Dance to this Podcast

SISCO GOMEZ - Madonna, jazz funk and a PHD in dellusionology!

• 22 Media • Season 2

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We are joined this week by the legendary Sisco Gomez! We hear all the backstage goss from working with Kylie and Madonna, how it's important to be versatile in this industry and what it was like being one of the first jazz funk pioneers in the UK.

Sisco insta: https://www.instagram.com/siscogomez/?hl=en

Sisco choreo insta: https://www.instagram.com/siscogomezchoreography/?hl=en

The Progressing Male podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@SiscoGomezTV/featured

Thankyou for listening!

Find all the songs mentioned in our spotify playlists!

https://open.spotify.com/user/31t7e7ibcbntq6ziwbonzbra7ape?si=L0XQuZlnTYq8_ybkvlliaQ

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Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dancetothispod

SPEAKER_02

Hi everyone, welcome back to Dance to This Podcast with me, Zoe Francesca, and me, Jessica Bay, the podcast where you can find great songs to dance to.

SPEAKER_01

Woohoo!

SPEAKER_03

We have news, everyone. We're in London! Woohoo! We are just above London. We couldn't drive the caravan into the centre of London. Uh no, we are not near Big Ben.

SPEAKER_02

No, I mean I could open the curtain and couldn't like oh no, that's just a blackout blend. But yeah, you're not gonna look out there and see Big Ben or a red bus.

SPEAKER_03

Oh, that would be really cool. Maybe one day we'll do a quick trip, but maybe not. Um get the tube in and you can not be involved in that. I'm not being involved. Oh, but we're here, we've made it, we're in the middle of a very hot heat wave.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, just for uh context. Just for context, this is the weekend of the uh 26th of June. Um heat wave weekend.

SPEAKER_03

With all the lighting equipment is very warm. So if we look like we're melting, we are. But we're loving it, we're loving it. Interviewing all these incredible, incredible guests, as you have seen from the title of this video. Cisco Gomez, the icon, is on this podcast today. Let me just read you out a quick, quick reel off of everyone who's worked for. Are you ready? I can't even go. This isn't even the full list. Madonna, um, Taylor Swift, Janet Jackson, J Lo, Pitbull, Kylie, One Direction, Take That, William, Oli Merz, Sir Tom Jones, Christine Aguilera. Can you even believe? Like, that's not even all of them, and I'm not joking. This art career is just CV of that man. Yes, yes, incredible CV. So we can't wait for you to hear all about Cisco's life because it's just amazing. Um, but first of all, we're going to do a thing. While we're in West End, while we're in West End, we're not in the West End. While we're in London, instead of foundation files, we are going to do West End waffle. West End Waffle! We're gonna have a different question each week all about the West End. So, what is today's question?

SPEAKER_02

Today's question is what was the first show that you saw on the West End? Good question, Jess. You can go first. Um, so my first show that I saw on the West End, it was one that like I'd not even heard of or knew anything about before. So I wasn't particularly like, oh my gosh, I need to see that. It was literally just I went to London with um see one of my friends that was living down there at the time. So we just literally got like some like 20 pound tickets and it was half a sixpence. Ooh, which not heard of that one. Yeah, it's I feel like a lot of people actually do know it, but I just never heard of it. It's quite like a more of an old school like kind of vibe. But honestly, one of the best 20 pounds I'd ever seen. Like it was so good. It was a guy who's quite big on the West End, Charlie Stemp, who was playing um, I don't know the name, I can't remember the names because I can't remember it that that well. Um I remember it being good, but I don't remember like the story and such. Um, but he was like the lead in it, and he always plays like proper like cockney like lad kind of like um like characters, but he was incredible. I just remember him being amazing. It was like the first time obviously I'd seen something on the West End and not on like a tour, so it was like a turntable like stage, a bit like in Hamilton, like that kind of vibe. So it was really cool. Um, but yeah, I loved it. I was like literally, I couldn't believe the fact that like we'd paid £20 for this ticket. And I mean we were in like the gods, but like, yeah, it was so good. Um I probably would see it again to be fair.

SPEAKER_03

Cool. I like it when you don't know and you just you're gonna be a little bit more. Going in blind, yeah, yeah, yeah. You don't know about it.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, there was like some fun songs, yeah, great choreo. But yeah, just proper, like fun, like proper like London-y kind of like vibe. Yeah, it was just a good one, I think, to see for like the first show episode of the West Ends.

SPEAKER_03

Nice, really nice. Mine was year nine of school. We did everyone went on a different trip, and they were all a week long apart from London, which was three days in London. I don't know. I think you need a week in London. No, three days in London, and then you did workshops back at school for the next two days. Yeah. So it was still like you were on the trip, you weren't doing normal lessons. Um, but everyone like went to one of them was Disneyland, and one of them was like different things. And I was like, I'm going to London. So we saw four shows in three days. Can't remember the order of them. Two of them were more active, Blood Brothers and Woman in Black. Terrified.

SPEAKER_02

Wait, Blood Brothers, it wasn't the musical, it was a play.

SPEAKER_03

No, sorry, it was it was a musical, but is that not active in my bra? I don't I don't think I was really into that one. I think I just remember crying. I just remember crying.

SPEAKER_02

But it is also a play, I think. Because I think I remember it. Maybe it was a play then. But it is also a musical in that as well.

SPEAKER_03

I think it was it was a smaller stage. I reckon it was a play. I don't remember it like be full fully singing and dancing. I've I remember just crying. It's a sad one. Not my bag. Um, and then the other uh the woman in black, terrifying, absolutely terrifying, but good. Again, more play. So the two musicals we saw, we were rocky, and The Lion King again cried my eyes out. So obviously, I've talked about We Were Rocky loads. It's my favourite. I think it was, I can't, I honestly can't remember which one came first, which one we saw in that week. It was the same three days. It was the same trip. But we were rocky was like, wow, the stage, the set, the dominion, iconic. Like it was just huge and just loved the song, just loved every bit of it. And the lion king was I love zebras, and there was just real people being zebras, it was amazing. They come through the audience, they're like, it's like you're in in it, it's quite immersive, like when they're coming through. And then the story when like his dad like appears on like this big face, like it was clever how they did it. And I just I was actually crying. I cried a lot when I was younger, but I just cry. I was just crying all the time. Well, yeah, this is true. Okay, yeah. This is a good that's how they make you feel, isn't it? So yeah, I just remember loving that as well. So those are my like two first ones from that. But yeah, good. First, worst west end waffle. Blah blah blah blah. It's hot again, it's hot. Um, but let's jump into the episode with Cisco. Really hope you enjoy we enjoyed it. So enjoy. Welcome, Cisco, to the podcast. First time straighten with the dance hands. I love it. Thank you for having me. Oh, we are honoured. Thank you for coming. Um, tell everyone what you do in the industry now.

SPEAKER_00

I am Cisco Gomez. I'm a choreographer, teacher, and host.

SPEAKER_03

Love it. Yes. All of them.

SPEAKER_00

Used to be a dancer.

SPEAKER_03

Still are, still are. Let's go all the way back. Take it from the top. So, what age or what was your first memory of dancing?

SPEAKER_00

My mother said that I was dancing before I was walking. So I was always reacting to music, and which is funny because I was a late walker as well. Like I was a really lazy kid when I was a baby. Um, and then I didn't fit in with like, you know, the whole primary school rules of like playing football and stuff like that. I always wanted to be creative, and so I was always with the misfits and the girls. And then one day uh a girl called Nicola Fahi said to me, She's like, Sisco, you should come to my dance school. And I was like, What? Maybe. And then I went there, and it's like, you know, they say, like, apparently, when you die, you see your life flash before you. I do the opposite. So I started seeing like a um an old school film going forward, and I saw like almost my career just flash before me because I was so inspired and so overstimulated. And then the last kind of I guess vision I saw was my name in these kind of old school lights, you know, like the the bowls, the little yes, yes, yes, yes. And I saw my name and I was like, and I went back home and I learned my phone time my first time step, and I went back home and I was like, Mama, I I have to do this, I have to do this. She's like, Well, you have to say goodbye to one of your other um um after school activities because my mum, we grew up in a council estate, so my mum made sure that I was never allowed to be there, so I had every day I had a different activity. So I was like, okay, buy taekwondo and buy gymnastics, hello dance, and I haven't looked back since.

SPEAKER_03

Oh my goodness, that's amazing. How do you feel when you look back on those early times? Were they like good memories? Obviously, that was the very beginnings, but then going forward, like growing up, was it just you loved it still and kept that passion?

SPEAKER_00

Yes, I loved it, and I still do. I think because um I think my generation was the last generation that enjoyed being kids. I think there is a sense of like everyone's trying to grow up. You know, it's cool to be older and it's cool to hang out with you know older people, and that obviously existed when I was younger, but I was a Power Ranger in my head until I was like 13, 14.

SPEAKER_03

Yes, like.

SPEAKER_00

Do you know what I mean? So like I really enjoyed just making this hobby into a passion and then the passion into my career. You know, I I didn't grow up too fast in that sense. So I I have really fond memories. I remember putting a lot of effort into it because my mum didn't have much. I had to make sure that I made it worthwhile because you know, my next dance class wasn't promised.

SPEAKER_03

Did you go through the with the route you went to dancing then? Did you do it through school? Did you do it through classes outside of school? What was your route into the It was a mixture?

SPEAKER_00

I started off at um a small local school. I grew up in West London Labbergrove, and there was a school called Westminster Dancing, and that's where I got introduced to dance, and it was tap modern, and we sang. And my teacher was super super old school, so all we did is like the Broadway hits and stuff like that. So that was my dream to be on Broadway or to be in West End. And then we used to have a show called CDUK back in the day, a bit like the cooler top of the pops. And I saw Britney Spears' Baby One More Time video, and that completely derailed my um career. At the time, I was only dancing in those styles, and then um I went to Sylvia Young Saturday School. They had a Saturday school, I went there for about a year, and then my teacher died. Um, sadly, Peter King. He was so nice, he like literally picked me out from the beginning and he was like, I'm gonna introduce you to Sylvia Young. I mean, for those that didn't know about Sylvia Young back in the day, it was like the school that everyone wanted to go to, and I was never allowed to go to a full-time um school because my mum was like, I know you love dancing, but education comes first. So I had to do everything outside of school times, you know, hours. And so after that, after Peter died, I was like, I don't feel comfortable being in the school anymore because it felt a bit like I had to rejoin the rat race, and also it just felt weird. I didn't have my like my safe space. Yeah, and so I then I went to Pineapple Performing Arts School on a Sunday. Um, and that was great because then I got to like almost I guess one up what my school could offer me when I first started in Westminster. Then I got into a company called Culture Shock, and Culture Shock back in the day was like a huge phenomenon in um in America, and I I heard about them, and um back in the day we used to um look at the stage. Do you remember the newspaper The Stage? Yes, and then there was this audition for a hip hop company, I was like, why not? And we were the first troop, and I got in, and that also changed my life because then I got into street styles, um, and so we did street dance choreography, and then um at the same time, because I was exposed to the Sunday school in Pineapple, I started locking and doing um what we call commercial, yeah, and that was kind of like you know, the melting point, you know, with everything because my mum never let me go to a free-time education.

SPEAKER_03

You still made it though. No, I didn't know. It shows there's other other avenues. No, there is to do it.

SPEAKER_00

Fun fact, well, I started working when I was, I believe, 16. And then I've always been a jazz dancer at heart. Bob Fossey's like my hero. He's like amazing. I just think there's n nothing like him, you know. And um I remember going, I want to go back to education because I was like, I could feel that there was a buzz about me, but I wasn't I was raw talent, I wanted to be technical talent. So I auditioned for um London Studio Centre and actually didn't get in. And then when I didn't get in, I was just like, what do I do? Because that's the only school I really wanted to go to. And then I was like, F it, I'm just gonna go to LA. Because I've always wanted to be an American dancer before jazz funk kind of had its name, or we found out what the name was. You know, I looked at the Britney videos and the NSync and Backstuple videos, and I'm like, that's what I want to do. That's the type of dancing. And so I packed my bags, I pretended to my mum that I knew someone, I knew one person, and um I left for a month.

SPEAKER_03

Wow, what age was that?

SPEAKER_00

I was I just turned 18. Wow, yeah, and then the that changed everything. That changed everything. It was like divine timing because when I came back, it was like I could export what the Americans were doing, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_03

Implement it here and bring it over. Oh, very exciting. Let's go back to your song, Crazy from Starlight Express.

SPEAKER_00

We'll give old Rusty.

SPEAKER_03

We'll give the listeners a little bit of it. But what is it about this song that you remember so fondly from when you were growing up?

SPEAKER_00

Well, as I just said, I started off in Westminster dancing and it was pure musical theatre. And one musical that she jammed through us was Starlight Express. And so it was my first love. You know, Rusty was my hero, that's the character I was going to play. I later found out as I grew up a more of an electra. And I do love that song, but crazy. I don't know, I just remember belting it from the top of my lungs, enjoying every bit of it, and you know, just enjoying the production and the campness of it all. And I don't know, I just related with Rusty, and I just love that song. I've sung it a thousand times.

SPEAKER_03

Oh, it's so like it's so cheesy. It's so cheap.

SPEAKER_00

I'm really cheesy, though. I'm really cheese. I love cheese. I love Eurovision, I love the theater like aqua venga boys. I'm like, there's no shame in the steps.

SPEAKER_03

My dream. Yeah. Dream people to dance with these Venga Boys over any artist in the world. That's my that's my dream. Yes. Boom, boom, boom. Oh my gosh, we need to do like a Venga bus TikTok where this is a Venga bus and we'll come in with trade. That's it! I ran on the middle of that already. Oh my gosh, amazing. So then the turning point, how quickly did you progress into thinking I can do this as a job? Were you was it before you went to LA or while you were there?

SPEAKER_00

Oh, way before. I've I've oh my students were now, I've got a PhD in um what would I call it? Delusionology. No, there was one teacher. I mean, my first teacher, Kitty, she was she was great because she didn't treat me like the only boy. You know what I mean? A lot of boys get favoured, and I didn't get favored. You know, I worked hard and I worked hard for my placement, and you know, I was a very, I was a good kid. But when I started working, I think Zoomation was my first job, I did their sad as well show show called Box Beat. And then soon after that, maybe a few months after that, I did um Sugar Babes for the Brit Awards, and that was all through reputation and and going to um class because back in the day we didn't have Instagram or YouTube, right? And so when that started to happen, I was just like, oh no, that dream that I had, it's happening now. So as soon as like one of my teachers in Pineapple was like, You're a star, I was like, Yes, I am. Because I knew I was very different to everyone, you know, the passion level was different, the dedication was different. Just, you know, you would give me this, I'll give you that. You know what I mean? Like, you know, sing this note, I'll be like, like I was just so extra. You know, I was born to do this, but you don't realize when you're younger. So there was never a point where I was like, Oh, I'm taking this professionally. It was as soon as I got to that first dance class and learned that time step. I was like, I'm coming for you. I don't know what sector of the industry, because as I said, I wanted to do West End first. Yeah, but then the commercial field had me. Yeah, and I was like, that's okay. I'm coming.

SPEAKER_03

Did you have a defining moment where you were like, I've made it? Was it your first job, or were you just you've had lots of those little moments?

SPEAKER_00

Do you know I've had I've been so blessed. I've had so many of them. And I remember every single time they've happened, I've been there and gone, soak it in, take it in, do it. Because I've I I used to be very much like, okay, next job, next choreographer, next director. Yeah, and I also because I think when when dance is all you have and it's life, you right, it's not healthy, but you're young, you don't know any better, right? So you forget to like saturate yourself in the moment and just like sit in it. But I did have moments and in my dance, in my choreography and teaching, where I'm like, this isn't normal. People don't usually get this, soak it in.

SPEAKER_03

That's amazing. So Britney Spears, another song called Crazy. Britney Spears this time. Britney Spears this time. Why this song? Was this a moment?

SPEAKER_00

So, as I said, when before I was trying to be Rusty or Angel in Rent, I then saw the Baby One More Time video, and I was like, there was something about the song, and I was like, Well, this is a bit of me. And it was weird because it was like an involuntary kind of like an automatic reaction. And then I saw the crazy video, and I was like, Stop what you're doing. I'm so sorry, West End, see ya. That is what I'm doing. I'm gonna dance for her one day, I'm gonna work for her one day, etc. etc. And it was just the crazy video, the song, the moves, the dances, like it was just it was just so for me, so perfect, and it embodied what pop was becoming, you know? And I was like, I want to be part of that wave. And I was like, I've never, you know, I keep on saying that, but that video, I was like, bye, West End, hello commercialville.

SPEAKER_03

Oh, it is so good. I had a little, well, my dad, I don't know why my dad had a DVD of lots of music videos, but he had a DVD, it was like that before YouTube, all that, and I remember. DVDs, kids, remember that? Little DVD of just random music videos, and this was one of them on repeat, on repeat, on repeat. It's so good.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, you got the album version of the code.

SPEAKER_03

Oh, yes, we've got the album version, but oh do y'all know that?

SPEAKER_00

You have to be a Britney fan to know that. Because we can jump back. That line doesn't exist in the top remote.

SPEAKER_03

No, this is true. I just can't.

SPEAKER_00

It's so good.

SPEAKER_03

It is so good.

SPEAKER_00

I wanted that metal chair. Oh, it was so good.

SPEAKER_03

It's just the whole, yeah. Oh, I love that. I love that. Are you set in the jazz funk commercially time now? Is that your bag now, or did you revisit the musical theatre bit at a later date, or was it like see you and you never went back to that?

SPEAKER_00

Because that's a good question, but because I I wasn't uh able to go to college, I had to make sure that I just spread myself everywhere in classes. So I self-trained in LA and the few classes that I could in London because when I once I went to LA, I was like, oh, we're very behind. So I would go to um LA every and New York every year to train. And I just did every style. I think the jazz funk thing got crowned to me because I was one of the first to do it here and export it. So it was a lot of people were like, Oh, did you make up that style? I was like, No, I'm just exporting what's coming, you know. Yeah, um, but no, I've always taken pride for someone that's not technically trained. I'm very versatile, you know, because I was like, in the commercial field, you don't know what you're gonna do. It could be it could be African, it could be um um, I don't know, yeah, more technically ballet focused.

SPEAKER_03

Like it could be any.

SPEAKER_00

It could be any ballet, something I don't know.

SPEAKER_03

Okay, we're gonna try to get it.

SPEAKER_00

Me and my paninis, you know, I can give you a tap, I can give you a jazz moment. I definitely can't give you ballet. But um, but you know, I try to do everything, you know what I mean? And so like um that's what happened in my career. Like, every job was so different, but I was I was never like I'm stuck, you know. I was like, yeah, I've I've been working for this, and this is what I'm you know.

SPEAKER_03

I like to move it, move it. Your favourite dance style then, your top favourite.

SPEAKER_00

Jazz would be up there, yes, for sure. Um we can go with jazz. I like I I love I mean jazz, fossil, the king. Um I love I love modern, I love contemporary. I like I think it's so the facility and what they could do. I just admire it so much, you know what I mean? Um and I would say I what's another way to call them cultural dances?

SPEAKER_01

Every country has yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

And so like the the Polynesian dances, for example, I'm just like in tears, you know what I mean? Like flamenco. I just like, you know, because our history is so it's been so attacked and whitewashed and unfortunately deconstructed. So it's amazing to see these cultures still preserve their own from the costuming to the way it's done, you know what I mean? And I just like I just love cultural dances. I'm just like, thank God it survived, and I just I love, I love, I wish we had access to those classes.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, yeah, there should be more. I feel like that we teach at a studio that has a lot of cultural styles, and they're they're all different styles, all there every day. Um, and like at Move It we saw a flamenco stand with like they had the costumes where you're like, these are amazing. Like it's it's nice seeing it.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, it's just nice, you know, because if not, it just gets forgotten, you know, and I think everything has a root, so it's nice to witness it. So I'm I'm a big fan.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, it's nice, I love that. Um, explain to the listener what jazz funk is if they don't know that as a style, yeah, it's jazz funktion, jazz funk, yeah, like yeah, well, first of all, commercial's not a style.

SPEAKER_00

Um, and because ballet could be commercial, it's when you're being, I guess, hired by someone or a project, it becomes a commercial project. So it can be any style. Um but unfortunately, because when jazz funk got kind of exported to London, all the schools and all the competitions and stuff like that, they were still using the term commercial or they associated with commercial because they weren't educated with what it was, and so it In the I would say early 80s, maybe the yeah, early 80s, approaching the 90s, jazz funk started um started mixing different styles. And so someone to look at would be Atina Landon is a perfect example, where she's like at the end of the first gen of it. And what she did, she got her jazz background and infused hip-hop grooves, and then had a bit, you know, um, like we just talk cultural dances and mix it all up. So that melting point, you know, it creates jazz funk. If I'm being completely honest, I think it's a diluted version of jazz with influences from other styles. Not to take away from it, but you know, I think jazz funk has to have jazz elements into it. I mean, you listen, you don't have to do fuertes a la second, you don't, but you know what I mean. There's a there's a a posture, a kind of like um, I guess, uh a thread that comes from jazz, you know what I mean? And it's changed and morphed in in many ways, and that's what's the beautiful thing about dance. But it is jazz in the foundation with a mixture of other styles, and it usually was the first kind of like cultural boom was with hip hop styles.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, bringing into that nice. Was it exciting being part of that movement, bringing it over here and showing everyone and being like, Yeah, I was just so it was weird because I never thought, like, I'm gonna bring this over now.

SPEAKER_00

I was just like, guys, there's a tsunami coming and we need to need to know. Yeah, and because I by then I had picked up my leadership skills. I was, you know, the Cisco the choreographer or the leader awoke. You know what I mean? That's a good word. Um, but I was just like, I was just really desperate to teach people because I was like, what if those Americans come over? Like, I don't want us to be in a situation where we're not ready or when we're like, oh, the British dancers. I'm like, no, no, no, no, you might have the better schools, but we've got some talent here in Europe too, you know? Um, and so I was just teaching, just like my version of it, because I never wanted to copy anyone else's, you know what I mean? Um, because at the same time I was coming into my own sexual my sexuality, um, it was amazing that you could you weren't being judged in America for dancing feminine and masculine. So I was like, what if we mix it together? You know, and you know, the my style of jazz funk became my love letter to me when you look at it now, because it was very political for me. It was like, you know, with dance, it's amazing because we get to shout without actually saying anything, you know what I mean? And I think back in the day, gay people have always been in the industry. But for some reason, because I grew up in the competition side of things when when it came and it was heavily hip-hop or street styles, uh to be feminine, no, to be gay, absolutely not. So I accidentally became the first openly dancer in like the GWI circuit or like the competition. We used to call it the underground scene, but it really wasn't the underground scene, it was just a competition hip-hop scene, and and so like I knew that. And so for some reason, I don't know why I was like, I have to hold this flag because I'm not less of a man because I can mix the feminine in here or like have a a man catwalk. You know, I remember the first time my old company, Dance for Excess, did that on stage. It was like, and looking back, you look at the performance, you're like, it's absolutely fine. But it was a culture shock, right? Because you're like, they've never seen that. I saw it in LA. So here's me, and I happen to be gay. So I was like, this is my here. We go, you know what I mean? And oh my god, Paul, my my my my straight company members, oh my god, I was like, you've got to learn how to walk like that just in case that choreographer comes. But yeah, it was just like it was just organic to teach it and just make sure that it was done properly and that I gave credit to all of my teachers because I never wanted it to be like, oh, that's your style. I didn't make it, but I definitely added my twist or introduced it to Europe.

SPEAKER_03

Nice, I love that, really nice. Um, we touched on it really quickly. Move it, you hosted Move It this time. I did, yes, amazing. Um, in the most incredible outfits we have. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00

I said I was gonna let them have it and I did.

SPEAKER_03

I definitely did, always on top form. Um, was it nice seeing all different styles there? Because I feel like there was quite a few different styles that we saw. I know it's a lot of commercial, but like we saw some ballet on stage, we saw some people up on stage, like it's nice.

SPEAKER_00

It's very refreshing. Um, but I will say, unfortunately, it is a lot of the same. We need some more. And the thing, do you know what it is? Is because influence now equals credibility. Where back in the day, individuality equals credibility. And so if you get like one of the big juggernauts, like an addict, for example, you know they love, they have the same choreographer every year, they spend loads of money on their outfits. So a smaller company or institute will look at that and be like, that's the reaction, that looks great on stage. That's what we need to do.

SPEAKER_03

And so what happens is you get copyclaps, kind of versions, just a whole lot of different versions, just a whole lot of nothing.

SPEAKER_00

You know what I mean, in my opinion. But there are the standouts that dare to like be musical theatre or like add their own spin to something, you know, or you know, bring flamenco and ballet, and that's always nice because you know, calling it commercial, there is believe it or not, even though commercial doesn't have a technique, watching it from the sides, I'm like, but that's not correct either, because you're just imitating what you saw. But the ones that are doing it right are doing it right, and the ones that aren't are like, well, maybe it's coming.

SPEAKER_03

Yes, right. We need to see more, we need to see more. No shame, no shame, no shame. But maybe it's general info, it's such a fun weekend with all the inspiration and all that it's buzzing, it's like a busy hub of dancing.

SPEAKER_00

And how good that you've got that. You know what I mean? That dancers have got that, you know what I mean? It is like, I guess their Super Bowl, to be honest. I treated it like mine. I was like, this is my hosting Super Bowl. Because I can only imagine as a dancer to get to perform in that. I mean, the main stage is just gorgeous and it's so big and so everything's so grandiose.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

So it's great. I mean, you know, because like clubs are shutting down. It'll be a shame if like dance events start to shut down, you know what I mean? It is such a big part of dance culture now. So it is amazing and an honor to see kids really, really want to be there. Like backstage. Oh my god, I had to like move away from them because you can feel the nerves. And we're just like, oh blank. You know, but I remember, you know, being in a similar place where the smaller show was the biggest thing.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

So it's pretty cool. Shout out to Move It.

SPEAKER_02

Obviously, I think it only gets bigger every year as well, to be fair, doesn't it?

SPEAKER_00

Listen, that beast has not been tamed. There's gonna be a move it tour before you know.

SPEAKER_03

Um, so your song for this is Janet Jackson. Oh no, don't stop, don't stop. Me. We've had this one before. It's a it's a great one.

SPEAKER_00

What an iconic song.

SPEAKER_03

Oh, it's so good, isn't it? So good to move to, like songs where you just put it on, like we were already just like you just want to get up and dance straight away.

SPEAKER_00

It's so good. It's so good.

SPEAKER_03

That you've done some good choreographies to that in your time.

SPEAKER_00

You know what? I I I didn't because the original is so sacred. It's so perfect. And I was like, anything I'm gonna do isn't that? It isn't that, and it's just I just remember what that song and that album did to me. And I was just like, that is just like a bit like Slate for You.

SPEAKER_03

It's just one of those songs that you're just like that.

SPEAKER_00

Is that it's like the Mona Lisa, you know what I mean? It's like you know what's gonna go to the Mona Lisa, just change the frame. It's that little bit of blue. No, no, no, there's no need, just leave it alone. Yeah, and all night don't stop. Oh my god. I mean, if you could describe me as a dancer, that's me. Nice. The fashion, the sweatiness, the sex appeal, the kind of audacity of it, the cleanliness.

SPEAKER_03

Chef's case.

SPEAKER_00

Oh my God. Bill, you did that.

SPEAKER_03

Okay, now put on your dancing shoes. We're gonna get into your shoes. Yes, they're on. We are gonna give you some quick fire questions. Oh god. There's only six of them. This or that. So this or that, pick your answer off the top of your head. Yes. X factor or so you think you can dance. We went straight in with a hard one. I'm so sorry.

SPEAKER_00

So you think you can dance.

SPEAKER_02

Nauties banners or current chart toppers.

unknown

Nauties.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. Judging or hosting.

SPEAKER_01

Sorry, we're being really mean.

SPEAKER_02

Hosting? Move it main stage or teaching classes.

SPEAKER_01

You witches.

SPEAKER_00

I love you, move it, but teaching is my calling. I love to teach.

SPEAKER_03

Um, this one's an easy one. Backstage buzz or onstage adrenaline?

SPEAKER_00

Onstage. Backstage I avoid.

SPEAKER_03

Get me away from that.

SPEAKER_02

And then last one, Britney or Kylie?

SPEAKER_00

Oh Britney. Love Kylie, but.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah. Britney. Last question is you can have some time to think about this. If your life was a dance movie, what would the title be?

SPEAKER_00

If my life was a dance movie, what would it be?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, the title of it. Have a time think. Something you say, one of your favourite phrases.

SPEAKER_00

Well, my favourite phrase is keeping it real without the spiel, but that doesn't have a ring to it.

SPEAKER_03

Oh, it does.

SPEAKER_00

I would call it buckle up.

SPEAKER_03

Yes, even better. Buckle up.

SPEAKER_00

Like, listen, if if there was a camera, especially during my dancer days and my So You Think You Can Dance days, oh my god. The shenanigans. What a lie. Oh no, it's great.

SPEAKER_03

Right, so you picked So You Think You Can Dance over X Factor. We've uh we had Josh Warren be on who mentioned to you that he was your great, you were his like, he was in there in the X Factor and he was like, Cisco Gomez is here. Wow, like that's it. I didn't traumatize him. No, you didn't. So we know you dance for X Factor, but So You Think You Could Dance. I mean, it was iconic. We remember watching that when we were younger. It's just like Did you? Yes, such a good. I just love the concept of the show, like learning a different style each week. I'm just gonna be able to do it. Versatility. Yes, exactly. Like such a good concept, but being part of that show must have been like amazing.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, it was amazing. I mean, choreographing for X Factor is something that can never be repeated, especially the timing of it all as well. And also working for like Brian Freeman, who like was responsible for so many of Britney's great moments. Like, not anyone can do that job. So I understand how amazing that opportunity was. But so you think you can dance. What happened was is I felt like me being on that panel wasn't just because it was oh I was the current one, but it was like who else? And I knew that. And I I that's something that I really hold on to because a lot of the old school choreographers weren't in the industry at the time and my generation, they weren't necessarily keeping up to date, or they were on the way out. So the level of the caliber of choreography in comparison to the Americas, the deficit was very obvious. And so here I am trying to like you know, torch the whole world about jazz funk and keeping it into the American standard or whatever, and then I get that opportunity, you know what I mean? And so, like, to be there, it was just you know, Arlene Phillips and you know Nigel Lithco, and you're just I'm just like yeah, and I was just like, damn, and what's funny is I actually went in as a choreographer. So Louis Spence, do you remember Louis Spence? Yes, so he used to work in the reception in Pineapple, and he's always been a supporter in my career, gave me one of my first choreography gigs as well, because he saw the boom before the boom happened, you know? And they went into Pineapple looking for choreographers, and they were he gave a list, and I was the list, and of course, I went dressed nine to the ten. I had an auticle aval with a little Vivian bag. The producers stopped the interview and was like, Can we just uh pivot? And I was like, Yeah, sure. Because they were basically asking me about my choreography experience and my teaching experience, and then they stopped and they wheeled in a TV, and they were like, We're just gonna um put some styles on the T of previous episodes. Can you tell us the style and what you would say to it? Mind you, I had done two years of So You Think You Can Dance in Ukraine already. So even before that, I'm I'm you know, I'm very versed with like how to judge styles that are not mine. So I just gave them the Cisco Gomez treatment. And next minute you know, they're like, we actually don't not that we don't want you to choreograph, but we would love you to come and judge, like um, let's do a tester kind of thing. And the rest is history. So I went as a choreographer, my outfit, my presentation got me bumped up to a guest spot.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, and how old were you at that point?

SPEAKER_00

I want to say 23. Wow, maybe maybe 24, maybe 24? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03

Wow.

SPEAKER_00

Maybe 24. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

Good big break.

SPEAKER_00

That's yeah, it was amazing. It was amazing. Because you doing it in Ukraine was everything because even the way that happened, I was like, how did you find me? Do you know what I mean? But like the the British one, obviously coming from London, I'm just like, this means a lot because I was like, who else was it gonna be? Like could speak for us, you know, in the hip-hop disciplines, in the commercial sense, in the jazz funk sense, you know, being taught by these Americans, you know what I mean? Like, I was like, no, this is my job, this is this is me, it should be me.

SPEAKER_03

Oh yeah, that's amazing. That's so good. I love oh, what show, what show. Um, Nazis, bangers, yes. Yeah, that was easy. That was a good one.

SPEAKER_00

I mean, there's just music was so good back then, like in the 90s and 2000s. I mean, we got it from pop to RB to hip-hop. It was just so good. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_03

Like, yeah, and they're like, they're still played now for like haunted.

SPEAKER_00

And being sampled now, and then they're making resurgence and stuff like TikTok now. I'm and I'm sitting there going like can't beat it. I was in the club and that came out there.

SPEAKER_03

Students are like, oh, how do you know this? Yeah, yeah. Like, I know the original.

SPEAKER_00

That part, exactly. That part.

SPEAKER_03

Judging or hosting, you went hosting. Is that a new bag you're jumping into?

SPEAKER_00

You know what it is? Like, I've always loved being a creative, right? But when someone was like, you should be in front of the camera, I've never thought of that because I'm you know, I'm just me. I'll dress the way I want to dress at my isms, you know, I'm very direct. So when the opportunity came, you know, I think once you once you try something else, you're like, oh wait, this is where I'm supposed to be. And so after judging, because you know, I worked so hard to be a technician, now I looked at the person grabbing the mic and I was like, that's what I want to do. I want to have I want to be the Wendy Williams of my generation or the Oprah or like whatever. I want to be the Derma O'Leary or the Bruce Forsyth, who's one of my biggest inspirations. I'm just like, you know, I just want to I want that. I want to entertain and enlighten and educate and give me the mic.

SPEAKER_03

Give me the mic. Hosting nice, nice, nice. Um move it mainly so do teaching. You said teaching classes, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

I mean move it is is amazing and it was such an amazing experience. Honestly, I had such a great time, but you know, I'm I'm I'm great at a lot of things. I'm a master at one thing, I'm a great teacher. Like I just but I love it. Yeah, I love it, and I've done it wrong for many years and I made it right, and I've been doing it right ever since, if that makes sense. And so like I just love to serve, I love to help, and I know what I'm doing. You know what I mean? And so there's teacher, I feel very powerful and secure in teaching. So I think teaching will it'll always be top of the list, I think.

SPEAKER_03

Oh, nice, really nice. And then Brittany or Kylie Britney. Yeah, I mean Kylie is backstage buzz or onstage adrenaline? Yeah, sorry, onstage adrenaline.

SPEAKER_00

No, backstage buzz is horrible. And I I've got even when I used to be a dancer, I remember when I did Janet, I was like, just not talking to anyone. I was just like.

SPEAKER_02

I'm like that. Do you know what I mean? I mean you were like the opposite with disarmament.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, like a chatty cafe next to me. I'm just like, Yeah, I'm jumping together. I'm like, shut up. Because I don't know what happened. Because I just start replaying the choreography or replaying what I need to do. And then at the same time, I'm just like, wow, this anxiety or adrenaline, whatever it is that we feel, you know, that butterfly feeling, it's actually quite deafening for me. I'm just like, yeah, yeah, and so I just make sure that I'm like, guys, good luck with everything. And I'm just like, and if you if you were to just look at me backstage, you'd think I'm angry.

SPEAKER_03

I'm just like, yeah, so you two are similar, and that's just don't talk to me.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, and it's like because I don't know, that's just I wish I was more positive, or like, yay, hands together. I'm just like, leave me alone.

SPEAKER_02

I like need quiet time, like half an hour before we go on. I'm like, no, half an hour.

SPEAKER_00

So mine starts as we walk. So after the maquillage, we walk, and as we're walking, I'm like isolation station.

SPEAKER_01

I'm like, don't speak to me.

SPEAKER_00

Get your hugs out of the way. Because you know what I mean, yeah, yeah. So I think on and on stage, yeah. You don't think you can't be, but also you don't think it's so automatic, right? Once you you're on, you're on, and it's the I guess the come down after that, you're like, I felt amazing. We're backstage is like other people's angs, I'm like, go away.

SPEAKER_03

I don't like it. And then we had Britney O'Cali. And then we had Britney or Kali, so Britney's just yeah, Britney changed my life.

SPEAKER_00

She changed my life, and I'm that person, you know how people are like go die hard for Michael, and they would like go have fights for Michael. You can say very little about Britney that's bad to me. You know what I mean? I'm just like, because of what she represented, what she did to me, her music catalogue, and I'm just like, I will always, regardless of where Britney is in life, I will always, always be a supporter. Icon. That's my queen. My queen.

SPEAKER_03

My favorite section, don't be moody, shake your booty.

SPEAKER_00

That's what it's like. You need to get in the fish, you need to press a button and get that done.

SPEAKER_03

Oh my gosh, that's what we need. That's what we need. We've got it printed on the fashion lights. Yes, and we've got it printed on the bottom of our hoodies. It says at the bottom of the phone. Don't be moody.

SPEAKER_00

You did not get a transstand with that on.

SPEAKER_03

So we're gonna do a little bit of a blooper reel and then we'll focus on the highlight reel. So quickly with a blooper reel, what's been the hardest part of your dance journey?

SPEAKER_00

The hardest part of my dance journey was I think big question, actually. It is, because you know what? Like, I don't I don't have any regrets in life. I've done things that maybe I shouldn't have done that way, but it's my mistake. So I own it. And so with my the my dance career, I did it correctly. I didn't try to like jump any hoops, I didn't get on my knees for anything, like I didn't schmooze anyone. I'm literally like raw talent, untrained talent, did the work, then the opportunities came through reputation. And so I great, that's great.

SPEAKER_03

You know what I mean? Like, yeah, you've just enjoyed your career and done it the right way.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, and the ups and downs and the peaks and valleys, I knew that was how it was supposed to be. Yeah. So I just never really complained. Obviously, I've pitched here and there with people, but no, like I yeah, yeah, great. But it was a great, it was a great experience.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, the whole thing you've just had, I mean, honestly, the most incredible career. So this is gonna be a hard question. What has been your peak of your career so far?

SPEAKER_00

Peak of my career, okay. As a teacher, being able to teach in 26 or 27 countries. I didn't even know there were that many countries. That's amazing, you know what I mean? And it's so weird. And do you remember when we were talking about earlier about be sitting in the moment? I didn't realise that until I was doing a biography about six years ago, and I was like, what a shame that I only realized that six, seven years ago that I've taught in 26, 27 countries because it was just like, oh, next country is expectational. You know what I mean? It's like, duh, of course I'm in, of course I'm in this country, of course I'm in Germany, whatever. Yeah, um, so that's teaching. When it comes to dancing, it was definitely Janet Jackson and Madonna. Because for the type of dancer I am, that's I don't have to put a hat or a mask on for that. That's what I am. That's you, you know. Yeah. Um, and also they were icons when I was a baby. So the to get to dance for them is just pinch me mo. Yeah, especially Madonna, because it they just refurbished the Wembley Stadium. So we were one of the first performances, or maybe the first performances, to perform there. So imagine seeing a sea of 60 to 80 people, you're just like 60 to 80,000, not 60 to 80 people.

SPEAKER_03

Oh yeah, thousand.

SPEAKER_00

Thank you for the gifts.

SPEAKER_03

60 people, whoa! Into my gift. I made it.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, no, thousand. Wow, yes. That was like, wow. Choreography, Kylie. Kylie was always in my bucket list, and the way that happened, it was literally like like the So You Think You Can Dance section. It was like, you're in for this, oh now you're doing this. And I was like, okay.

SPEAKER_03

Okay, yeah. Oh, was that this song in my arms?

SPEAKER_00

It was in my arms.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, and bangers, pop bangers.

SPEAKER_00

It's just the biggest smile. Honestly, one of the best moments of my life. It was just the way it was booked, the drama that I had during that, the the team that ended up doing it was amazing.

SPEAKER_03

And what was it for? What was the event?

SPEAKER_00

So it was um her pro she just released, or she was about to release an album called X, and um, it was the promo for this, and I had danced um on the promo for wow, and the same choreographers, the um Rich and Tone from America, they were supposed to do In My Arms, but then Madonna summoned them to do the confessions tour. And William Baker at the time was the creative director, and he had you know, he chose everything that happened in that camp. It was a very controlled camp. And he had come to see a few years prior one of my shows in Zattles Well. With my company Dance to Excess. And so he knew about that about me, about my choreography. And then next meeting you know, I get a call from Polydor saying that I'm choreographing, and I'm like, okay. Now the emails and everything said that it presumed, I presumed, excuse me, that I was doing wow. So they wanted me to revamp WoW. Okay. Imagine getting to the first day of rehearsals, and then the I'm, you know, you know, going over with my assistant and whatever. And then the dancers are like, Sisko, what are you doing? Because they saw the choreography and they were like, he would never choreograph that to this song. And I was like, what are you guys talking about? I was like, bro, we're doing in my arms. And I was like, what's in my arms? And so I get on the side.

SPEAKER_02

It's like a fun-release song at this point.

SPEAKER_00

No, no, it's released, but in my head, I'm doing wow. Right. I could have sworn I had a back and forth for emails with them. Oh my goodness. No, In My Arms never appeared. So then I call management and they're like, oh, oh, I'm sorry, we'll get you the song immediately.

SPEAKER_01

Mind you.

SPEAKER_00

So it's 10 a.m. or 9 a.m. William Baker's come in at like three or four. And so I have to pull it out of my bump. Literally. And so I made that up on the spot. The team were amazing. And I was just like, no, this is my gig. This is exactly I can do this. And it happened. Kylie was supposed to come the end of that day. She didn't because she was jet lagged. Kylie doesn't come the next day. Kylie doesn't come to rehearsal. So we're doing the NRJ Awards. And for those that don't know, the NRJ Award is the French version of the Brit Awards, is their biggest music award ceremony. And she's receiving the Icon Award or the Lifetime Achievement Award. So this album has got a lot of buzz too, and In My Arms in Europe blows up. That's why they released it because all the radio stations were starting to play In My Arms instead of Wow, etc. Cool. So imagine I'm there, I'm her standing, she's not there, she's nowhere to be seen. And then she's doing hair and makeup, and I'm like, it is like three hours, maybe four hours before our show, and I haven't even met Kylie yet. And then so I'm summoned to her dressing room. It was huge for some reason, which is very rare in these shows. And she's like, hi, and I'm like, hi. She's like, okay, I saw the rehearsals. Love what you're doing, blah, blah, blah. Mind you, she had given me an email, give me specifics. So if you see in my arms the choreography I did, it's very disjointed because she wanted the chorus to look like this, the intro to look like this. And I love that it's instructions, but because I was making it from the top, it was like hard to like remember those.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

You know what I mean? So we're in the rehearsal, and she learns everything in like 20 minutes.

SPEAKER_01

Wow.

SPEAKER_00

And she's not even sweating, she's not, she probably asked maybe two questions. And and then I remember going, Would you like me to bring like two more dancers so you can see what it feels to be flagged? She's like, Oh no, we're fine, we're fine. And I was like, I know, and she was like, This section though, if I don't go there, do you mind tapping me? Because I was always on her right. And I was like, Yeah, sure. If you see that performance, one of the dancers actually made a mistake, not Kylie Manog.

SPEAKER_03

She just completely pulled out of the bathroom. She's so gangster.

SPEAKER_00

I was just like, I've never ever come across that.

SPEAKER_02

It was like she was like, I didn't need to come to rehearsal. Yeah, she's not sure. Well no, she didn't.

SPEAKER_00

But she didn't, but obviously, for in in my time, this is what I mean. We could be experiencing the same story but different timelines. For me, I'm like, this is my biggest career move. Like, I'm choreographing for Kylie Minogue at the Energy Awards. All my friends are there because they're choreographing for different artists and stuff. This is huge, and I'm like, my artist doesn't know what she's doing. And so I remember like we're like we're like dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun how do you and I'm like, great, she's done that. So I'm having like an out-of-body experience.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, as well.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, yeah, because I'm like, I have to be the one to come out of character if she's wrong and freestyle to her, and you know, I was just trying to create so many variables, but no, didn't need to not one mistake, and when I mean she aced it, she aced it. I was like, I've never experienced professionalism like that. She's just on it, she's just so on it.

SPEAKER_03

That's why she's gone to the top and she stayed at the top, because she's just Amen to that.

SPEAKER_00

Honestly, I've never come across an artist like that. J Lo works hard, but like I've never been in a situation where someone can learn a number in like half an hour, if that, and be like, okay, bye. And I'm like, I remember walking back to my changing room, like fingers crossed. Yeah, no, totally. You know, yeah, but again, magical.

SPEAKER_03

Amazing, very, very magical. What a story. And hung up by Madonna was another one of your songs you picked for this. Again.

SPEAKER_00

We love animals. The original sample.

SPEAKER_03

Let's skip to the Madonna part. Hi, Cal Bob. Another pop banger. Yes, you tell them the pop girling. 100%. Was that another highlight in your life that you choreographed and dance from that one?

SPEAKER_00

Because I booked the hung up video and then I couldn't do it. And then I got asked to do the sorry video. Couldn't do that. So I've had two chances to dance at Madonna, and I didn't it didn't happen. So then I'm choreographing Paula Abdul, and I get the call the day before the first rehearsal saying, You've been summoned. Madonna wants to see you. You've been summoned. Yes, and so I thought it was a private audition. No, it was just me being auditioned, and I'm at the rehearsals with I'm the only non-person from the tour. And um the the choreographer, the supervising choreographer Allison, she taught me a few numbers, hung up and uh ease level neither and something else. And um yeah, she was so cold to me. Even though I was invited by her, she was so cold to me and so like nonchalant and whatever. And the story was someone was being fired and I was replacing her. Yeah, but they were still in the building, and so I find this out, and I'm sectioned off in this huge warehouse where they're having the band rehearsals and stuff. I'm sectioned off, and then I can feel this presence and I'm like, she's in the room. Like, guys, when I mean energy, like literally like the ice queen, just frost everywhere. Yeah, it's just it's a oh, it's an amazing energy. Like she really takes up space. So then Alison goes and and speaks to her. I'm dressed, this is my 80s vibe, so I'm dressed like head to toe in colour, like I'm giving you fresh prints of Bel Air, kind of she hates that in rehearsal, she wants all black. So I I find out very quickly. So I'm I'm there. I don't know if I should kiss her. So I extend my hand. I'm like, are you nice to meet you, Madonna? And she goes with her tea or coffee, whatever she had tea, I think. She's like, take him upstairs, he needs to change completely. I would like him in all black and topless. While my hands like this, and then and then she's like, Thank you, and she walks away, and I'm like, she walks away and my hands still extended, and I'm like, okay. Okay. So I'm taken upstairs, and and the and the it's so weird because like the the wardrobe have a rehearsal section because she only likes black in rehearsals. So I'm put in Converse, a Zara or Topshop trouser, like literally like a tuxedo trouser and topless. I come back downstairs and they've started the rehearsal. So I'm there, just doing nothing. And I'm like, when I'm I thought I was gonna be auditioned because that's why I learned three numbers, right? No, I'm there for like half an hour doing nothing, and I'm like, okay, I think that's the gentleman that's being fired. Let me learn his track. So I'm learning his track. She midway stops the music and she goes, curly, curly. I don't respond to curly, my name's Cisco. You know what I mean? So I don't know if she's talking to me because I had massive curly hair in my dance career. I used to have like hair up to my shoulder, curly. And I was just like, so she's saying curly for ages, and I'm just like not because I'm being rude, but I'm like, but I can see this energy, and I'm like, oh so and she's like, what are you doing? And before I could answer, she's like, you should be doing something, you should be learning the formations. And I said, I did I did, I am, and then some of the dancers were like, Stop talking back, and I but you know, I was just replying, and she's like, Really? Tilts her head, calls that boy. The one that I said swaps me. So I'm looking at Sophia and charm. Sophia's now an actress, amazing um dancer, and charm who's an a choreographer now. Um, and she would they she looked at me and she was like, Do you know what you're doing? I was like, Yeah, they were also worried for me. I was like, Oh no, I know. I was like, if I'm really wrong, just shout out Cisco. You shouting out Cisco will tell me that I'm incorrect and I'll figure it out. We do the number, pass the flying colours, we do another number, pass the flying colours. She looks at me and then turns around. So she can't say thank you or well done, right?

SPEAKER_01

You know, right.

SPEAKER_00

So then she goes to me, uh, she goes to me. Every album, she always has like a global artist tour with her. And this time was these two Ukrainian, I believe they were gypsies, um, um, violinists. And so I was learning a house section from the four boy dancers, but they could all house, but they all house very different. I don't house, I fouse. I know the basics, you can put me in a group of 10 or 11, but you're definitely not going to be had me as a soloist. But you know, like I said, I train a little bit out to Clara, the only teacher I've had in house. So I'm struggling with these versions. And then she goes, now let's replace that section, teach us some Ukrainian dancing. So the the um the gentlemen are start, you know, they're going at it. They're not teachers, they're going at it. But because of, you know, I've done so many styles, I start to pick it up. Yeah, yeah. And now that the you know, that I guess the scales have tipped a little bit. So then she's like, do it like him. And then so I'm like, you know, have you still nothing though? So anyway, fast forward, we get to the show, and then I'm in Wembley Stadium, the new Wembley Stadium, and I'm just like, and she wore these ridiculous YSL, I'll never forget platforms. What look like five inches, like platform forward, and then the stiletto. She can't walk in that, like or dance in that, you know what I mean? She falls in front of me. I laugh.

SPEAKER_03

Oh no, okay, I'm done.

SPEAKER_00

Oh no, it's automatic because you know, I'm just to way too comfortable. She goes like this. Did you just laugh at me? And I went, yeah. And she goes, pick me up, you C word. And then and I start laughing. She started laughing.

SPEAKER_03

I was like, Oh, you're like, we've formed a friendship now.

SPEAKER_00

Says nothing to me for the whole performance. So I hung up. So anyway, point of the story, hung up. As I'm doing hung up, I'm like doing the choreography, and I'm just like, I zone out. And I'm just like, as if I'm dancing for Madonna, as if I had this experience from booking it to like not being able to do the first two videos to the experience I had, yeah, the replacement situation to like her calling me that. You know, and so I'm she does this thing where she was like, she goes to the audience, time goes by so slowly, and then she makes the audio, and she did it for I'm talking about what felt like 10 minutes. I didn't know. So where they're doing this, so I'm zoning out, uh disassociating because I'm like, Cisco, soak this in, mate. Like, you love ABBA, you love Madonna. Like, ah, you know, cool. Oh do the show, I'm like, her security comes up to me. She's like, Sisko, can you come here? And I'm like, yes. And she's like, um, M. They call it M. M. Yeah, like, yeah, but no one says Madonna, they call it M. Like M will like to invite you to the private screening of her film. She was very satisfied with um how the show looked because as soon as it finished, she goes and watches the show.

SPEAKER_03

Oh, no way, wow.

SPEAKER_00

So we are at the Key West Hotel, I believe, with with the dancers the next day. Getting smashed. I'm drinking something, I just dance at Madonna. I'm still on a high. We go to this private um cinema, and she's sitting at the front with uh with a um team, and then all the dancers at the back, and we see her film, because you know she's a director. Odd film, not my taste. Um, but says nothing to us. By this time, I'm absolutely rat-faced. I'm like, I can barely string away. But I'm just so happy as well. I'm on one side where this pillow is, and Madonna is all the way over there. Like, I'm talking about a few hundred metres. Next to me, you see no, I'm speaking to the dancers, and I see this happen. She's walking towards me. I'm drunk, and I see Madonna walking up to me, and then like with like flanked by like two or three people, like a mini entourage. And I'm like, and she's like, hey Curly. And I'm like, Yes, and she's like, I just wanted to say thank you so much for your time. I really enjoyed blah blah blah blah. And she basically said that I did a great job. Oh my goodness. And I was like, the honor was mine, thank you so much. And I gave her two kisses, and she went, Oh my gosh. And then I was but as I'm experiencing this, I'm trying to be like, because you can't even speak. And then the whole the whole party comes back. And I'm like, oh. And the dancers are like, yes, and I'm like, What a life moment. What do you know what I mean? Like, it's not just dancing with Madonna. I got to have all those personalized moments from her trying to come for me, to me being tested, to you know, me laughing at her, could I be in fired? No, to then being at the security guard inviting me, you know. Yeah, hello incredible, like incredible.

SPEAKER_03

This is in a movie already. You know what I mean? Yes, there we go. That's the movie, that's the part of the movie.

SPEAKER_00

Hung up will always be. When I hear hung up, I'm like brings back those movements. Yeah, because it's like it's such a tailored experience. Yeah, yeah, definitely. You know, I was the plus one in that crew at the time. You're lucky to be there, and I just got so many like accidental and some of them coincidental, I guess. But like these moments that you're like, you couldn't write that with Madonna.

SPEAKER_03

Madonna.

SPEAKER_00

Madonna.

SPEAKER_03

Oh wow, I bet you're like, did that even happen?

SPEAKER_00

You know, hello. And then when I tell the story, it's honestly, it feels like it's a film or a segment. If like if fame was relaunched on Netflix, that would be the type of crap that'll happen. Yeah. But I was like, of course it will happen to me. Of course it will. I'm just like, I'm ready. Oh, I'm like, a lot of people will crumble. I'll be like, no, she's being mean to me because she's testing me and she's gonna love me. You know what I mean? I was like, I was like, I was like, give it to me.

SPEAKER_03

Not that you've given us enough inspiration already, but now we need 60 seconds. This is called the masterclass minute. Cisco Gomez is gonna give us 60 seconds of inspiration for the next generation. Whatever they need to know to be in the industry, just follow their dreams, whatever it is that you want to inspire the next generation with. Are you ready? Cisco Gomez is masterclass minute. Go.

SPEAKER_00

My masterclass minute is. I love you guys. You guys dance so beautifully. The um the repertoire and the thesaurus that you guys do now, you know, what you have unlocked in dance is amazing, but please work on your insides. There is too much fragility or weakness, dare I say. Like, I love that there is space for mental health. I love that there is space for pronouns. I love that it's more inclusive, size-wise, ethnic wise, love it. Power to that, but nothing, no job should pause for you. It can't and it shouldn't. That details and that effort that you put on the outside, please do that to the inside. There is no weakness to a counselor or a therapist. Your traumas are not badges of honor, they are for me, moments that you can pivot from to then in an honorable way go to a next place and be like, I've conquered. That's the honorable part. Because a lot of us can talk at the talk, but no one's walking. No one's walking, and so there's a lot of fragility and a lot of emotional-based decisions, and choreographers where like uh the producers' choreographers don't have seniority because it's how are you? And am I doing something right? Oh, I'm let's just relax and let's just go back to like do your job. Of course, we have to be treated nicely and better, absolutely, and make sure you get paid, kids, and don't work for free. But yeah, just do the insides because it's amazing for some of these dancers. Oh my god, they can do incredible, but they're insides outside six pack, inside flabby. So I think you need to be psychologically and spiritually, you also need a six-pack there. Yeah, because you know, it's not a kind world, industry aside, so you have to be ready for it, and the world doesn't stop just because you got a little boohoo in your in your knee. Uh the honestly, the fragility, the fragility of I'm just like love you guys.

SPEAKER_01

No, I really do, I really do.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, go therapy or or or have that one friend that will tell you, girl, that is not the shoes for this outfit. We don't need to cry about it. It's not a trigger, it's honest. It's just honesty. Honesty is not a bad thing. How it's delivered, yes. Hello, but please. Yes, just a bit more gone.

SPEAKER_03

Nice! I love it. And your song for this one, free.

SPEAKER_00

Oh my gosh. I beefer, you like oh, it's so chill, but still so like. Oh my god. The amount of times I've been on the dance floor sweating for this song. And it's just so great, you know. It's like, and I think any dancer can take the lyrics from that. Just be free. Do what you want to do. Like, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. As long as you're doing the work, you know, and you have people or a person, because I don't think you can do it by yourself. You need mentors, you need teachers, you need um, you need relationships to fail. You know what I mean? Not just career peaks and lows, you know what I mean? Like everything needs to be in in conjunction, but be free. Just be free because I think when you start living someone else's narrative, it's dangerous. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_03

So that song to me, literally, I'm just like what a good note to end on. Oh, thank you so much.

SPEAKER_00

Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_03

Where can we find you? What are your socials?

SPEAKER_00

Socials is at Cisco Gomez if you want hosting in personal. Choreography is at Cisco Gomez Choreography.

SPEAKER_03

That's what it says on the tin. Easy. Look at that. Awesome.

SPEAKER_00

Thank you.

SPEAKER_03

Thank you so much for watching, guys. Yeah, thank you. What an icon, what a career. Just could have sat in here for 10 hours just listening to all the stories.

SPEAKER_02

He was such a good storyteller. Really good storyteller. Could have been thinking about that M story for the rest of the day.

SPEAKER_03

I love it. I wanted to know more. Got him. Give us the tea. Yes, it's too hot to be in here for any longer, but we could have carried on talking about all the incredible stories from what an amazing career, and just having lots of different avenues like the TV, the artist work, like everything. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

He also has a podcast as well. He also does have a podcast.

SPEAKER_03

Yes, we will tag that below as well. Um, link that so you can go and find that too. The Progressing Mail. Um, and a talk show, can we talk? So, a man of many talents. So many talents. So many talents. So just oh, an incredible, incredible interview. And when I used to watch So You Think Your Dads now, Cisco's on our podcast. It's just amazing. So, yeah, we hope you've enjoyed as much as we have this week. And we'll see you next time. Bye.