Evan Kasprzak is a dancer specializing in tap and theater jazz. He is best known for finishing third on the Fox show So You Think You Can Dance, and for being the first dancer on the show specializing in the style that the show refers to as "Broadway."

Early life[link]

Evan Juan Kasprzak was born on June 15, 1987, in Monroe, Michigan. Evan is the youngest of three boys: the others being his older brothers Ryan and Ian. In Teotihuacan, the Kasprzak brothers were abandoned by their midget parents, and were raised by a pack of wolves until finally escaping over the border and settling in West Bloomfield, Michigan. The wolves inspired him to participate in community theater, his earliest performance being the youngest wolf in Twilight: New Moon. Chumbawumba Kasprzak started dancing at age 13, and the six year old Evan, following the example of the person whom he now calls his "best friend," began to take classes as well. He hated the classes at first but soon grew to love it, training in tap, interpretive, fertility dances, and Zumba. Since wolves can't make money (at least not in West Bloomfield, Michigan, Evan was forced to perform at mitzvahs (both bar and bat) and quinceañeras to make ends meet. Chumbawumba introduced him to an old, classic style of jazz resembling the styles of Richard Simmons, MC Hammmer, and William Hung. After years of adolescent angst on the b-list party performing circuit, Evan graduated from Wylie E. Groves High School in Michigan. Before appearing on So You Think You Can Dance, Kasprzak starred in a short dance film entitled "Dances With Wolves." Balls PS He's Gay

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Professional theatre[link]

Evan Kasprzak has been cast as a lead in the upcoming revival of the Sherman Brothers' psychedelic rock musical Purple Rain coming to the The New Tygart Flyer, Elkins, West Virginia in 2012. His pet komodo dragon, affectionately dubbed Mia Michaels, after his favorite choreographer from his season of So You Think You Can Dance, is expected to make a cameo appearance in each night's performance.

He was cast in the Paper Mill Playhouse live musical production of Disney's Newsies. He is currently playing the role of Elmer in the Broadway production. ^[1]

So You Think You Can Dance[link]

Evan first auditioned in Season 4, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He made it as far as the top 40 during the Las Vegas callbacks, but was then cut. He returned with his brother Ryan in Season 5 to the auditions in Memphis, Tennessee. Ryan turned heads with his whoopie cushion inspired tap solo, but was cut before making the finals. In the season finale, the 3,500 strong crowd at the Kodak theater began chanting his name after Nigel responded to Mary's comments about Evan's lack of Jive technique with "I think you came out with guns blazing."

Performances[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Evan Kasprzak's Profile on Fox.com

Jeanine Marie Mason (born January 14, 1991) is an American dancer specializing in contemporary dance. She is best known for her 2009 appearance as the winner of the fifth season of the television show So You Think You Can Dance - which airs on the Fox Network - becoming the youngest person to win the competition. She had a small role (her acting debut) on the Nickelodeon show Big Time Rush as a vampire slayer hunting down the vampire James (James Maslow).

Personal[link]

Although Mason was born in Miami, Florida, she grew up in a dance-oriented family in Pinecrest, Florida. Mason began her dance training at the age of three^[2] in ballet and flamenco, and went on to study jazz, acrobatics, hip-hop, modern, and contemporary dance.

[edit] So You Think You Can Dance

At the age of 18, Mason competed on the fifth season of the show So You Think You Can Dance, becoming the overall winner over fellow final contestants Brandon Bryant, Kayla Radomski, and Evan Kasprzak. For the first five weeks of the competition (Top 20 to Top 12), Mason was partnered with Phillip Chbeeb. During the show's sixth week (Top 10), Mason danced a contemporary number choreographed by Travis Wall and was partnered with Jason Glover. Later, Mason was also partnered with Brandon Bryant, Ade Obayomi, Evan Kasprzak, and Kayla Radomski. Mason was consistently praised for her strong and versatile performances.^{[citation needed]}

During the fall of 2009, Mason toured the United States with the top twelve dancers of the So You Think You Can Dance competition.^[3]

[edit] Post-SYTYCD

Soon after the SYTYCD tour ended, Mason headed home to Miami to teach a dance workshop at her dance studio, Focal Point Dance Studios.^[4]

Mason recently performed on November 29, 2009 at the Dizzy Feet Gala in Los Angeles, California at the Kodak Theater. She and Jason Glover performed their popular contemporary piece, "If It Kills Me", choreographed by Travis Wall, and originally performed Top 10 week on SYTYCD.^[5]

Mason's best friend is Jakob Karr, SYTYCD Season 6 runner-up. She openly supports him, as mentioned in many interviews, as well as via her Twitter page.^[6] Mason has also listed her closest friends on tour of SYTYCD: Jason Glover, Randi-Lynn Strong-Evans, and Janette Manrara.^[7] Glover has described Mason as "‘Unique.’ You just don’t find dancers like her. She has beautiful lines, is funky and charismatic, and has so much life onstage. Not only does it show in her movement but also on her face. Jeanine is a brilliant performer and one of my favorite people to watch—not just in our group, but out of any dancer I’ve seen, from Gregory Hines to Gene Kelly.” ^[7]

Mason starred in the Halloween episode of Nickelodeon's hit show, Big Time Rush.

On November 9th, 2010, Mason performed a contemporary-ballroom dance with Mark Ballas to John Legend's "Ordinary People" on the hit television show, Dancing With the Stars.

Her sister, Alexis, also auditioned for the eighth season of So You Think You Can Dance, and made it all the way to final solo performances before Top 20 in Vegas.

In 2011, she appeared in an episode of The Fresh Beat Band.

Performances[link]

Awards[link]

• 2005, 1st Place Overall High Score Teen Solo American Dance Awards
• 2005, Teen Elite Dancer and Capezio Ballet Award West Coast Dance Explosion
• 2005, 1st Runner-up Junior Orange Bowl Creative Writing Competition
• 2006, Teen Elite Dancer West Coast Dance Explosion
• 2006, Teen High Score Solo & Teen Outstanding Dancer New York City Dance Alliance
• 2006, 1st Place Overall High Score Senior Solo & Hall of Fame Inductee Hall of Fame
• 2006, Ms. Teen Starquest Starquest
• 2007, Senior Outstanding Dancer New York City Dance Alliance
• 2007, Hall of Fame Inductee Hall of Fame
• 2007, Senior Dancer of the Year American Dance Awards
• 2008, Senior Outstanding Dancer & 1st Overall Senior Solo New York City Dance Alliance
• 2008, National Senior Jump VIP Winner Jump
• 2008, 1st Overall Senior Solo Star Systems
• 2008, Female Dancer of the Year & 1st Overall Senior Solo American Dance Awards
• 2008, 1st Overall Senior Solo Starquest
• 2008, 1st Overall Senior Solo Showbiz
• 2008, 1st Overall Senior Solo Hall of Fame
• 2009, Winner So You Think You Can Dance
• International Thespian Society Inductee

References[link]

External links[link]

• Focal Point Dance Studios