Travis Wall’s Shaping Sound “After the Curtain”: A Story Teller has Emerged
Chris King
We all know Travis Wall from SYTYCD with his dynamic movement and control. He became a household name on the show and his choreography is now known throughout the world.
With the creation of his company Shaping Sound with his friends and co-founders/co-choreographers Nick Lazzarini and Teddy Forance, Travis now had the ability to create an entire show. Shaping Sound Dance Company first debuted its full-length production “That’s Where I’ll Be Waiting” in 2013. Since then they have been touring throughout the country and selling out theatres normally used for big Broadway tours.
Each year the company became more finessed with intricate partnering and beautiful staging. The dancers leave you scooping your jaw up from the ground. The sets and costumes get bigger and better, but the only thing that seemed to be missing was a story.
This year’s Shaping Sound tour “After the Curtain” with music by Son Lux is a story of Vincent (Travis Wall) a writer who lives in his head. The audience gets taken through a dreamy world involving flying, and seamless transitions with lighting design by Nathan Scheuer and Terese Porterfield. The story is told mostly through the choreography and imaginative set design of Greg Anderson that the dancers move around the stage. Each pás de deux helped push the through line forward showing each character's relationships and hardships. Many of the visual effects are also very well done by the cast and rival most Broadway shows. It takes you on a ride and left most of the audience as they left the theatre saying, “I didn't expect that!”
The male ensemble was fluid and dynamic while the female ensemble had strong beautiful lines and a sense of cohesiveness you don't always get out of ensembles.The company members are truly family to each other and it shows on stage.
Shaping Sound has been able to bridge the gap between the commercial and concert dance world. By doing so, families who wouldn’t normally see live theatre are choosing to see them live instead of on TV. Each year Shaping Sound has improved, but this year with the addition of a story the company’s future looks very bright.
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Chris King is an artist with a background in dancing and acting. He has performed in many commercials, tv, film, and was recently Chistery in Wicked on Broadway. While touring and traveling, he has spent time in over 35 countries and 5 continents. He loves chatting and getting to know new people
*To hear my interview with Travis, Nick, and Teddy go to www.halfhourcall.com or download Half Hour Call with Chris King on your podcast app. The episode will be out on June 21st.