Shimmy Exclusive Interview

Ricky Palomino


Shimmy: What have you been doing since we last saw you?

Ricky Palomino: I a have just signed with McDonald Selznick & Associates where Tony Selznick and Lisa Copolla are my Managing Agents with Jen Proctor and Jay Ward as my senior booking agents. We are in negotiation with Swanee, a Producer for a feature film called, Kid Bang. We have also just finished a project and conceptual workshop for Cirque Du Soleil for Criss Angel, The MindFreak of A&E channel. They have given him his own show with Wade Robson as the Choreographer. They brought in Travis Wall, Amanda Balen, Gillian Meyer, Aminah Abdul, and a couple others to layout the show and its concepts. It was pretty intense so be on the look out for Wades amazing show, as well as new dancers influenced by this first, prodigal cast. I am also a member of Liz Imperios, Instincts Live Media Company and scheduled to perform at Jazz Dance World Congress. I am still teaching for John Crutchman and Alan Sherfield's, West Coast Dance Explosion. I love them. They are such an amazing company to work for and I cant see myself anywhere else.

Shimmy: Where have you trained?

Ricky Palomino: I had three simultaneous mentors. First at 16 I was lucky enough to have Michelle Ceballos of the Royal Ballet to teach me classicism. I needed that. Next was Jeremy Miller, a complex mathematician who demonstrated an anatomical approach to movement. Then at 20 when I was in New York, I made it in to Cedar Lake Ensemble. That was created by Jen (Lucy) Ballard under the funding of Nancy Walton Laurie, one of the heiresses of the Wal-Mart fortune. Cedar Lake Ensemble is one of the most artistic ballet companies in America, as well as one of the most taken care of financially.

Shimmy: What inspired you to dance?

Ricky Palomino: Being inspired me to dance. Everybody is mover. Everyone has a hearts rhythm. Dancing is moving to music, being is moving. We are all a constant and are never truly still. In life, one will never be in the same place twice. It is constant motion and that's what inspires me..

Shimmy: -What is you most memorable dance experience?
Ricky Palomino: My most memorable dance experience is learning of the the dance company, Nederlands Dans Theatre. Their work by choreographer Jiri Kilian is cosmical. They are human movement but also masters of emotional projection. One of my goals is to work with them someday. They don't really consider dancers under about 32 years old, it's a very mature company and I'm only 26..

Shimmy: If you could dance any legendary role what would it be?

Ricky Palomino: I'm gonna create a legendary role, just keep checkin me out!

Shimmy: What was your favorite dance of the season from another couple on SYTYCD?

Ricky Palomino: My favorite piece from another couple is "Cabaret Hoover" by Wade Robson, hands down no questions asked. It was dope. What a rockin time getting to see that piece come together. Wade is truly a genius and a wonderful spirit to be around. Thank god I was at least given the honor of performing Wades opening top 20 number "Put Your Hands Where My I Eyes Can See". The choreographic process was quite an experience, placing the piece together in pieces like a puzzle. True brilliance..

Shimmy: What choreographer would you have liked to work with on the show?

Ricky Palomino: I would have been honored to work with Mia, obviously. Words cant explain how disappointed I was in the show that they didn't allow that caliber of work to happen. It would have been from the stars.

Shimmy: What is something random we would be surprised to learn about you?

Ricky Palomino: Something random is that my family and I have 8 horses and a chicken coop. I am silently a farm boy. We raise and breed horses. It's so old school Arizona Western meets new age Commercialism. All in all, I'm a wacky homebody..

Shimmy: What are you interests outside of dancing?

Ricky Palomino: Hanging out with my family, movies, camping, anything adventurous really. I travel a lot so I really love to just sight see and walk around until I get lost and then I call a cab to take me back to my hotel.

Shimmy" What is on your ipod now?

Ricky Palomino: Oh wow, a lot. I have some favorites at the moment. Emilie Simon's, "March of The Empress" as well as her album, "The Flower Book". Thom Yorke's album, "The Eraser". Kate Havnevik's album, "Melankton". BT's album, "This Binary Universe". Amazing sounds. Brilliant artists and they get better and better- just the way it should be..

Shimmy: Who would you call a personal hero and why?

Ricky Palomino: Leonardo DaVinci because if didn't surrender his mind to the stars, we wouldn't have propelled as quickly as we did. He wasn't fearful of delving into and rationalizing deep tremendous amounts of thought. No one should be yet many people are. I love Ana Wintour, editor in chief of Vogue magazine..i think she is so fabulous. I wanna be just like her in her fur coat in sunglasses holding a martini at a fashion show (laughing).

Shimmy: What would you like people to know about you?

Ricky Palomino: I guess I would like people to know how deeply and strongly I feel about dance.. because to me it is how humans move through space as wild animals with hybrid intelligence. There is much more to humans than just a center of gravity and intelligence. Ultimately I am a professor of movement in my own rite.. and America didn't get to know me. I would want the audience to know that movement creators are just as prestigious as genetic engineers and neurosurgeons.