.i.am music group/Interscope Records. Their debut single "Patron Tequila" featuring Lil’ Jon and Eve was released on May 12, 2009, and a music video was shortly released afterwards. Their debut album Crazy Horse was expected to be released in July 2010. However, it was delayed until October, when Aria revealed the band had disbanded due to dissatisfaction with their label.

Clothing line

During 2008, It was reported that Antin and the La Senza Corporation of Canada were producing a line of Burlesque/Pussycat Dolls-styled lingerie called "Shhh...by Robin. The line ranges from girly and flirtatious to sexy and glamorous intimate apparel. Antin says, "The words for me on this collection are flirtatious, fashion and fun!" Paradiso Girls Lauren Bennett and Kelly Beckett as well as review member Jersey modeled for it.

Work-out DVD

According to her Twitter, Antin will soon release a workout DVD featuring Jamie Ruiz from and other Burlesque Dolls Jenny Ronbinson and Michelle "Jersey" Maniscalco

Partners

Pussycat Dolls (1995–present)

Ron Fair (2004–present)

Mikey Minden (2003–present)

Jimmy Iovine (2004–present)

Girlicious (2007–present)

Paradiso Girls (2007–2010)

Matt Goss (2009–present)

Jamie Ruiz (2008–present)

Advertising

Carl's Jr. ad "That's Hot" featuring Paris Hilton

Filmography

Matters of Consequence- Josie

Friends

MTV Bash

MTV Movie Awards

My VH1 Awards

(one episode, "The Dancers")

Keeping Up with the Kardashians

Megan Wants a Millionaire (guest judge)

Antin Wants a Millionaire (guest judge)

References

External links

Official bio at pcdlounge.com

Paradiso Girls Official Website

Matt Goss Website

Category:1961 births Category:Living people Category:People from Los Angeles County, California Category:American choreographers Category:American dancers Category:Pussycat Dolls members

Name	Danny Tidwell
Full name	Daniel Arnold Tidwell
Birth date	August 01, 1984
Birth place	Norfolk, Virginia, United States
Dances	Contemporary, Ballet

Daniel Arnold Tidwell (born August 1, 1984 in Norfolk, Virginia) is best known for being the runner-up on Fox's third season of So You Think You Can Dance in 2007.

Tidwell began dancing as a child, at first focusing on jazz before changing to ballet while attending Kirov Academy of Ballet at the age of fifteen. He has worked in elite companies, including the American Ballet Theater. He has also performed the works of renowned choreographers, including Debbie Allen, William Forsythe and Mia Michaels. He is Travis Wall's brother, also a runner-up of the second season of "So You Think You Can Dance." Tidwell is currently the Artistic Director of movmnt magazine and a guest dancer in Rasta Thomas' Bad Boys of Dance.

Early life

Danny Tidwell was born in Norfolk, Virginia and raised in nearby Virginia Beach. His early childhood was turbulent, and he sometimes got into trouble. Tidwell started dancing at the age of eight in an after-school program for at-risk youth. Local dance instructor Vicky Cooke took notice of the "little bit of a kid in a straddle, trying to reach his fingers to his toes", He lived with his natural mother and two sisters until he was ten, before moving in with Wall; she officially took custody of Tidwell at the age of twelve.

Early career and training

Commenting on his early days in training, he said, "I hated ballet and would skip every chance I got." More interested in jazz as a child, the flips, turns, and chance for expression appealed to him. However, his real motivation was competition, which would prepare him for his future endeavors more than he could have known at the time.

In his early teens, Tidwell met several outstanding young dancers, including his favorite - Rasta Thomas, and it motivated him to take his dance to a new height. He set the goal to attend the Kirov Academy of Ballet (also known as Universal Ballet Academy) in Washington, DC It turned out to be up to that time, what he calls, "the best and the worst experience" of his life. in front of President George W. Bush. He also had a two-month stint at the School of American Ballet, where he found both the teachers and students unaccepting and remote. Despite his success, he was beginning to find the unremitting rigors of being in a company confining. Tidwell left the ABT in 2004, shocking the dance world and those who knew him.

Over the next two years, Tidwell dabbled in various pursuits. He performed contemporary works by choreographers Nacho Duato, Jiri Killian, William Forsythe, Kirk Peterson and Robert Hill.

Also in 2005, Tidwell, along with publisher David Benaym, photographer Roger Moenks, and choreographer Lauren Adams, co-created Moving Still, a "life performance" in the format of a combination of a live show and a photography art/fashion book. Moving Still lead to the creation of movmnt magazine in June 2006, a quarterly with a focus on fashion, dance, emerging music artists, and social issues that Tidwell co-founded with Benaym. Tidwell serves as the magazine's Artistic Advisor, and he eventually graced the cover in the Spring 2008 issue along with former SYTYCD contestant Sabra Johnson.

In 2006, Tidwell joined Complexions Contemporary Ballet for a season under the direction of company founders Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson. That summer he was invited back to the USA IBC to perform in the opening ceremonies. He left Complexions after a year.

During this period, Tidwell would often return home from New York to Virginia Beach, to be "rejuvenated" and teach at the studio with his mother. That changed in late 2006 when the two went to go see Tidwell's brother, Travis, perform in the So You Think You Can Dance tour in Madison Square Gardens. Travis had come in second place during the previous season, and was heavily featured in the touring show. His mother recalled, "At Madison Square Garden, Danny looked at me with tears in his eyes and said, 'I want to do that. My brother's up there on that stage, dancing and living, and I want to do that.'" The following season he attended the show's open auditions in New York City. Quickly, however, judges such as contemporary dance choreographer Mia Michaels and hip hop choreographer Shane Sparks, found Tidwell to be arrogant, with the latter saying Tidwell acted as if he were "God's gift to the world." The allegation was a recurring issue throughout the show, and Tidwell found his reputation as a gifted dancer at odds with his aloof demeanor. Nigel Lythgoe (head judge and executive producer) for his part found the accusations tiresome, responding to choreographer Adam Shankman's comment on Tidwell's arrogance with, "I think you're talking crap." The New York Times, in an article titled "So He Knows He Can Dance: A Prince Among Paupers", praised the technically talented Tidwell, and noted that "his unflinching poise and his chiseled, determined jaw" can be misread on television. The article continued, "If Mr. Tidwell is different from the other dancers on the show, the distinction has as much to do with his dignity as with his impeccable line and his ability to infuse slight choreography with authority...He never mugs for the camera. It's sad, yet hardly a surprise, that such behavior could be taken as ."

Selected as one of the top twenty, he was paired up with ballroom dancer, Anya Garnis. They were a judge favorite early on, with guest-judge Debbie Allen remarking "I can't imagine you all not being at the very end of the competition". The couple first found themselves in the bottom three couples after they danced a hip-hop choreographed by Dan Karaty on the third show. On the following broadcast, the couple danced a contemporary routine by Tyce Diorio but again they found themselves in the bottom three. However, Tidwell had yet another successful solo, and consequently moved on. He then was partnered with (in chronological order) Lacey Schwimmer, Sara Von Gillern, and Lauren Gottlieb without ever being "in danger" again. He eventually made it to the final four contestants, placing him in the finale. During the finale, Danny performed a solo to "We are the Champions", as sung by Gavin DeGraw, that received effusive praise and the only standing ovation from the judges, with Lythgoe saying that "every young man watching this show should aspire to be as good as you". The following night, he finished the competition as runner-up behind winner Sabra Johnson.

Reflecting on the season, Tidwell said, "I have all kinds of dance styles now, connections to choreographers and music options." He also concluded, "I found that I love to dance again."

Performance review

Note: Pink results indicate that he was in the bottom three.

Post SYTYCD

on the February 2008 cover of movmnt.]] Tidwell appeared on the February 2008 cover of movmnt magazine, with Sabra Johnson, as part of an article about "Keep It Real", the magazine's non-profit organization.

Tidwell, along with many previous finalists of So You Think You Can Dance, performed during American Idol's second annual Idol Gives Back charity event in April 2008. At the time, Nigel Lythgoe produced both shows. Tidwell was a guest teacher on the 2007-2008 tour of JUMP: the Alternative Convention. In September 2009, Tidwell had his Broadway debut as a castmember in "Memphis." He performed in April 2010 on Dancing with the Stars with New York City Ballet principal, Tiler Peck on a piece choreographed by Travis Wall. Tidwell is now a guest artist with Rasta Thomas' Bad Boys of Dance.

Awards and recognitions

Silver Medal, Shanghai International Ballet Competition (2001)

National Outstanding Male Dancer, New York City Dance Alliance (2002)

Men's Junior Silver Medal, USA International Ballet Competition (2002)

Named one of Dance Magazine's "25 to Watch" (2005)

Footnotes

References

Weeks, Janet (October 2002) "High Stakes and Highlights" Dance Magazine 76 (10):42

Benaym, David; Moenks, Roger; Alfieri, Laurent (2005). Moving Still. e-maprod Inc., ISBN 0976866102

External links

movmnt magazine, a quarterly publication focused on "dance and pop culture as a lifestyle," co-founded by Tidwell and David Benaym

Denise Wall Dance Energy, Tidwell's mother's dance studio

Moving Still - a life performance, photography book and live show co-created by Tidwell

"Great Performances, Dance in America: 'Swan Lake' with American Ballet Theatre", official PBS site of the production

Listen to a Tidwell interview with Gina from BuddyTV (transcript)

Category:American Ballet Theatre dancers Category:Contemporary dancers Category:Living people Category:So You Think You Can Dance contestants Category:Dance Magazine's "25 to Watch" Category:People from Norfolk, Virginia