name	Travis Michael Wall
birth date	September 16, 1987
birth place	Virginia Beach, Virginia
nationality	United States
known for	Runner-up on Season 2 of ''So You Think You Can Dance'' Choreographer of So You Think You Can Dance
occupation	DancerDance instructorChoreographer
relatives	Danny Tidwell
website	http://www.traviswall.tv
footnotes	}}

Travis Michael Wall (born September 16, 1987, Virginia Beach, Virginia), an American dancer and dance instructor specializing in contemporary dance and jazz dance. He is best known for his 2006 appearance as a competitor on the second season of the television show ''So You Think You Can Dance'', which airs on the Fox Network. As of 2009, he is currently a choreographer for the show. In 2011, he was nominated for an Emmy for his work on the show's seventh season.

Early life[link]

Wall grew up in Virginia Beach, Virginia. His mother, owner and operator of the eponymous Denise Wall's Dance Energy, recalls putting him in a walker and watching him imitate the dancers. He began dancing at the age of three, training at his mother's studio, and competing in a number of conventions.

Career[link]

Early career and training[link]

align=right|thumb|280px|Travis Wall in a Dr. Pepper commercial from 1997.His professional career officially started at the age of nine when he appeared in a Dr. Pepper commercial. In 1999, he won the Junior National Outstanding Dancer Scholarship Award. On April 27, 2000, at age 12, he started a two-year run in ''The Music Man'' on Broadway, playing a resident of River City/Winthrop Paroo understudy. This gig led to him being chosen to perform at the 2000 New York City Dance Alliance's closing night gala. In 2006, New York City Dance Alliance awarded Wall its Teen Outstanding Dancer of the Year award and he toured with them for a year.

''So You Think You Can Dance''[link]

In 2006, at the age of 18, Wall competed on the second season of the show ''So You Think You Can Dance'' (SYTYCD), making it to the final four contestants and coming in second place to overall winner Benji Schwimmer. Wall was praised by the judges as the most technically talented dancer in the competition. Nigel Lythgoe and Adam Shankman have listed Wall, his brother Danny Tidwell, Season 4's Will Wingfield and Season 5's Kayla Radomski as the most talented dancers on the show.

While on the show, Wall danced in Mia Michaels "The Bench" routine for which she later won an Emmy for Outstanding Choreography. During the Fall of 2006, Wall toured the United States with the top 10 dancers from the ''So You Think You Can Dance'' competition. He returned to the show in 2008 during the Season 4 auditions to teach choreography. He did a surprise audition on the 4th episode as "Danielle Chorizo".

On July 23, 2009, Wall returned to ''So You Think You Can Dance'' along with fellow Season 2 contestant Heidi Groskreutz on the 100th episode of the show, to perform their Emmy award winning piece "The Bench" choreographed by Mia Michaels.

! Week	! Partner	! Style	! Song	! Result
		align="center"	"Steam Heat"— The Pointer Sisters
		"Clap Back"—Ja Rule
	align="center"
	align="center"	"Tanga"—Machito and His Afro-Cubans
		"Witchcraft"—Steve Tyrell
align="center"
			align="left"|"London Bridge"—Fergie
		align="center"
align="center"
	align="left"

Post-''SYTYCD''[link]

align=right|280px|thumb|Wall (center) on an April 2010 episode of ''Dancing with the Stars''. His brother, Danny Tidwell, is on the right.Wall danced on the October 16, 2007 ''Dancing with the Stars'' results show, in a piece choreographed by and starring Wade Robson. Wall, along with Tidwell and many previous finalists of ''So You Think You Can Dance'', performed during the second annual ''Idol Gives Back'' charity event on April 9, 2008. Nigel Lythgoe produced both shows at the time.

Wall performs regularly with American Dance Artists, in Delmarva, as well as for Evolution dance company in Los Angeles, California. He teaches students contemporary dance at NUVO, a dance convention that tours the nation. In 2007, Wall and Ivan Koumaev made a dance video called ''Its About Time'' designed to be for the viewer's entertainment rather than for instructional purposes like most dance videos.

Wall was in the 2008 Disney movie ''Bedtime Stories'' alongside ''SYTYCD'' Season 3 contestant, Lacey Schwimmer, which starred Adam Sandler. In 2010 Wall worked as an assistant choreographer for the Academy Awards, alongside Mia Michaels and Brian Friedman.

''So You Think You Can Dance Get Fit: Cardio Funk'' was one of two home exercise videos released by the producers of ''SYTYCD''. Wall choreographed a contemporary dance and corresponding cool-down routine for the video.

Wall choreographed and performed in an ensemble piece featuring New York City Ballet principal ballerina Tiler Peck to a piece by Nuttin' But Stringz for ABC's ''Dancing with the Stars'' April 13, 2010 episode in a feature called "Macy's Stars of Dance".

In 2010 Wall choreographed several numbers for the VMA's

In 2011, Wall choreographed a floor exercise routine for Olympic All-Around Champion Nastia Liukin which she will use to try to earn a spot on the 2012 Olympic USA Gymnastics team.

Choreography for ''So You Think You Can Dance''[link]

{|class="wikitable" width="90%" |- !Season !Week !Dancers !Style !Song |- |rowspan="2"|Season 5 |6 |Jeanine MasonJason Glover |Contemporary |"If It Kills Me"(The Casa Nova Sessions)—Jason Mraz |- |7 |Top 8 |Jazz |"Let It Rock"—Kevin Rudolf feat. Lil Wayne |- |- |rowspan="4"|Season 6 |1 |Bianca Revels Victor Smalley |rowspan="4"|Contemporary |"Wasted Time"—Me'shell Ndegeocello |- |4 |Ellenore Scott Ryan Di Lello |"Your Ex-Lover Is Dead"—Stars |- |7 |Ellenore Scott Jonathan "Legacy" Perez |"Machine Gun"—Portishead |- |8 |Ashleigh Di Lello Ryan Di Lello |"I'm There Too"—Michelle Featherstone |- |- |rowspan="7"|Season 7 |Vegas |All dancers |Contemporary |"A Beautiful Mess"—Jason Mraz |- |Meet Your Top 11 |Kent Boyd Lauren Froderman Mark Kanemura Kathryn McCormick |rowspan="3"|Jazz |"Paris is Burning"—St. Vincent |- |1 |Adéchiké Torbert Kathryn McCormick |"Addicted to Love"—Florence and the Machine |- |2 |Ashley Galvan Mark Kanemura |"Wonderful"—Annie Lennox |- |4 |Lauren Froderman Kent Boyd |rowspan="3"|Contemporary |"Collide" (acoustic version)—Howie Day |- |5 |Robert Roldan Allison Holker |"Fix You"—Coldplay |- |8 |Kent Boyd Neil Haskell |"How It Ends"—DeVotchKa |- |rowspan="6"|Season 8 |Vegas |All dancers |rowspan="5"|Contemporary |"Yellow"—Vitamin String Quartet |- |Meet the Top 20 |Alexander FostMitchell KellyCaitlynn LawsonRyan RamirezAshley Rich |"Moth's Wings"—Passion Pit |- |rowspan="2"|1 |Sasha Mallory Alexander Fost |"Stupid [Mark Bell mix]"—Sarah Mclachlan |- |Melanie Moore Marko Germar |"Turn to stone"—Ingrid Michaelson |- |rowspan="2"|5 |Jordan CasanovaTadd Gadduang |"Brotsjór"—Ólafur Arnalds |- |Caitlynn LawsonMitchell Kelly |Jazz |"Piece of My Heart"—Janis Joplin |}

Publications[link]

In February 2007, Wall was featured in a fashion/dance spread in ''movmnt'' magazine (which Tidwell co-founded). The following June, Wall interviewed Whoopi Goldberg for the magazine.

Wall was featured in the photography book ''Moving Still: a Life Performance'' by David Benaym.

Personal life[link]

In 2007, his adoptive brother Danny Tidwell was a runner-up of the third season of ''So You Think You Can Dance''. He, too, had trained with their mother Denise Wall, who also trained Jaimie Goodwin, a Season 3 contestant. Wall is openly gay.

Footnotes[link]

External links[link]

TravisWall-Online.Org Travis Wall fansite

Travis Wall page at the Internet Broadway Database

"Moving Still" book featuring Wall

Category:1987 births Category:Contemporary dancers Category:Dance instructors Category:LGBT dancers Category:LGBT people from the United States Category:Living people Category:People from Virginia Beach, Virginia Category:So You Think You Can Dance contestants Category:So You Think You Can Dance choreographers Category:LGBT broadcasters

name	Céline Dion
background	solo_singer
birth name	Céline Marie Claudette Dion
birth date	March 30, 1968
origin	Charlemagne, Quebec, Canada
instrument	Vocals
genre	Pop, dance, R&B;, pop rock, soft rock, adult contemporary
occupation	Singer, songwriter-composer, actress
years active	1980–present
label	Sony Music Canada, Epic, 550, Columbia
networth	over US$250 million (Jan. 2007)
website
associated acts	Andrea Bocelli, R. Kelly, Peabo Bryson, Barbra Streisand, the Bee Gees, Luciano Pavarotti }}

Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , (; born March 30, 1968), is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record. In 1990, she released the English-language album ''Unison'', establishing herself as a viable pop artist in North America and other English-speaking areas of the world.

Dion had first gained international recognition in the 1980s by winning both the 1982 Yamaha World Popular Song Festival and the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest. Following a series of French albums in the early 1980s, she signed on to CBS Records Canada in 1986. During the 1990s, with the help of Angélil, she achieved worldwide fame after signing with Epic Records and releasing several English albums along with additional French albums, becoming one of the most successful artists in pop music history. However, in 1999 at the height of her success, Dion announced a hiatus from entertainment in order to start a family and spend time with her husband, who had been diagnosed with cancer. She returned to the top of pop music in 2002 and signed a three-year (later extended to almost five years) contract to perform nightly in a five-star theatrical show at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Paradise, Nevada.

Dion's music has been influenced by genres ranging from rock and R&B; to gospel and classical. While her releases have often received mixed critical reception, she is renowned for her technically skilled and powerful vocals. Dion is the best-selling Canadian artist of all time, is the second best-selling female artist in the US during the Nielsen SoundScan era, and is the only female artist to have two singles sell more than a million copies in the UK. In addition, her 1995 album ''D'eux'', is the best-selling French-language album of all time. In 2004, after surpassing 175 million in album sales worldwide, she was presented with the Chopard Diamond Award at the World Music Awards for becoming the best-selling female artist of all time. According to Sony Music Entertainment, Dion has sold over 200 million albums worldwide.

Life and career[link]

Childhood and early beginnings[link]

The youngest of 14 children born to Adhémar Dion and Thérèse Tanguay, both of French-Canadian descent, Celine Dion was raised a Roman Catholic in a poverty-stricken, but, by her own account, happy home in Charlemagne, Quebec, Canada. Music had always been a part of the family (Dion was named after the song ''Céline'', recorded by French singer Hugues Aufray two years before her birth ). On the 13th of August 1973, (at the age of five) the young Céline did her first public appearance at her brother Michel's marriage, and performed Christine Charbonneau's song ''Du fil des aiguilles et du coton''. Then after she grew up singing with her siblings in her parents' small piano bar called ''Le Vieux Baril''. From an early age Dion had dreamed of being a performer. In a 1994 interview with ''People'' magazine, she recalled, "I missed my family and my home, but I don't regret having lost my adolescence. I had one dream: I wanted to be a singer."

At age 12, Dion collaborated with her mother and her brother Jacques to compose her first song, "Ce n'était qu'un rêve" ("It Was Only a Dream"). Her brother Michel Dondalinger Dion sent the recording to music manager René Angélil, whose name he discovered on the back of a Ginette Reno album. Angélil was moved to tears by Dion's voice, and decided to make her a star. In 1981, he mortgaged his home to fund her first record, ''La voix du bon Dieu'' ("The Voice of the Good God"), which later became a local number-one hit and made Dion an instant star in Quebec. Her popularity spread to other parts of the world when she competed in the 1982 Yamaha World Popular Song Festival in Tokyo, Japan, and won the musician's award for "Top Performer" as well as the gold medal for "Best Song" with "Tellement j'ai d'amour pour toi" ("I Have So Much Love for You").

By 1983, in addition to becoming the first Canadian artist to receive a gold record in France for the single "D'amour ou d'amitié" ("Of Love or of Friendship"), Dion had also won several Félix Awards, including "Best Female performer" and "Discovery of the Year". Further success in Europe, Asia, and Australia came when Dion represented Switzerland in the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest with the song ''Ne partez pas sans moi'' (''Don't Go Without Me'') and won the contest by a close margin in Dublin, Ireland. However, American success was yet to come, partly because she was exclusively a Francophone artist. At eighteen, after seeing a Michael Jackson performance, Dion told Angélil that she wanted to be a star like Jackson. Though confident in her talent, Angélil realized that her image needed to be changed in order for her to be marketed worldwide. Dion receded from the spotlight for a number of months, during which she underwent dental surgery to improve her appearance, and was sent to the École Berlitz in 1989 to polish her English.

In 1989, during a concert on ''Incognito Tour'', Dion injured her voice. She consulted the otorhinolaryngologist William Gould. He gave her an ultimatum: have surgery on her vocal cords, or not utilize them at all for three weeks. The album was largely influenced by 1980s soft rock music that quickly found a niche within the adult contemporary radio format. ''Unison'' also hit the right notes with critics: Jim Faber of ''Entertainment Weekly'' wrote that Dion's vocals were "tastefully unadorned", and that she never attempted to "bring off styles that are beyond her". Stephen Erlewine of ''Allmusic'' declared it as, "a fine, sophisticated American debut." Singles from the album included "(If There Was) Any Other Way", "The Last to Know", "Unison", and "Where Does My Heart Beat Now", a mid-tempo soft-rock ballad which made prominent use of the electric guitar. The latter became her first single to reach the top-ten on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100, peaking at number-four. The album established Dion as a rising singer in the United States, and across Continental Europe and Asia.

In 1991, Dion was also a soloist in ''Voices That Care'', a tribute to American troops fighting in Operation Desert Storm. Dion's real international breakthrough came when she duetted with Peabo Bryson on the title track to Disney's animated film ''Beauty and the Beast'' (1991). The song captured a musical style that Dion would utilize in the future: sweeping, classically influenced ballads with soft instrumentation. Both a critical and commercial hit, the song became her second U.S. top-ten single, and won the Academy Award for Best Song, and the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. "Beauty and the Beast" was featured on Dion's 1992 self-titled album, which, like her debut, had a strong rock influence combined with elements of soul and classical music. Owing to the success of the lead-off single and her collaboration with Foster and Diane Warren, the album was as well received as ''Unison''. Other singles that achieved moderate success included "If You Asked Me To" (a cover of Patti LaBelle's song from the 1989 movie ''Licence to Kill'') which peaked at number-four on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100, the gospel-tinged "Love Can Move Mountains", and "Nothing Broken But My Heart".

As with Dion's earlier releases, the album had an overtone of love. Also during this time, Dion released the Francophone album ''Dion chante Plamondon'' in 1991. The album consisted mostly of covers, but included 4 new songs, which included "Des mots qui sonnent", "Je danse dans ma tête", "Quelqu'un que j'aime, quelqu'un qui m'aime" and "L'amour existe encore". It was originally released in Canada and France during the 1991–1992 period, but then got an international release in 1994, the first French Celine Dion album to do so. "Un garçon pas comme les autres (Ziggy)" became a smash hit in France, reaching number-two and being certified gold. In Quebec, the album was certified Gold the day it was released.

By 1992 ''Unison'', ''Céline Dion'', and media appearances had propelled Dion to superstardom in North America. She had achieved one of her main objectives: wedging her way into the Anglophone market and achieving fame. However, while she was experiencing rising success in the U.S., her French fans in Canada criticized her for neglecting them. She would later regain her fan base at the Félix Award show, where, after winning "English Artist of the Year", she openly refused to accept the award. She asserted that she was—and would always be—a French, not an English, artist. Apart from her commercial success, there were also changes in Dion's personal life, as Angélil, who was twenty-six years her senior, transitioned from manager to lover. However, the relationship was kept a secret as they both feared that the public would find their relations inappropriate.

Popularity established: 1993–1995[link]

In 1993, Dion announced her feelings for her manager by declaring him "the colour of [her] love" in the dedication section of her third English-language album ''The Colour of My Love''. However, instead of criticizing their relationship as Dion had feared, fans embraced the couple. Eventually, Angélil and Dion married in an extravagant wedding ceremony in December 1994, which was broadcast live on Canadian television.

As it was dedicated to her manager, the album's motif focused on love and romance. It became her most successful record up to that point, selling more than six million copies in the U.S., two million in Canada, and peaking at number-one in many countries. The album also spawned Dion's first U.S., Canadian, and Australian number-one single "The Power of Love" (a remake of Jennifer Rush's 1985 hit), which would become her signature hit until she reached new career heights in the late 1990s. The single "When I Fall in Love", a duet with Clive Griffin, achieved moderate success on the U.S. and Canadian charts, and was nominated for two Grammy Awards, winning one. ''The Colour of My Love'' also became Dion's first major hit in Europe, and in particular the United Kingdom. Both the album and the single "Think Twice" simultaneously occupied the top of the British charts for five consecutive weeks. "Think Twice", which remained at number-one for seven weeks, eventually became the fourth single by a female artist to sell in excess of one million copies in the UK, while the album was eventually certified five-times platinum for two-million copies sold.

Dion kept to her French roots and continued to release many Francophone recordings between each English record. Generally, they achieved more credibility than her English-language works. She released ''À l'Olympia'', a live album that was recorded during one of Dion's concerts at the Paris Olympia in 1994. It had one promotional single, a live version of "Calling You", which peaked at seventy-five on the French Singles Chart. She also recorded a bilingual version of Petit Papa Noël with Alvin and the Chipmunks for the 1994 holiday album ''A Very Merry Chipmunk''. ''D'eux'' (also known as ''The French Album'' in the United States), was released in 1995, and it would go on to become the best-selling French-language album of all time. The album was mostly written and produced by Jean-Jacques Goldman, and amassed huge success with the singles "Pour que tu m'aimes encore" and "Je sais pas". "Pour que tu m'aimes encore" reached number 1 in France and stayed at the top position for twelve weeks. It was later certified Platinum in France. The single also reached the top ten in the UK and Ireland, a rare accomplishment for a French song. The second single off the album, "Je sais pas", reached number-one on the French Singles Chart as well and was certified Silver in France. These songs would later become "If That's What It Takes" and "I Don't Know" on Dion's next English album, ''Falling into You''.

During the mid-1990s, Dion's albums continued to be constructed on the basis of melodramatic ballads, but also with up-tempo pop and adult contemporary themed music. She collaborated with talented craftsman such as Jim Steinman and David Foster who helped her devise more adult contemporary songs. While critical reviews fluctuated, Dion's releases performed increasingly well on the international charts, and in 1996 she won the World Music Award for "World’s Best-selling Canadian Female Recording Artist of the Year" for the third time. By the mid-1990s, she had established herself as one of the best-selling artists in the world.

Worldwide commercial success: 1996–1999[link]

''Falling into You'' (1996), Dion's fourth English-language album, presented the singer at the height of her popularity, and showed a further progression of her music. In an attempt to reach a wider audience, the album combined many elements, such as complex orchestral sounds, African chanting and elaborate musical effects. Additionally, instruments like the violin, Spanish guitar, trombone, the cavaquinho and saxophone created a new sound. The singles encompassed a variety of musical styles. The title track "Falling into You" and "River Deep, Mountain High" (a Tina Turner cover) made prominent use of percussion instruments; "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" (a remake of Jim Steinman's song) and a remake of Eric Carmen's "All by Myself" kept their soft-rock atmosphere, but were combined with the classical sound of the piano; and the number-one single "Because You Loved Me", which was written by Diane Warren, was a ballad that served as the theme to the 1996 film ''Up Close & Personal''.

''Falling into You'' garnered career-best reviews for Dion. While Dan Leroy wrote that it was not very different from her previous work, and Stephen Holden of ''The New York Times'' and Natalie Nichols of the ''Los Angeles Times'' wrote that the album was formulaic, other critics, such as Chuck Eddy of ''Entertainment Weekly'', Stephen Thomas Erlewine of ''AMG'' and Daniel Durchholz, lavished the album as "compelling", "passionate", "stylish", "elegant" and "remarkably well-crafted". ''Falling Into You'' became Dion's most critically and commercially successful album: it topped the charts in many countries and became one of the best-selling albums of all time. In the United States, the album reached number-one, and was later certified 11x Platinum for over 11 million copies shipped. In Canada, the album was certified diamond for over one million copies shipped. The IFPI certified ''Falling into You'' 9x Platinum, an accolade that has been given to only two other albums in history, with one of the two being Dion's own album, ''Let's Talk About Love''. The album also won Grammy Awards for Best Pop Album, and the academy's highest honor Album of the Year. Dion's status on the world stage was further solidified when she was asked to perform "The Power of the Dream" at the opening ceremonies of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. In March 1996, Dion launched the Falling into You Tour in support of her new album, giving concerts around the world for over a year.

Dion followed ''Falling into You'' with ''Let's Talk About Love'' (1997), which was publicized as its sequel. The recording process took place in London, New York City, and Los Angeles, and featured a host of special guests, such as Barbra Streisand on "Tell Him"; the Bee Gees on "Immortality"; and world-renowned tenor Luciano Pavarotti on "I Hate You Then I Love You". Other musicians included Carole King, Sir George Martin, Bryan Adams and Jamaican singer Diana King, who added a reggae tinge to "Treat Her Like a Lady". As with ''Falling into You'', ''Let's Talk About Love'' was a major success for Dion, reaching number-one all over the world, attaining platinum status in twenty-four sales territories, and becoming Dion's fastest selling album of her career. In the United States, the album topped the chart in its seventh week of release, and was later certified 10x Platinum in the U.S. for over 10 million copies shipped. In Canada, the album sold 230,212 copies in its first week of release, which became, and still is, a record. It was eventually certified diamond in Canada for over 1 million copies shipped. The most successful single from the album became the classically influenced ballad "My Heart Will Go On", which was written and composed by James Horner and Will Jennings, and produced by Horner and Walter Afanasieff. Serving as the love theme for the 1997 blockbuster film ''Titanic'', the song topped the charts across the world, and became Dion's signature song; as well as winning the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Original Song. The song also gave Dion two Grammy Awards for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" and the most coveted "Record of the Year", (the song itself won four awards, but two were presented to the songwriters). "My Heart Will Go On" and "Think Twice" made her the only female artist in the UK to have two singles to sell more than a million copies. In support of her album, Dion embarked on the Let's Talk About Love Tour between 1998 and 1999.

Dion ended the 1990s with three more extremely successful albums—the Christmas album ''These Are Special Times'' (1998), the French-language album, ''S'il suffisait d'aimer'', and the compilation album ''All the Way... A Decade of Song'' (1999). On ''These Are Special Times'', Dion became more involved in the writing process. She co-wrote the song, "Don't Save It All For Christmas Day" along with Ric Wake and Peter Zizzo. The album was her most classically influenced yet, with orchestral arrangements found on virtually every track. "I'm Your Angel", a duet with R. Kelly, became Dion's fourth U.S. number one single, and another hit single across the world. ''All the Way... A Decade of Song'' drew together her most successful hits coupled with seven new songs, including the lead off single "That's the Way It Is", a cover of Roberta Flack's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", and "All the Way", a duet with Frank Sinatra. The album itself was also extremely successful worldwide, reaching number-one in the United States for three weeks. The album was later certified 7x Platinum in the U.S. for 7 million copies shipped. ''All the Way... A Decade of Song'' also topped the charts in the UK, Canada, and Australia. Her last French-language studio album of the 1990s, ''S'il suffisait d'aimer'', was very successful as well, topping the charts in every major French-speaking country, including France, Switzerland, Belgium Wallonia, and Canada. By the end of the 1990s, Celine Dion had sold more than 100 million albums worldwide, and had won a slew of industry awards. Her status as one of the music industry's biggest pop divas was further solidified when she was asked to perform on VH1's ''Divas Live'' special in 1998, with superstars Aretha Franklin, Gloria Estefan, Shania Twain and Mariah Carey. That year she also received two of the highest honours from her home country: "Officer of the Order of Canada for Outstanding Contribution to the World of Contemporary Music" and "Officer of the National Order of Quebec". A year later she was inducted into the Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame, and was honoured with a star on Canada's Walk of Fame.

During this time, the pop-rock genre that was more noticeable in her earlier releases, was replaced by a more adult contemporary feel. However, the theme of "love" remained in most of her releases, which led to some critics dismissing her music as banal. Other critics, like Elysa Gardner and Jose F. Promis, praised her vocals during this period, describing it as a "technical marvel". However, others, like Steve Dollar, who reviewed ''These Are Special Times'', stated that Dion is a "vocal Olympian for whom there ain't no mountain—or scale—high enough."

Career break: 2000–2002[link]

After releasing and promoting thirteen albums during the 1990s, Dion stated that she needed to settle down, and announced on her latest album ''All the Way... A Decade of Song'', that she needed to take a step back from the spotlight and enjoy life. Angélil's diagnosis with throat cancer also prompted her to hiatus. While on break, Dion was unable to escape the spotlight. In 2000, the ''National Enquirer'' published a false story about the singer. Brandishing a picture of Dion and her husband, the magazine misquoted Dion, printing the headline, "Celine — 'I'm Pregnant With Twins!'" Dion later sued the magazine for more than twenty million dollars. The editors of the ''Enquirer'' printed an apology and a full retraction to Dion in the next issue, and donated money to the American Cancer Society in honor of Dion and her husband. A year after the incident, after undergoing fertility treatments, Dion gave birth to a son, René-Charles Dion Angélil, on January 25, 2001, in Florida. Following the September 11 attacks, Dion returned to the music scene, and in a televised performance sang "God Bless America" at the benefit concert America: A Tribute to Heroes. Chuck Taylor of ''Billboard'' wrote, "the performance... brings to mind what has made her one of the celebrated vocalists of our time: the ability to render emotion that shakes the soul. Affecting, meaningful, and filled with grace, this is a musical reflection to share with all of us still searching for ways to cope." Dion would perform it again in 2003 during pregame festivities for Super Bowl XXXVII in San Diego.

In December 2001, Dion published her autobiography, ''My Story, My Dream'' which chronicled her rags to riches story.

Return to music: 2002–2003[link]

Dion's aptly titled ''A New Day Has Come'', released in March 2002, ended her three-year break from the music industry. The album was Dion's most personal yet, and established a more mature side of Dion with the songs "A New Day Has Come", "I'm Alive", and "Goodbye's (The Saddest Word)", a change that resulted from her new-found maternal responsibilities, because, in her own words, "becoming a mother makes you a grown-up." She stated, "''A New Day Has Come'', for Rene, for me, is the baby. It has everything to do with the baby...That song "A New Day Has Come" represents very well the mood I'm feeling right now. It represents the whole album." ''A New Day Has Come'' debuted at number one in over 17 countries, including the United Kingdom and Canada. In the United States, the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, with first week sales of 527,000 copies; marking her first number one debut on the chart. It was eventually certified 3x Platinum in the United States, and 6x Platinum in Canada.

While the album was commercially successful, critical reviews suggested that it was "forgettable" and the lyrics were "lifeless". Both Rob Sheffield of ''Rolling Stone'' magazine, and Ken Tucker of ''Entertainment Weekly'', stated that Dion's music had not matured during her break, and classed her music as trite and mediocre. Sal Cinquemani of ''Slant'' magazine called the album "a lengthy collection of drippy, gooey pop fluffer-nutter." The first single off the album, ''A New Day Has Come'' peaked at No.22 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, being an airplay-only release. On the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks, however the song spent 21 consecutive weeks at number 1, breaking the record for the longest span at the top. The previous record holders were Phil Collins' ''You'll Be in My Heart'' and Dion's own ''Because You Loved Me,'' both of which lasted nineteen weeks at number 1. During 2002, she performed for many benefit concerts, the famous VH1 Divas Live, a concert to benefit the VH1 Save The Music Foundation, alongside Cher, Anastacia, Dixie Chicks, Mary J. Blige, Whitney Houston, Cyndi Lauper, Shakira and Stevie Nicks.

Drawing inspiration from personal experiences, Dion released ''One Heart'' (2003), an album that represented her appreciation for life. The album largely consisted of dance music—a deviation from the soaring, melodramatic ballads, for which she had once been given mixed reception. Although the album achieved moderate success, ''One Heart'' was met with mixed criticism, and words such as "predictable" and "banal" appeared even in the most lenient reviews. A cover of the 1989 Cyndi Lauper hit "I Drove All Night", released to launch her new advertising campaign with Chrysler, incorporated dance-pop and rock and roll. The advertising deal itself, however was met with mixed criticism, with some stating that Dion was trying to please her sponsors. However, people like Bonita Stewart, who was the director of Chrysler Group Marketing Communications stated that "Chrysler was taken by how her appeal crossed ethnic lines." She also added, "She brings sophistication, refinement, romance and passion to the brand."

After ''One Heart'', Dion released her next English Language studio album, ''Miracle'' (2004). ''Miracle'' was a multimedia project conceived by Dion and photographer Anne Geddes, and had a theme centering on babies and motherhood. The album was filled with lullabies and other songs of maternal love and inspiration, the two most popular being covers of Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World" and John Lennon's "Beautiful Boy". The reviews for ''Miracle'' were mixed. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic.com gave the album three of out five stars, stating, "The worst you can say about the record is that there are no surprises, but the audience for this record doesn't want surprises; they want comfort, whether it arrives in polished music or artsy photos of newborns, and Miracle provides both, which makes it appealing for those expectant or new mothers in Dion's audience. Chuck Taylor of ''Billboard'' magazine wrote that the single "Beautiful Boy" was "an unexpected gem" and called Dion "a timeless, enormously versatile artist", Chuck Arnold of ''People'' Magazine, however, labeled the album as excessively sentimental, while Nancy Miller of ''Entertainment Weekly'' opined that "the whole earth-mama act is just opportunism, reborn". ''Miracle'' debuted at number four on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart and number one in Canada , and was eventually certified platinum by the RIAA.

The Francophone album ''1 fille & 4 types'' (''1 Girl & 4 Guys''), released in October 2003, fared better than her first two releases, and showed Dion trying to distance herself from the "diva" image. She recruited Jean-Jacques Goldman, Gildas Arzel, Eric Benzi, and Jacques Veneruso, with whom she had previously worked on two of her best-selling French albums ''S'il suffisait d'aimer'' and ''D'eux''. Labeled "the album of pleasure" by Dion herself, the album cover showed Dion in a simple and relaxed manner, contrary to the choreographed poses usually found on her album covers. The album achieved widespread commercial success in France, Canada, and Belgium where it reached number one. In France, the album debuted at number one and was later certified 2x platinum after selling over 700,000 copies. Critic, Stephen Erlewine of ''AllMusic'' wrote that Dion's vocals "are back at top of their game" and that she was "getting back to pop basics and performing at a level unheard in a while."

Though her albums were commercially successful, they did not achieve the sales or the reception of her previous works. Albums like ''The Collector's Series, Volume One'' (2000), and ''One Heart'' (2003) did not perform as well critically. Her songs received less airplay as radio became less embracing of balladeers like Dion, Carey, and Houston, and was focused on more up-tempo, Urban/Hip-hop songs. However, by 2004, Dion had accumulated sales of more than 175 million albums worldwide, and received the Chopard Diamond Award from the World Music Awards for her achievements. According to the official World Music Awards website, the award is rare; it is "not presented every year" and an artist can only be presented with the award for selling "over 100 million albums during their career."

''A New Day... Live in Las Vegas'': 2003–2007[link]

In early 2002 Dion had announced a three-year, 600-show contract to appear five nights a week in an entertainment extravaganza, ''A New Day...'', at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas. This move was seen as "one of the smartest business decisions in years by any major recording artist". She conceived the idea for the show after seeing ''O'' by Franco Dragone early in her break from recording, and began on March 25, 2003, in a 4,000-seat arena designed for her show. Many stars attended opening night including Dick Clark, Alan Thicke, Kathy Griffin, and Justin Timberlake, who hosted the television special. The show, put together by Dragone, was a combination of dance, music, and visual effects. It included Dion performing her biggest hits against an array of dancers and special effects. Reviewer Mike Weatherford felt that, at first, Dion was not as relaxed as she should be, and at times, it was hard to find the singer among the excessive stage ornamentations and dancers. However, he noted that the show had become more enjoyable, due to Dion's improved stage-presence and simpler costumes.

The show was also well-received by audiences, despite the complaints of expensive tickets; the show routinely sold out until its end in late 2007. Ticket prices averaged $135.33. The show was choreographed by Mia Michaels, who is a world renowned choreographer. According to ''Pollstar'', Dion sold 322,000 tickets and grossed US$43.9 million in the first half of 2005, and by July 2005, she had sold out 315 out of 384 shows. By the end of 2005, Dion grossed more than US$76 million, placing sixth on ''Billboard's Money Makers list for 2005''. ''A New Day...'' was the 6th biggest selling tour in America in 2006. Because of the show's success, Dion's contract was extended into 2007 for an undisclosed sum. On January 5, 2007 it was announced that the show would end on December 15, 2007, with tickets for the period after October 2007 having gone on sale from March 1. During its entire run, the show accumulated a total gross of $400 million, while being seen by nearly 3 million fans. The ''Live in Las Vegas - A New Day...'' DVD was released on December 10, 2007 in Europe and the following day in North America.

Back to studio and world tour: 2007–2009[link]

Dion's latest French language album, ''D'elles'' ''(About Them)'', released on May 21, 2007, debuted at the top of the Canadian album charts, selling 72,200 copies in its first week. It marked her tenth number-one album in the SoundScan era, and her eighth to debut at the top position. In Canada, the album has been certified 2× platinum, and within the first week had already shipped half a million units worldwide. ''D'Elles'' also reached No. 1 in France and Belgium. The first single "Et s'il n'en restait qu'une (je serais celle-là)" (meaning "And If There Was Only One Woman Left (I Would Be That One)") debuted at the top of the French singles chart a month earlier. She released her latest English album ''Taking Chances'' on November 12 in Europe, and on the November 13 in North America. Her first English studio album since 2003's ''One Heart'', it features pop, R&B;, and rock inspired music. Dion has collaborated with John Shanks and ex-Evanescence guitarist Ben Moody, as well as Kristian Lundin, Peer Astrom, Linda Perry, Japanese singer Yuna Ito, and R&B; singer-songwriter Ne-Yo. Dion stated, "I think this album represents a positive evolution in my career ... I'm feeling strong, maybe a little gutsier than in the past, and just as passionate about music and life as I ever was." She launched her year-long worldwide Taking Chances Tour on February 14, 2008 in South Africa, performing 132 dates in stadiums and arenas across five continents.

The Taking Chances Tour was a great success in the United States, reaching the Number 1 spot on the ''Billboard'' Boxscore and it sold out every concert in the U.S. and Canada. In addition, she appeared on Idol Gives Back for a second year in a row. Céline Dion was nominated for six Juno Awards in 2008, leading the group of Canadians to receive this honour,and adding to her 53 previous nominations. Her nominations included Artist of the Year, Pop Album of the Year (for ''Taking Chances''), Francophone Album of the Year (for ''D'elles'') and Album of the Year (for both ''Taking Chances'' and ''D'elles''). The following year, Dion was nominated for 3 Juno Awards including the Fan Choice Award, Song of the Year (for ''Taking Chances''), and Music DVD of the Year (for ''Live in Las Vegas — A New Day...'')

On August 22, 2008, Celine Dion presented a free show, exclusively francophone, outside on the Plains of Abraham, in Quebec City, Canada, for the 400th anniversary of Quebec City. The celebration gathered approximately 490,000 people (total with TV broadcast). The concert, called ''Céline sur les Plaines'', was released on DVD on November 11, 2008 in Quebec and was released on May 20, 2009 in France. The end of October saw the worldwide release of her first ever comprehensive English greatest hits album called ''My Love: Essential Collection'', available in two different album formats.

In May 2009, Celine Dion was named the 20th best-selling artist of the decade in the United States and the second-best-selling female artist of the decade in the United States, selling an estimated 17.57 million albums. In June 2009, ''Forbes'' reported that Dion earned $100 million during 2008. In December 2009, Pollstar announced that Dion was the best-selling solo touring act of the decade and the second-best-selling touring act of the decade, only to the Dave Matthews Band. Dion grossed $522.2 million during the decade, a large sum of that coming from her five-year residence at Caesars Palace.

Concert film and video release: late 2009–2010[link]

On February 17, 2010 Dion released into theatres a documentary film about her ''Taking Chances Tour'', titled, ''Celine: Through the Eyes of the World''. The documentary shows behind-the-scenes footage of Dion both onstage and offstage, along with footage of Dion with her family as they traveled with her. The distributor is the Sony Pictures subsidiary, Hot Ticket. The film was later released on Blu-ray and DVD on May 4, 2010, along with the CD/DVD, ''Taking Chances World Tour: The Concert'', which chronicled her world tour of the same name. At the 52nd Grammy Awards in February 2010, Dion joined Carrie Underwood, Usher, Jennifer Hudson and Smokey Robinson to perform the song "Earth Song" during the 3-D Michael Jackson tribute.

In January 2010, ''The Los Angeles Times'' presented its annual list of the top ten largest earners of the year, revealing that Dion took the top spot for the entire decade, with $US747.9 million in total revenue from 2000–2009. The largest haul came from ticket sales, totaling $522.2 million. Additionally, Dion was named "Artist of the Decade" in her native Canadian province of Quebec, announced by the Montreal-based newspaper, ''Le Journal de Quebec'' in 2009 December. A public online survey asked responders to vote for who they believe deserved the above-mentioned accolade.

Furthermore, in a May 2010 Harris Poll, Dion was named the most popular musician in the United States, ahead of U2, Elvis Presley, and The Beatles, while factoring in gender, political affiliations, geographic region of residence, and income. Specifically, Dion was the most popular musician in the female demographic, as well as among all Democrats, those who live in the eastern United States and southern United States, and those who have incomes between US$35k and US$74.9k.

In September 2010, she released the single "Voler", a duet with French singer Michel Sardou. The song was later included on Sardou's album. In addition, it was announced in October 2010 that Dion wrote and composed a new song for Canadian singer, Marc Dupré entitled "Entre deux mondes".

New Las Vegas show: 2011–present[link]

In an interview with ''People'' magazine published in February 2010, Dion announced that she will be returning to Caesars Palace in Las Vegas for ''Celine'', a three-year residency for seventy shows a year, beginning March 15, 2011. She stated that the show will feature, "all the songs from my repertoire that people want to hear" and will contain a selection of music from classic Hollywood films. In preparation for her return to Las Vegas, Dion, on February 21 made an appearance on ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'' during the show's final season, for a record twenty-seventh time and spoke about her upcoming Caesars Palace shows, as well as her family. Additionally, for a record sixth time, Dion performed at the 83rd Academy Awards, where she sang the song "Smile," as part of the ceremony's "In Memoriam" segment. On September 4, Dion appeared on the 2011 MDA Labor Telethon Event and showed a prerecorded performance of "Open Arms" from her new Las Vegas show. On October 1, 2011, OWN Network premiered a documentary on Dion's life, from months before her pregnancy with twins, to the makings of her new Las Vegas Show, called, "Celine: 3 Boys and a New Show". The documentary became the second highest rated show on TV OWN Canada. In October, FlightNetwork.com conducted a poll, asking 780 participants, which celebrity they would like to sit next to the most on an airplane. Dion was the top favorite, with 23.7% of the vote. Also, in September, Dion released her 14th perfume from her Celine Dion Parfums Collection, called "Signature".

On September 15, Dion made an appearance at the free concert of world famous tenor, Andrea Bocelli, in Central Park in New York. in 2012 dion performed at 16th Jazz and Blues Festival in jamaica. It's officially announced that Celine will release a new English album sometime in 2012.

Personal life[link]

Dion first met her husband and manager, Rene Angelil in 1980, when she was 12 and he was 38, after she and her mother sent him a demo tape of a song they had written. They began a relationship in 1987, and became engaged in 1991. They married on December 17, 1994, at the Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal, Quebec. On January 5, 2000, Dion and Angelil renewed their wedding vows in Las Vegas.

In May 2000, Dion had two small operations at a fertility clinic in New York to improve her chances of conceiving, after deciding to use in-vitro fertilisation after years of failed attempts to conceive. Their first son, René-Charles Angelil, was born on January 25, 2001. In May 2010, Angelil announced that Dion was 14 weeks pregnant with twins after a sixth treatment of in-vitro fertilisation. On Saturday, October 23, 2010, at 11:11 and 11:12 am respectively, at St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, Dion, by Caesarean section, gave birth to two healthy fraternal twins weighing 5 pounds 10 ounces and 5 pounds 4 ounces. The twins were named Eddy, after Dion's favorite Algerian songwriter Eddy Marnay who also produced Dion's first five albums, and Nelson, after former South African President Nelson Mandela. Dion appeared with her newborn sons on the cover of the December 9, 2010 issue of the Canadian edition of ''Hello!'' magazine.

Artistry and image[link]

Dion grew up listening to the music of Aretha Franklin, Charles Aznavour, Michael Jackson, Carole King, Anne Murray, Barbra Streisand, and the Bee Gees, all of whom she would eventually collaborate with. Dion has also stated she grew up listening to artists such as Janis Joplin, the Doobie Brothers, and Creedence Clearwater Revival, but never got the chance to sing their genre of music. She also was inspired by fellow vocalist Whitney Houston, whom Dion has often been compared to. Her music has been influenced by numerous genres, including pop, rock, gospel, R&B; and soul, and her lyrics focus on themes of poverty, world hunger, and spirituality, with an emphasis on love and romance. After the birth of her child, her work also began to emphasize maternal bond and brotherly love.

Dion has faced considerable criticism from critics, who state that her music often retreats behind pop and soul conventions, and is marked by excessive sentimentality. According to Keith Harris of ''Rolling Stone'' magazine, "[Dion's] sentimentality is bombastic and defiant rather than demure and retiring....[she] stands at the end of the chain of drastic devolution that goes Aretha-Whitney-Mariah. Far from being an aberration, Dion actually stands as a symbol of a certain kind of pop sensibility—bigger is better, too much is never enough, and the riper the emotion the more true." Dion's francophone releases, by contrast, tend to be deeper and more varied than her English releases, and consequently have achieved more credibility.

Critics have stated that Dion's involvement in the production aspect of her music is fundamentally lacking, which results in her work being overproduced and impersonal. However, coming from a family in which all of her siblings were musicians, she learned to play instruments like piano and guitar, and practiced with a Fender Stratocaster during the recording sessions of her album, ''Falling into You''. Also, she helped to compose many of her earlier French songs, and had always tried to involve herself with the production and recording of her albums. On her first English album, which she recorded before she had a firm command of the English language, she expressed disapproval of the record, which could have been avoided if she had assumed more creative input. By the time she released her second English album ''Celine Dion'', she had assumed more control of the production and recording process, hoping to dispel earlier criticisms. She stated, "On the second album I said, 'Well, I have the choice to be afraid one more time and not be 100% happy, or not be afraid and be part of this album.' This is my album." She would continue to involve herself in the production of subsequent releases, helping to write a few of her songs on ''Let's Talk About Love'' (1997) and ''These Are Special Times'' (1998).

Dion is often the subject of media ridicule and parody, and is frequently impersonated on shows like ''MADtv'', ''Saturday Night Live'', ''South Park'', ''Royal Canadian Air Farce'' and ''This Hour Has 22 Minutes'' for her strong accent and on-stage movements. However, Dion has stated that she is unaffected by the comments, and is flattered that people take the time to impersonate her. She even invited Ana Gasteyer, who parodied her on ''SNL'', to appear on stage during one of her performances. While she is rarely politically outspoken, in 2005 following the Hurricane Katrina disaster, Dion appeared on ''Larry King Live'' and tearfully criticized the U.S. government's slow response in aiding the victims of the hurricane: "There's people still there waiting to be rescued. To me that is not acceptable...How can it be so easy to send planes in another country to kill everybody in a second and destroy lives. We need to serve our country." After her interview, she stated, "When I do interviews with Larry King or the big TV shows like that, they put you on the spot, which is very difficult. I do have an opinion, but I'm a singer. I'm not a politician."

Voice[link]

Dion is often regarded as one of pop music's most influential voices. She has been described as a reigning "Queen of Pop" for her influence over the record industry during the 1990s, alongside other female entertainers, including Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. In a countdown of the "22 Greatest Voices in Music" by ''Blender Magazine'' and MTV, she placed ninth (sixth for a female), and she was also placed fourth in ''Cove'' magazine's list of "The 100 Outstanding Pop Vocalists." Dion is often compared to Mariah Carey for her vocal style and to her idol, Barbra Streisand, for her voice.

According to various sources, Dion possesses a five-octave vocal range. Regarding the power of Dion's voice, Regine Crespin states, "The volume as such is thin, but thanks to her perfect mastery of the nasal backing, her voice acquires an incisive and penetrating timbre, with a great harmonic richness." Dion states she is a mezzo-soprano, while Regine Crespin and André Tubeuf state she is probably a lyric soprano. However, attempts to adopt classical voice types to other forms of singing has been met with controversy. Without making a classification, maestro Kent Nagano remarked, "All you just sang was soprano," after Dion auditioned with two solos of ''Carmen,'' wanting to know if she could sing opera. Her timbre has been described as "fresh," as well as "thin, slightly nasal, nearly vibratoless," with a "raspy" lower register and "bell glass-like high notes." According to French soprano, Regine Crespin, Dion's voice is "comparable to oboe, because of its nasal and fruity timbre and it is mordant in high notes." Crespin is also circumspect about Dion's highest notes, stating, "She doesn't have a head voice," further remarking, "she uses falsetto," which is "disconnected to the normal voice body."

Dion is often praised for her technical virtuosity. Stephen Holden of ''The New York Times,'' writes, "Ms. Dion [...] is a belter with a high, thin, slightly nasal, nearly vibratoless soprano and a good-sized arsenal of technical skills. She can deliver tricky melismas, produce expressive vocal catches and sustain long notes without the tiniest wavering of pitch. And as her duets [...] have shown, she is a reliable harmony voice." In an interview with ''Libération'', Jean-Jacques Goldman states that she has "no problem of accuracy or tempo." According to Kent Nagano, maestro of the Munich Symphony Orchestra, Dion is "a musician who has a good ear, a refinement, and a degree of perfection that is envious." Mezzo-soprano, Cecilia Bartoli and soprano, Joan Sutherland have expressed that Dion has a very good legato, while Charles Alexander of ''TIME'' states, "[Her] voice glides effortlessly from deep whispers to dead-on high notes, a sweet siren that combines force with grace."

In her French repertoire, Dion adorns her vocals with more nuances and modulations, with the emotional intensity being "more tender and intimate." Additionally, Luc Plamondon, a French singer-songwriter who has written several works for Dion states that there are three chanteuse that Dion uses: the Québécois, the French, and the American. Her latest fragrance, ''Signature'', was released in September 2011with an advertising campaign by New York agency Kraftworks NYC. Since its inception, ''Celine Dion Parfums'' has grossed over $850 million in retail sales. In October 2004, Air Canada hired Dion as part of their promotional campaign to unveil new service products and an updated livery. "You and I", the theme song sung by Dion, was written by advertising executives working for Air Canada.

Dion has actively supported many charity organizations, worldwide. She has promoted the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CCFF) since 1982, and became the foundation's National Celebrity Patron in 1993. She has an emotional attachment to the foundation; her niece Karine succumbed to the disease at the age of sixteen. In 2003, Dion joined a number of other celebrities, athletes, and politicians, including Josh Groban and Yolanda Adams to support "World Children's Day", a global fundraising effort sponsored by McDonald's. The effort raised money from more than 100 nations and benefited orphanages and children's health organizations. In addition, Dion has been a major supporter of the T.J. Martell Foundation, the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fund, and many health and educational campaigns. During the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Dion donated $1 million to the victims of the storm, and held a fund-raising event for the victims of the 2004 Asian Tsunami, which subsequently raised more than $1 million. After the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, Dion donated $100,000 to China Children & Teenagers' Fund and sent a letter showing her consolation and support.

In 1999, Dion received a star on Canada's Walk of Fame and also a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in January 2004. She dedicated her star to her father, who died the month prior. In 2007, Celine Dion was ranked by ''Forbes'' as the 5th richest woman in entertainment with an estimated net worth of US$250 million, though the ranking omitted non-working or retired celebrities. She also received France's highest award, the Légion d'honneur, in May 2008. In August 2008, she received an honorary doctorate in music from the Université Laval in Quebec City. In October 2010, Dion was named a Goodwill Ambassador, a program created by the UN in 1999. She shared this accolade with Oscar-winner, Susan Sarandon.

Discography[link]

French albums

1981: ''La voix du bon Dieu''

1982: ''Tellement j'ai d'amour...''

1983: ''Les chemins de ma maison''

1984: ''Mélanie''

1985: ''C'est pour toi''

1987: ''Incognito''

1991: ''Dion chante Plamondon''

1995: ''D'eux''

1998: ''S'il suffisait d'aimer''

2003: ''1 fille & 4 types''

2007: ''D'elles''

English albums

1990: ''Unison''

1992: ''Celine Dion''

1993: ''The Colour of My Love''

1996: ''Falling into You''

1997: ''Let's Talk About Love''

2002: ''A New Day Has Come''

2003: ''One Heart''

2004: ''Miracle''

2007: ''Taking Chances''

Holiday albums

1981: ''Céline Dion chante Noël''

1983: ''Chants et contes de Noël''

1998: ''These Are Special Times''

Tours[link]

!Year	!Title	!Releases
1983–1984	Les chemins de ma maison tournée	None
1985	C'est pour toi tournée	Vinyl ''Céline Dion en concert''
1988	Incognito tournée	None
1990–1991	Unison Tour
1992–1993	Celine Dion in Concert	None
1994–1995	The Colour of My Love Tour	VHS/DVD ''The Colour of My Love Concert''; CD ''À l'Olympia''
1995	D'eux Tour
1996–1997	Falling into You Tour	VHS ''Live in Memphis''
1998–1999	Let's Talk About Love World Tour
2003–2007	''A New Day...''	DVD/BD ''Live in Las Vegas - A New Day...''; CD ''A New Day... Live in Las Vegas''
2008–2009	Taking Chances Tour	DVD ''Céline sur les Plaines''; DVD/BD ''Celine: Through the Eyes of the World''; DVD/CD ''Taking Chances World Tour: The Concert''
2011–2014

Filmography[link]

''Touched by an Angel''

''The Nanny''

''All My Children''

''La fureur de Céline''

''Des fleurs sur la neige''

''Céline sur les Plaines''

''Celine: Through the Eyes of the World''

See also[link]

List of awards received by Celine Dion

List of best-selling music artists

Notes[link]

References[link]

''Céline Dion''. Artist direct. Retrieved on December 18, 2005.

"Celine Dion." ''Contemporary Musicians, Volume 25''. Gale Group, 1999.

"Celine Dion." ''Newsmakers 1995'', Issue 4. Gale Research, 1995.

''Céline Dion'' Rock on the Net. Retrieved November 20, 2005.

Céline Dion ''The Canadian Encyclopedia''. Retrieved July 2, 2006

''Céline Dion'' provided by VH1.com Retrieved August 16, 2005.

''Dion extends long Las Vegas stint'' bbc news. com. Retrieved November 5, 2005.

Durchholz, Daniel. ''Review: One Heart''. ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch''. St. Louis, Mo.: April 24, 2003. p. F.3

''The 100 Outstanding Pop Vocalist'' covemagazine.com Retrieved November 1, 2005.

''Joel Whitburn Presents the Billboard Hot 100 Charts: The Nineties'' (ISBN 0-89820-137-3)

World Music Awards ''Diamond Award'' Retrieved November 1, 2005, (Search by year required)

Further reading[link]

External links[link]

CelineDion.com – Official website operated by Sony Music Canada (English, French).

Celine Dion YouTube Channel

Celine Dion at WN

[ Celine Dion] at Allmusic

Celine Dion at Billboard.com

FAO Goodwill Ambassador website

Johnny Loganwith "Hold Me Now"}} Rivawith "Rock Me"}}

Category:1968 births Category:Ballad musicians Category:Canadian child singers Category:Canadian dance musicians Category:Canadian expatriate musicians in the United States Category:Canadian female singers Category:Canadian philanthropists Category:Canadian pop singers Category:Canadian Roman Catholics Category:Canadian sopranos Category:Canadian voice actors Category:Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur Category:Companions of the Order of Canada Category:Eurovision Song Contest entrants of 1988 Category:Eurovision Song Contest winners Category:French-language singers of Canada Category:French Quebecers Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Ivor Novello Award winners Category:Juno Award winners Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Montreal Category:Officers of the National Order of Quebec Category:People from Henderson, Nevada Category:People from the Las Vegas Valley Category:People from Martin County, Florida Category:People from Toronto Category:Swiss Eurovision Song Contest entrants Category:World Music Awards winners

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Nick Lazzarini (born c. 1984), an American dancer. He is best known as the first season winner on the Fox reality show ''So You Think You Can Dance''. He is a trained dancer in jazz, lyrical, hip hop, ballet and modern dance styles.

Early life[link]

Lazzarini was born to Italian/American parents. Lazzarini grew up in Mountain View, California in the San Francisco Bay Area. He graduated from Springer Elementary in Mountain View, California and Blach Intermediate School in Los Altos, California. Lazzarini began attending Showbiz when he was 8 years old. In the early 2000s, he travelled every other weekend from San Francisco to Fresno to dance at Dance Rage. He was trained under Keith Banks. His performance at Showbiz in 2001 caught the attention of ''Dance Spirit'' magazine, and they featured him on the cover of their October 2001 issue.

At the time of his appearance on "So You Think You Can Dance," he was living in Van Nuys, California.

Early career[link]

Lazzarini has been dancing since age four and began teaching and doing choreography at age fourteen.

In 2003, Lazzarini, competing as part of a dance group called Hot Under The Collar, appeared on CBS's "Star Search" remake.

Prior to competing on the Fox reality show, Lazzarini spent two years at the Dance Company of San Francisco and also toured Europe with the RAW dance company, which was founded by choreographer Mia Michaels (one of the judges on "So You Think You Can Dance").

''So You Think You Can Dance''[link]

Lazzarini was the first person auditioned for the show, before it even began. Nigel and Bonnie Lythgoe approached him to see if he would be a good match for a show they were then planning. For his win on the first season of the show, Lazzarini received a prize of a $100,000 cash prize and the use of a penthouse apartment in Manhattan for one year. According to judge Nigel Lythgoe, Lazzarini chose to exchange the value of the apartment for a cash equivalent.

Post ''SYTYCD''[link]

Lazzarini became the first person ever to appear on the cover of ''Dance Spirit'' twice, with the January 2006 issue. Beginning in March 2006, Lazzarini became a founding member (of 15) of the Evolution Dance Company, which debuted at the OC Pavilion in Santa Ana, California, alongside ''SYTYCD'' alumni Melody Lacayanga and Craig DeRosa. Choreographers in the company include Liz Imperio and Mia Michaels.

Lazzarini is a faculty member of Jump Dance Convention (www.breakthefloor.com).

In November 2011, Oxygen Media announced that Nick along with fellow dancers Travis Wall, Teddy Forance, and Kyle Robinson is a part of their series in development tentatively titled "All the Right Moves." This docu-series follows the four dancers as they work to start a new dance company in LA called Shaping Sound.

Personal life[link]

Lazzarini is best friends with Melody Lacayanga, and they have been since their teens.

Awards and honors[link]

Junior Mr. Dance of America.

Teen Mr. Dance of America.

References[link]

External links[link]

Star Search bio page

"Nick Lazzarini, star of FOX's 'So You Think You Can Dance,' returns home for a visit," Eliza Ridgeway, Los Altos Town Crier, October 26, 2005

Help Is On the Way, Cast Details, 2006

"Team Of Young Dancers Learns From Moves Of Professionals," Megan Boswell, Southern Maryland Newspapers Online, November 28, 2007

"Yon Students Of Blach Doth Hold Medieval Faire," Los Altos Town Crier, June 16, 1997

.pdf document, "DMA 2006 Intensive Ballet/Convention Faculty," Dance Masters of America

"So Let's Dance! The Winner Of Fox TV's 'So You think You Can Dance?,'" Kaustuv Basu, The Saratoga News, October 26, 2005

Category:Living people Category:American dancers Category:Reality show winners Category:So You Think You Can Dance contestants Category:So You Think You Can Dance winners Category:1984 births

da:Nick Lazzarini no:Nick Lazzarini

name	Sonya Tayeh
birth date	April 14, 1977
birth place	Brooklyn, New York, United States
education	Wayne State University (BFA)
occupation	Dancer, choreographer
years active	2002–present (Dancer)
dances	Combat Jazz, Lyrical, and Contemporary }}

Sonya Tayeh is an American dancer and choreographer. She appears as a guest judge and choreographer on the Fox television series ''So You Think You Can Dance'', directing jazz and contemporary dance numbers.

Early life and education[link]

Born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Tayeh started dancing in college and graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Arts from Wayne State University in 2002.

Career[link]

Tayeh has appeared in various episodes over four seasons of the Fox show, ''So You Think You Can Dance''. She has instructed dance at the Edge Performing Arts Center, the Millennium Dance Complex, and the Tayeh Dance Company in Los Angeles, California and the Dance Studios Tour specializing in contemporary funk and progressive contact.

In January 2009, Tayeh was named one of "25 to Watch" by ''Dance Magazine''.

Style and influences[link]

Tayeh has described her unique choreographing style as "combat jazz," because "[i]t’s staccato, aggressive, and engaged, even when it’s slow. I’m always ready for battle."

She cites the influence of Detroit culture — the "home of Motown, Techno, and other forms of inventive dance" — as a foundation for her art. After exploring the possibilities of "freestyle movement," Tayeh studied form and technique at Wayne State University, where she drew on dance history, anatomy, and performance to develop a style that is built on core strength, aggressive partner interaction, and quirky, stylized movements.

''So You Think You Can Dance''[link]

Choreography

{|class="wikitable" |- !Season !Couple !Style !Music |- |rowspan="3"|4 |Kourtni LindMatt Dorame |Contemporary |"Wrestlers (Sticky, Dirty Pop Mix)"—Hot Chip |- |Chelsie HightowerGev Manoukian |Contemporary |"These Arms of Mine"—Otis Redding |- |Courtney GalianoMark Kanemura |Jazz |"The Garden"—Mirah |- |rowspan="6"|5 |Melissa SandvigAde Obayomi |Jazz |"24 Hours" (The Aston Shuffle A-Bomb Remix)—Terry Poison |- |Kayla RadomskiKupono Aweau |Contemporary |"Eyes On Fire"—Blue Foundation |- |Janette ManraraEvan Kasprzak |Jazz |"Move" (Metronomy Remix)—CSS |- |Ade ObayomiEvan KasprzakBrandon Bryant |Jazz |"True Romance"—She Wants Revenge |- |Jeanine MasonMelissa SandvigKayla Radomski |Jazz |"Kick It (Stereoheroes Remix)"—Nina Martine |- |Jeanine MasonEvan Kasprzak |Jazz |"Heartbreaker"—MSTRKRFT featuring John Legend |- |rowspan="7"|6 |Ellenore ScottMollee GrayPauline Mata |Jazz |"On a Cloud"—Platinum Pied Pipers |- |Ellenore ScottRyan Di Lello |Contemporary Jazz |"Arcadia"—Apparat |- |Kathryn McCormickJonathan "Legacy" Perez |Jazz |"So Deep"—Hot Chip |- |Jakob KarrAshleigh Di Lello |Lyrical Jazz |"Time Flies"—Lykke Li |- |Jakob KarrEllenore Scott |Jazz |"Tore My Heart"—OONA & Dave Tweedie |- |Ashleigh Di LelloRussell Ferguson |Lyrical Jazz |"Angel Standing By"—Jewel |- |Top 8 |Jazz |"Pon de Floor"(Samantha Ronson remix)—Major Lazer feat. Vybz Kartel |- |rowspan="7"|7 |Courtney GalianoNeil HaskellAshley GalvanRobert RoldanAdéchiké Torbert |Jazz |"Freak"—Estelle feat.Kardinal Offishall |- |Cristina SantanaMark Kanemura |Jazz |"Starstruck"—Santigold |- |Alex WongAllison Holker |Contemporary |"Hallelujah"—Jeff Buckley |- |Robert RoldanCourtney Galiano |Jazz |"XXXO"—M.I.A. |- |Top 10 |Jazz |"Royal T"—Crookers feat.Róisín Murphy |- |Jose RuizAllison Holker |Contemporary |"Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind Theme-Jon Brion |- |Kent BoydKathryn McCormick |Jazz |"Tightrope -Janelle Monae |- |rowspan="11"|8 |- |Jordan CasanovaMarko GermarMissy MorelliClarice Ordaz |Jazz |"Vanguardian"—Steed Lord |- |Top 10 Girls |Jazz |"Pop Drop & Roll"—Chonique Sneed & Lisette Bustamante |- |Caitlynn LawsonRobert Roldan |Jazz |"In For the Kill" (Skream's Let's Get Ravey Remix)—La Roux |- |Top 20 |Jazz |""XR2"—M.I.A. |- |Ashley RichChris Koehl |Jazz |"Lights Go Down" (District 78 remix)—Telepathe |- |Ryan RamirezRicky Jaime |Contemporary |"With Every Heartbeat" (Acoustic)—Robyn |- |Allison HolkerMarko Germar |Contemporary |"I Know It's Over"—Jeff Buckley |- |Melanie MooreSasha Mallory |Jazz |"Game On"—District 78 |- |Ellenore ScottTadd Gadduang |Jazz |"The Gulag Orkestar"—Beirut |- |Caitlynn LawsonMarko Germar |Lyrical Jazz |"Heavy In Your Arms"—Florence and the Machine |- |Sasha MalloryMark Kanemura |Jazz |"Raise Your Weapon"—Deadmau5 |- |Top 20 |Jazz |"Wanna Get Hype"—District 78 |}

References[link]

Category:American dancers Category:American choreographers Category:So You Think You Can Dance choreographers Category:Dance Magazine's "25 to Watch" Category:1977 births Category:Living people

no:Sonya Tayeh sv:Sonya Tayeh

Name	Chaz Bono
Birth name	Chastity Sun Bono
Birth date	March 04, 1969
Birth place	Los Angeles, California, US
Other names	Chaz Salvatore Bono
Known for	Sonny & Cher's only child together, LGBT activism, writing
Occupation	Writer, musician, activist
Years active	1972–present
Parents	Sonny Bono, Cher
Website	}}

Chaz Salvatore Bono (born Chastity Sun Bono; March 4, 1969) is an American transgender advocate, writer, and musician. Bono is the only child of American entertainers Sonny and Cher, though each had children from other relationships. Bono is a transgender man.

In 1995, after several years of being outed as lesbian by the tabloid press, Bono publicly self-identified as such in a cover story in a leading American gay monthly magazine, ''The Advocate''. Bono went on to discuss the process of coming out to oneself and to others in two books. ''Family Outing: A Guide to the Coming Out Process for Gays, Lesbians, and Their Families'' (1998) includes the author's coming out account. The memoir, ''The End of Innocence'' (2003) discusses the author's outing, music career, and partner Joan's death from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Between 2008 and 2010, Bono underwent female-to-male gender transition. A two-part ''Entertainment Tonight'' feature in June 2009 explained that Bono's transition had started a year before. In May 2010, Bono legally changed gender and name. A documentary on Bono's experience, ''Becoming Chaz'', was screened at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and later made its television debut on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network.

Early life[link]

Bono is the only child of Cher and Sonny Bono of the pop duo Sonny & Cher, stars of a TV variety show on which the young child often appeared. Bono was named ''Chastity Sun Bono'' after the film ''Chastity'', which was produced by Sonny and in which Cher (in her first feature film) played a bisexual woman.

Bono came out to both parents as lesbian at age 18. In ''Family Outing'', Bono wrote that, "as a child, I always felt there was something different about me. I'd look at other girls my age and feel perplexed by their obvious interest in the latest fashion, which boy in class was the cutest, and who looked the most like cover girl Christie Brinkley. When I was 13, I finally found a name for exactly how I was different. I realized I was gay."

Ceremony[link]

Bono began a short music career with the band Ceremony, which released one album, ''Hang Out Your Poetry'', in 1993. The band featured Bono on vocals, acoustic guitar, and percussion. Other members were Steve March Tormé (backup vocals), Heidi Shink a.k.a. Chance, Pete McRae, Steve Bauman, Louis Ruiz, and Bryn Mathieu. All but one of the band's songs were written or co-written by Bono, Shink, and Mark Hudson. They used no synthesizers or digital effects on the album; Shink noted, "We turned our back on technology. [ ... ] It's reminiscent of the 60s, but more a tip of the hat than emulating it. We took the music we love and rejuvenated it, made it 90's."

The song "Could've Been Love" was released as a single from the album. The album's other tracks are "Goodbye Sunshine", "Steal Your Heart", "Day by Day", "Ready for Love", "Ready for Love (Refrain)", "Hang Out Your Poetry", "Turn It Over", "Trust", "2 of 1", "First Day of My Life", "Breathless", "Living in a Paradise", and "Livin' It Up". Sonny and Cher recorded backing vocals (uncredited) for the last song.

LGBT activism[link]

In April 1995, Bono came out as lesbian in an interview with ''The Advocate'', a national gay and lesbian magazine. The 1998 book ''Family Outing'' detailed how Bono's coming out "catapulted me into a political role that has transformed my life, providing me with affirmation as a lesbian, as a woman, and as an individual." In the same book, Bono reported that Cher, who was both a gay icon and ally to LGBT communities, was quite uncomfortable with the news at first, and "went ballistic" before coming to terms with it: "By August 1996, one year after I came out publicly, my mother had progressed so far that she agreed to 'come out' herself on the cover of ''The Advocate'' as the proud mother of a lesbian daughter." Cher has since become an outspoken LGBT rights activist.

Bono's paternal relationship became strained after Sonny became a Republican Congressman from California. The differences in their political views separated them, and the two had not spoken for more than a year at the time of Sonny's fatal skiing accident in January 1998.

Bono worked as a writer at large for ''The Advocate''. As a social activist, Bono became a spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign, promoted National Coming Out Day, campaigned for the reelection of Bill Clinton for US President, campaigned against the Defense of Marriage Act, and served as Entertainment Media Director for the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). Bono was a team captain for ''Celebrity Fit Club 3'' (2006) and was supported by girlfriend Jennifer Elia, who orchestrated exercise and training sessions.

Gender transition[link]

In mid-2008, Bono began undergoing a physical and social gender transition from female to male. This was confirmed in June 2009 by his publicist, who identified Bono's preferred name as ''Chaz Bono'' and said, "It is Chaz's hope that his choice to transition will open the hearts and minds of the public regarding this issue, just as his coming out did." GLAAD and the Empowering Spirits Foundation were quick to offer praise and support for the announcement. Bono's legal transition was completed on May 8, 2010, when a California court granted his request for a gender and name change. He chose the name "Chaz Salvatore Bono" in honor of his parents. Bono made ''Becoming Chaz'', a documentary film about his gender transition that premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network acquired the rights to the documentary and debuted it on May 10, 2011.

In September 2011, Bono became a competitor on the 13th season of the US version of ''Dancing with the Stars'', paired with professional ballroom dancer Lacey Schwimmer. The duo was eliminated October 25, 2011.

Bibliography[link]

''Family Outing'' (with Billie Fitzpatrick) (1998) ISBN 0-316-10233-4

''The End of Innocence: A Memoir'' (with Michele Kort) (2003) ISBN 1-55583-795-6

Bono, Chaz, and Billie Fitzpatrick. ''Transition: the story of how I became a man.'' New York: Dutton, 2011. Print.

Footnotes[link]

External links[link]

The Official Chaz Bono Website

[ Allmusic.com entry on Bono's band Ceremony]

Category:1969 births Category:American child actors Category:American musicians of Armenian descent Category:Celebrity Fit Club participants Category:Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School alumni Category:LGBT musicians from the United States Category:LGBT rights activists from the United States Category:Living people Category:People from Los Angeles, California Category:Transgender and transsexual actors Category:Transgender and transsexual musicians Category:Transgender and transsexual writers

ca:Chaz Bono cy:Chastity Bono de:Chaz Bono es:Chaz Bono id:Chaz Bono it:Chaz Bono pt:Chaz Bono ru:Боно, Чез simple:Chaz Bono