TALENT magazine: ‘Peisley Dances With The Superstars’ Double page interview & artist profile Joel Peisley is one of Australia’s hottest talents. Incorporating roles as dancer, choreographer, teacher & even dance journalist, he is one of the most in demand personalities on the Australian entertainment scene. As far as talent goes, Joel is bursting with it, & shares it graciously with all that come across him. His performance highlights span the wide gamut of television, music video, commercials, & major events – Rumba, Sydney 2000 Olympics launch, Channel V, NFL American Bowl, Midday Show, two NBL Grand Finals & Video Hits Live to name a few. He has entertained royalty, heads of state & worked alongside some of the worlds brightest stars. Back home he is a columnist for leading dance magazine, DANCEtrain & a renowned Jazz & Hip Hop teacher. Talent Magazine caught up with Joel at a studio in the heart of Sydney, where he was leading a dance workshop. We sat down with the main man during a break between his master classes to get the low down on his career & grab some tips on how to make it in the world of entertainment. So how did you get your start in the performance biz? Well I started out the usual way – taking lots of classes, training, competitions, exams… all the usual dance stuff. Me & one of my best friends were put in charge of our high school dance group, so we used to choreograph all our routines which went on to be pretty successful. So that was a great learning experience & allowed us to try out a lot of ideas & find out what worked & what didn’t. We got invited to a bunch of other schools we had competed against, to teach dance workshops for them too. I actually didn’t start training properly till quite late - not until I was in high school. But I was really lucky cause I had only been taking class for about 8 months when I got my first professional, paid booking. What pitfalls should people look out for when training? One really important thing is to try as many different styled classes as possible, from a variety of different teachers. Everyone has a different style, different methods, & a different way of explaining themselves & describing what they want out of their students. As a dancer you need to be able to adapt instantly. You can’t get too comfortable with doing things the one way. The more you are exposed to & the greater variety of styles you have under your belt, the better chance you will have at landing gigs & enjoying longevity in this career. Who were your influences growing up? I grew up in the MTV generation, when music videos were the hot new thing. So obviously Michael & Janet Jackson were huge influences. I loved Paula Abdul’s work & the way she paid tribute to the old school MGM style. That kinda inspired me to go back & check out all those classics – Gene Kelly, Bob Fosse, Cyd Charisse, Michael Kidd. Music has always been a major influence too. Plus teachers & other dancers I’ve worked with. You have many different roles & angles to your career. Which do you enjoy the most? I think everything I do is all tied together. Every day is different & that’s probably what I like most about it. I’ve been really lucky as I’ve gotten to experience many different sides of the entertainment industry & gain knowledge in many areas. Not many people get to work in entertainment as a full time job. What are your hours like? It’s definitely not a conventional 9 to 5, 5 days a week kind of job. Sometimes you have a quiet day, other times your diary is a mess & you’re getting by on no sleep. I’ve normally got a couple of things going on each day, whether it be teaching an 8am high school dance class, working on choreography, working at my computer, or doing a performance late at night. How does Australia differ to other countries for what you do? Well, as Australia has a relatively small population, the entertainment industry is also quite small. You really have to be as versatile & multi-faceted as possible in order to generate enough work for yourself. I think overseas, you can pretty much stick to just one thing, whereas here you have to be a little more self-sufficient. Because it is quite a small community, you also regularly come across the same people, so it’s important to have a good reputation. If you’re unreliable or difficult to work with, it’s not long till everyone knows! What advice would you give someone wanting a career in dance? The first thing you have to do is train, train, train. Take lots of classes & work hard to develop your skills & technique. That’s your foundation. Soak up as much dance as possible – see live shows, watch DVDs, & juice them for all their creative influence. This is a great way to find out what you really like & develop your own personal style. However, it’s not all about the classroom. You have to try & get as much performing experience as possible too. Even the small scale stuff is beneficial, as it’s a great way to learn how to work in different environments & spaces. Not every gig is going to be a dream; even the most “glamorous” jobs can be difficult. Sometimes you have to wear something restrictive or uncomfortable, you might be dancing in a really small space, sometimes you are expected to make changes at the last minute. So the more stage experience you have, the better equipped you will be to handle any situation that’s thrown at you. & something that seems really obvious, but sometimes we forget - take really good care of your body. What has been the most exciting experience of your career so far? Wow, I feel like I’m only just getting started so hopefully it’s still to come! I’ve got loads of great memories – travelling, meeting amazing people… Being invited to serve on the voting panel for the American Choreography Awards was a trip. That’s a huge deal for an American, let alone an Australian! That was definitely a cool moment. So what’s next? A couple of days ago I shot a music video with a new dance / pop artist named Suzy Ray. I also just finished my first season choreographing NRL half time shows. I’ve had a few meetings lately with some record companies & managers, about working with some new artists & developing their stage performances from the ground up. So that’s what I’m looking forward to. Is dance a solid career option financially? On a good day! Yeah it can be, but you have to be prepared to work hard & do really strange hours. It is important to have some other skills under your belt though. Whether it be singing, acting, costume design … anything that you find creatively satisfying. Because one day your legs won’t work so well anymore & you’ll need something else that is artistically & financially fulfilling. ...back...