Growing up in Richmond, dancer Alexei Geronimo discovered his idol while sitting on the living room sofa, watching old, classic movies on TV.
I loved Singing in the Rain and I loved Gene Kelly; hes one of my idols, Geronimo says. I just love the way he performs, his presence, how fluid he is. And I like to channel that whenever I perform on stage, how effortless he makes it all look. Really, back in the day, thats when it all started. I just enjoyed that so much.
When Geronimo is performing with the Bad Boys of Dance hell be with them in Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 , not only is he is emulating Kelly but he is also expressing his true self in the most transparent, natural way he knows.
Hearing him talk about this experience on the stage, it is hard not to be envious.
Whatever I want to say to people in real life and I dont say, it comes out when Im on stage, he explains. People, the audience get to see my true being and my true personality on stage. Its such an amazing experience.
But with this experience comes the price of intense training and travelling. After more than three years with the Bad Boys troupe, Geronimo is taking a timeout to unwind, but continuing to work, in LA.
I needed a break, he says. Ive been touring with them for three years now and weve literally been all over the place, from Sweden to Australia to New Zealand to Japan. Ive seen a lot of different places and it was a long journey.
When he was 15, Geronimo started that journey in recreational tap dance classes at the . Since then, he has explored a number of different styles currently, his favourites are contemporary dance and ballet, which makes the Bad Boys eclectic routine a perfect fit for him.
There some tap, a lot of jazz, contemporary and some ballet and sometimes hip hop, he says.
Bad Boys is definitely more challenging than anything Ive done. Its two hours of straight dancing the whole time. So its very physical and athletic. It has great energy. Its like contemporary ballet meets rock music, so its very different from all the other shows.
Geronimo will be performing with the at the Centre in Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»for the Performing Arts on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1. Tickets available at Ticketmaster.ca or by calling 1-855-985-2787.
