TRICKS OF THE TRADE: 22: HOW TO DANCE IN A BOY BAND

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Kelly Rissman

US News Reporter

WE GO INTO the studio, stick on any song and just dance. I usually dance for about two hours a day anyway, so when I go into the studio I've got a lot of moves in my head. What we feel like on the day is what you're gonna get - if we're not in a dancing mood then we'll do a crap routine. We'll usually go back and change the bits we don't like.

It's important to keep up to date. You have to watch what's going on in America, as it's a different style, isn't it? I'll watch new dance videos on TV, and a couple of weeks later I'll find I'm moving in that kind of style.

I've had two and a half years training in ballet, contemporary and jazz, but it didn't do me any good with this kind of dancing. Me and Jimmy used to be in that TV show The Hitman and Her, which is where Jason Orange from Take That came from. We sing at the same time as dancing. On the chorus we'll do an easier sort of routine so we don't get out of breath.

We went out on our first routine thinking we should put in all the tricks like the backflips and the somersaults. But that becomes boring to watch. If there's a break in the vocals, like a saxophone solo or a bit of music, that's usually when we go for it: the breakdancing is the exciting part. Anything that looks dangerous is good. If you do a gymnast's backflip, it looks too safe. But if you twist it somehow, it looks more impressive.