We continue with these little pieces on the personalities that form a huge chunk of So You Think You Can Dance: the judges, the choreographers, and of course, the host.  This time, we look at choreographer, producer and former Michael Jackson wannabe, Wade Robson.

The first time I encountered Wade Robson's name was when he did The Wade Robson Project on MTV.  I didn't really watch a lot of MTV, so I didn't really watch the show.  I was a bit young back then, so I remember asking what exactly he did that made him deserving of a show that's named after him.  Of course, back then, So You Think You Can Dance wasn't on yet.  But I don't think I'd ever really know.

Fast forward to a few months ago, when I was writing about Wade in part of our SYTYCD coverage.  I ended up reading through his Wikipedia page, and realized he's the type of guy who did a lot.  A hell lot.

While I knew him as the SYTYCD choreographer who won two Emmys (for "Ramalama" and "The Hummingbird and the Flower") and has a love affair with Roisin Murphy's songs, he apparently has done much more.  Of course, there are the dances: he choreographed concert tours for many of the pop stars I grew up with (whether I like it or not), including Britney Spears and 'N Sync.  He also did music videos for these two:






And he apparently also worked as a music producer, writing and producing songs for those two artists up there, plus a mix of names: Justin Guarini, the Backstreet Boys, James Ingram and Carly Simon, among others.  I'd like to blame Wade for giving me one of my earliest earworms: 'N Sync's "Gone".  A good introduction to pop music, at least according to my pop-weaned brother.  Shame I can't embed the videos.

But he started his career back in Australia.  Born in Brisbane on September 17, 1982, he started dancing professionally at age 5, a career track he chose after watching the music video for Michael Jackson's "Thriller".  Dancing along to the now departed King of Pop has made him popular in his home country: he performed in a televised talent show dancing along to "Smooth Criminal", which led to him winning a contest that's part of Jackson's Bad concert tour in the country, which led to him sharing the stage with his idol the following night.  From there, he moved to America, where he became a "rock star [dance] teahcer" at age 12, and started choreographing at age 14.


Which is why, it seemed, it was very fitting that he (in part) choreographed the Michael Jackson tribute that was led by the artist's singer, Janet, during the otherwise controversial MTV Video Music Awards in New York a few months back.  (Among his fellow choreographers were his SYTYCD colleagues, including Mia Michaels, Tyce Diorio and LaurieAnn Giibson.)  The two were really close friends, with Wade testifying in Jackson's defense during the heavily-publicized child molestation trials in 2005.  A way to pay back, it seems, to someone who's given him a shot at the big time.  And look, he is.


Other pocket guides:
Adam Shankman
Cat Deeley
Nigel Lythgoe
Mary Murphy
Mia Michaels


- Henrik Batallones, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
(Images courtesy of PR Photos and Wade Robson's official website)