“SYTYCD” Tour Comes To An End, But It’s Only The Beginning For Community Dancer”

 In Dellos

Jordan Casanova, former Dellos Dance Studio alumni & Chino Hills resident, recently returned from a 32-city U.S. tour featuring the Top 10 Finalists of the Fox station’s remarkable Season 8 hit.

School and dance friends, neighbors, relatives and Jace’s (her studio nick-name) closest family members, gathered at her Chino Hills residence to celebrate her accomplishments and to welcome her home after being on the road for eight grueling, hard-working weeks.   Photos were being snapped from all directions as the guests shared their favorite TV moments with Jordan.  The evening ended with live singing, with Jace confidently performing, “Welcome To The Cabaret” to the surprise and delight of her guests!  When I asked if she was happy to be back in her own bed Jace smiled, “It feels so good to be home with my family…I didn’t realize how much I would actually miss my own room, my parents and my little brother, too!” She smiled, “My roommate on the tour was Melanie, the dancer who won the “America’s Favorite Dancer” title…we became really close and there wasn’t any weird feelings between the two of us…everyone was actually pulling for each-other!” I know you’ve been asked this question a million times, but what was your favorite memory of this experience?  “Probably meeting all of the fantastic people associated with the show…like everybody was amazing.  The producers, costumers, make-up people and choreographers were cool and everything moved so fast so the weeks just flew by.  We found time to rehearse whenever we could and our bodies were all bruised up.  But we all loved each-other like a big family!  What I’ll miss the most are the friends I made…we’ve promised to keep in touch.  Some are already travelling around the world teaching master classes and making public appearances.   The producers said we were the closest group so far.  Some of us even went together to a tattoo-place near the CBS Studios, and got the ‘Roman numeral 8’ tattooed on our wrist!” Jace paused and gave me that quirky facial expression that I have become some familiar with as she emphatically added, “Oh yeah…my fans!   They too, were the best part of this whole experience.  They were amazing and so loyal.  I received literally thousands of email, tweets and letters from around the world!” Jace’s mom shared a hand-made photo album that an adoring fan sent backstage to her at The Nokia in LA, her home-city tour stop.   “Can you believe this?  Look at the time someone spent to make this keepsake photo book of memories for Jordan….it’s amazing how generous her fans are!”

I walked around Jace’s festively decorated party-room taking pictures of the special details that chronologically covered her 12-year dance journey from the beginning to the present.  Individual cupcakes said “Welcome home Jordan” while dozens of photos scattered the walls and counters exemplifying the ladder she has climbed to get ‘to-the-top’.  “I’m not saying it was easy,” Jace admitted, “each of us was exceptional in our own area.  The results could have gone many different ways…”

At the time of submission of this article, I was unable to reach Jace for a final interview as she was on her way home from her first ‘celebrity engagement & autograph signing’ in New York City.   “Yep…Jordan just hopped on that plane and headed to New York on her own”, laughed Laurie Casanova…”I guess my baby is all grown up now!” Laurie also shared that ‘Jordan’s agent has received many requests from those who want to work with her’.  The “So You Think You Can Dance” Season 8 tour may have come to an end, but Miss Jordan Casanova’s dance career is just becoming a reality!   Jordan would welcome your letters and special messages to add to her collection of “So You Think You Can Dance” memorabilia.  Feel free to drop off your ‘congrats’ to her at either Dellos Dance Studio location and they will be hand-delievered to her!   Dellos-Chino: 14830 Central Ave, Chino  909 597-9370. 775 Pinefalls Ave., Walnut   909- 594-0228

Dellos Dance & Performing Arts Studios: Bobbi & Dave Dellos

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