A first fiction series on the world of dance, inspired by the phenomenal success of Revolutionwas born in Quebec. The series Dance ! follows the obstacle-filled journey of a young Montreal dancer trying to break into this ultra-competitive environment. The two heroes, Marco (Jeremyah Mogni) and Kiki (Vanessa Boudrias), put on a show. And they come from diverse backgrounds. Another first for a leading role duo in Quebec.
The public is hungry for salsa, hip-hop, ballet and other dance steps: up to 1.5 million faithful have been at the rendezvous of Revolutionwhich is starting its sixth season on TVA. Producer Fair-Play is riding the wave and will offer, starting Thursday, September 19, on Illico, a six-episode series in the style of ” making of »: we have the impression of seeing the itinerary of participants in Revolution.
It’s clear that becoming a dance champion hurts. It requires intensive training that damages the joints. And determination to withstand all odds, between betrayals, exhaustion and family setbacks.
Jeremyah Mogni shines as Marco Faya, who seeks to take over the dance school founded by his father, Louis (a moving Galiam Bruno Henry). He dreams of winning the competition Flowwhich attracts the cream of the crop of the discipline. Vanessa Boudrias is moving in the role of Kiki Madiou, Marco’s ex-lover.
“The dance community is a big, very talented community that you rarely see on television,” says Marc-André Grondin, co-producer of Dance !, met Tuesday at Quebecor, at the launch of the series.
The actor and producer at Fair-Play has been immersed in the world of dance for several years with his partner, Sarah-Jeanne Labrosse, host of Revolution.
A revelation
Recruiting artists who were equally at ease in acting and dancing was quite a challenge, explains Jean-Philippe Massicotte of Fair-Play. About thirty candidates auditioned for the role of Marco Faya. Jeremyah Mogni’s acting talent dazzled the production team. He had to go through a second test: dancing. He passed it brilliantly.
“He blew us away,” said Marc-André Grondin. “The camera loves him. A talent like his can’t be taught. He had it.”
The young actor of French origin, who arrived in Quebec 12 years ago, taught himself dance and acting. He became an actor by chance. Jeremyah Mogni had left Paris to play football at the CEGEP in Thetford Mines. He was destined for a sports career, but a French teacher advised him to take a drama course. Later, at Concordia University in humanities, a teacher secretly enrolled him in a drama course: “He told me I had the same smile as Will Smith.”
Dance came later in life. Again by chance. The spark happened while he was watching videos on YouTube in 2019. He learned contemporary dance, hip-hop, house and afro-dance on YouTube and in classes left and right.
He got small roles. Then Marco Faya. His biggest challenge. The first time he combined acting and dancing. “The challenge was monstrous, he says. I was like Marco in the series: I was afraid of missing my shot, of not being up to it.”
Diversity on screen
Vanessa Boudrias, who plays the hero’s ex-lover, has a similar background to Jeremyah Mogni. Rejected three times from dance at the Cégep du Vieux Montréal, she learned on the job, then with classes here and there, dance and acting. She was a host at MusiquePlus before the station disappeared a decade ago, then lived off advertising, roles in series and professional dancing contracts.
The series Dance ! makes a big place for diversity. “This is the first time that a broadcaster has accepted two leads Afro-descendants. Finally, it was time!” rejoices Vanessa Boudrias.
The production team made no effort to recruit artists from diverse backgrounds. “They were simply the best,” says screenwriter Sarah-Maude Beauchesne.
The author did a lot of dancing in her youth, even though she says she was not very talented in this area. It is for this reason — and thanks to her sensitivity — that her friend Marc-André Grondin approached her for the series. She had finished writing by the time the actors were chosen. The choreographies were produced by winners of Revolution.
“The personality of the actors and dancers influenced the series,” says Sarah-Maude Beauchesne. “It’s the dance that guides the story. My goal is to convey emotion. The dancers know how to embody the emotion of the characters.”