When choreographer Quinton Peron logs on to a video name with Dance Spirit, it’s from a lodge room in Arizona. After the interview, he’s off to set choreography on a studio staff. Two days in the past, he was in Lyon, France, making a first-ever pom routine for a staff that competes at Worlds.
However one of many locations Peron has gained probably the most success is on the Common Dance Affiliation School Nationals ground. Final 12 months, he choreographed a number of standout routines: College of Miami’s D1A jazz to “Sizzling in Herre,” San Diego State’s D1A jazz to “Proud Mary” (co-choreographed with Raven S. Gantt), and Cal State Fullerton’s first-place-winning D1 pom. This January, his choreography can be danced by Cal State Fullerton, Rutgers, San Diego State, and Butler College.
Dance Spirit spoke with Peron about what makes a very good jazz and pom routine, his journey from NFL cheer to choreography, and his hopes for the way forward for aggressive faculty dance.
How did your dance profession start?
I began dancing at 16 years previous. I used to be enjoying basketball and baseball, and it wasn’t till Season 4 of “So You Suppose You Can Dance” after I realized that, oh, I need to do that. I noticed tWitch and Will [Wingfield], two Black males in two completely different kinds. I noticed myself in them and I used to be like, “I’m accomplished enjoying basketball and baseball—sorry, Dad.” I joined my native studio that weekend.
I danced at Mt. San Antonio School and we competed at UDA a number of instances. Then I used to be in Los Angeles, performing some trade jobs after I determined to audition for the L.A. Rams cheerleaders. I made it and ended up being one of many first male cheerleaders within the league. In these 4 years my life actually modified. We cheered at Tremendous Bowls and received one. It opened so many doorways.
How did you turn out to be a choreographer?
My [home studio] hip-hop instructor taught at a dance conference, and he may by no means make it to the studio on Mondays, so he was like, “Hey, Q, I want you.” That led from subbing to operating the hip-hop program. Then hip hop led to jazz, one routine was three, including in some solos, after which issues began doing properly [at competitions]. Then individuals see you and need to rent you.
I credit score my director on the L.A. Rams, Keely Fimbres, for lots of my success. She allowed me to choreograph for the staff whereas I used to be nonetheless on it. The primary dance I ever choreographed for the staff was in the course of the 2018–19 season, a house sport in opposition to the Dallas Cowboys. It was loopy. I used to be so excited.
Being on workers with Professional Motion Dance additionally gave me a platform. That’s what put me in contact with Cal State Fullerton, my first faculty staff. In July 2021, they got here as much as me on the Professional Motion Dance weekend and requested if I may choreograph their pom [routine]. I used to be like, “ I’ve by no means accomplished a pom routine earlier than, proper?” However their coaches, Jennie Volkert and Krysten Dorado, believed in a man who beloved to bop and to show.
What’s your choreographic course of?
My course of is there is no such thing as a course of. I prefer to mess around so much. What I’ll do, particularly if I don’t know a staff, is for the primary day have them improv 1,000,000 instances to completely different music and do so much going throughout the ground. We additionally do numerous chatting. My first day of choreo is about discovering out who must be the place, who can do what. That manner after I lay out the routine in my head, if I do know this lady busted out 25 pirouettes right into a backflip touchdown in a center break up, that must be within the routine.
I all the time stage the flip part first and work backwards to my opening. It helps when the coach will be like an assistant choreographer for me, as a result of they know their staff.
For pom music, I work with a tremendous DJ (shout-out [to] Aaron from Citadel Productions!) and ask the coaches what they need when it comes to a theme, key phrases, or an artist they need to embrace. In the case of jazz, I’m very particular. I need individuals to know “Quinton should have accomplished that” due to the music decisions. I really like a throwback, an oldie—’60s, ’70s, R&B, soul, funk. There’s numerous stuff individuals don’t see on the again finish, blasting music within the lodge room and chopping it 1,000,000 instances to see if it flows.
What makes a very good collegiate jazz routine? Pom routine?
School jazz is hard. You may go extra conventional jazz or the lyrical facet. Personally, I like an viewers response. That first two seconds a music performs, I need the viewers to go, “Are they actually doing this? I really like this music!” Music performs an enormous function. It additionally must be athletic and really lyrical. What in Adele’s “Make You Really feel My Love” says roundoff back-handspring right into a 540 into pirouettes? I have to see and really feel the lyrics onstage. Possibly that’s my secret code.
For pom, there must be not less than two 8-counts the place we’re all collectively. Athleticism, leisure, music, use of stage, and execution—no person needs to see sloppy pom. Get your motions collectively, hit them sharp, and have a very good time onstage.
Who conjures up you creatively?
Somebody I look as much as is Debbie Allen. I haven’t met her but, and I say “but” as a result of I consider in placing issues out into the universe. She began as a dancer, went into performing after which producing, even co-starring on a present she produced. (Refined flex.) Individuals all the time inform me you’ll be able to’t do all of it, and I don’t suppose that’s the best mentality. She’s the type of person who’s doing every part.
What are your hopes for the way forward for collegiate dance?
I need everybody to recollect why we’re doing this. It’s not for a plastic trophy. It’s not value shedding friendships over, not value negativity and nastiness. Additionally, UDA is the dance Tremendous Bowl. There are such a lot of eyes on this, and we nonetheless don’t get the credit score we deserve. The colleges have to respect them. Dance doesn’t have a season. We’re year-round. Dance groups are simply as vital as some other athletics. So put some respect on these dancers’ names and deal with them just like the athletes they’re.
