He’s got moves! World of Dance contender Fik-Shun (real name Du-Shaunt Stegall) blew away judges Jennifer Lopez, Derek Hough and Ne-Yo during the qualifier round of NBC’s hit new dance show, which aired on Tuesday, June 6. After receiving a standing ovation following his emotional hip-hop performance to Mayday Parade’s “Hold Onto Me,” Us Weekly caught up with the dancer on Wednesday, June 7, to chat exclusively about the competition and his career.
You may recognize this amazing performer as the winner of So You Think You Can Dance season 10 in 2013, but now, Fik-Shun has set his sights on being crowned World of Dance champion.
Check out our interview below:
Us: Can you explain what made you want to go on World of Dance?
FS: I wanted to show people a different way of me dancing, because I know the world is used to me dancing in a certain way, whether it’s humorous, fun and super cool and stuff. I also get emotional too and I wanted to show that on a big platform. So when I heard about World of Dance, I thought that this was the perfect platform to show something different that’s not about the coolest moves or the making-me-laugh stuff. It’s about just making you feel something.
Us: Were you confident going into this performance because you’ve had prior success on So You Think You Can Dance?
FS: I try to boost my confidence up as much as I can, but I usually get pretty nervous in general with performing because I care so much about what I’m going to put out. So, I’m always nervous. I’m never really that confident until I’m actually doing it. Then I choose to live in the moment. I try to tell myself, “Just go out there and do what you can and just do you. Do what you came to do.”
Us: Can you talk about what it was like performing for the judges?
FS: It was pretty surreal dancing for J.Lo, Ne-Yo and Derek Hough. They’re big names in the industry, and to have them right there, front and center, watching you do your craft and your art, it was cool. I think it’s one of those things where now I can check it off on my list. They loved what I did, so that was an accomplishment for sure.
Us: Was there any kind of advice that they offered you?
FS: No, not from that performance. It was more that they just enjoyed what I was doing and they wanted me to keep being myself and keep doing me.
Us: Is that something fans will see later on as the series progresses?
FS: Yeah, I mean I like to switch it up. So they’re going to see that. There’s going to be more rawness as far as just feeling stuff emotionally, passionate.
Us: Can you talk about how tough this competition is with all the other incredible dancers in it?
FS: The competition is pretty crazy. You literally just have so many legends in one room, like wow, this is real. The process is a little tough too because there are so many divisions and so many people that you almost get caught up in thinking about what everyone else is doing. You just have to focus on what you need to do. So in that aspect, mentally it’s tough because you just have to try to stay focused and focus on what you came here to do. For me, I came to the show to just show my heart, really.
Us: What would it mean for you to become the World of Dance winner?
FS: To be the World of Dance winner would be pretty insane. A million dollars could change someone’s life, for sure. So that would be insanely crazy but at the same time, even if I don’t win then it’s OK because I know that my art comes first before that, so as long as I feel like I delivered my art the way I wanted to, then I’m happy.
Us: Have you thought about what you would do with that money?
FS: I mean, if I won, the first thing I would do would be to give back to my family. I have family members that are in tough situations right now so they would be the first ones on my list. I would be like, “Hey, here’s this — don’t worry about it, just make smart decisions with it and live a more comfortable life.” Those are family members that have always been there for me when I was little. So, if I was put in the position where I can give something, great. That would be the first thing on my mind.
Us: Looking past World of Dance, what does the future in this industry hold for you?
FS: For me, the ideal situation would be to constantly be on TV. Whether it’s commercials, shows, movies — I love the camera so I think I just want to continue to give more to the camera and for audiences to see and just share my work.
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