‘INSANE’ is not only one of Marko Panzic’s favourite catch-cries but an accurate description of the workload this self-professed workaholic has conquered brilliantly across 2016! From Executive Performance Producer for Australia’s Got Talent to financing and producing the Dream Dance Company’s 2nd Season ‘The Secret Society’, Marko has woven his magic across multiple projects, while simultaneously inspiring the next generation to flex their own entrepreneurial and choreographic ‘muscle’.
“I just want to hit the pause button,” says Marko – yet plans are already underfoot for 2017 to be an even busier year! At a glance, 2016 was a pressure-cooked year that started with Auditions for ‘The Secret Society’ and working on AGT, then fleshed out with the launch of ‘Show Biz’ pre-professional course… with choreographing Dami Im for Eurovision while simultaneously touring Australia with Dream Dance Co., and ended with hosting the Dream Dance Party and choreographing Jessica Mauboy’s AACTA performance! Add to this mix Marko’s constant round of workshops, classes, mentoring, corporate jobs with Ricki Lee and judging high profile dance comps (like DanceLife Unite!), and you start to understand the infectious energy this man has for our industry!
With auditions and casting already done and dusted for Season 3 of Dream Dance Co, Marko says he feels the pressure to continue to take the commercial dance company to even greater heights!
“I kind of see it as each year it’s like releasing a new album … I always think the second album is the hardest because the expectation was so massive after Genesis (Season 1 choreographed by Stephen Tannos) that we really had to take The Dream to a whole different level this year. What we did with Candice Brown (Season 2– The Secret Society) – having an international choreographer and steering it away from the Australian style – a different breath of fresh air really captured something. Candice is a phenomenal character! Her choreography is so special the way she hears music is so incredible but then you meet her and it’s so special because she’s so humble. That’s just such a special gift! The dancers got so much out of her because she gave them everything … really kind, nurturing and humble.”
Australia’s own Sarah Boulter has been engaged to choreograph 16 hand-picked dancers for the 2017 Season 3 of Dream Dance Co – ‘Enter the Vortex’.
“I couldn’t have signed a more beautiful person than Sarah Boulter! Working with her and having her in the room is the most calming … she just has this quality that she walks into a room and you can’t help but love Sarah. I’d say this year was probably the hardest audition! Dancers are just so good now. There’s so much quality training here that literally me and Sarah were just blown away … there’s a lot more fire and confidence in Australia at the moment and I think that’s a credit to all the competitions and the studios and everything out there that are making these dancers so performance-ready at such a young age. Sarah’s work is really athletic, it’s really strong, and it’s really powerful! It was really hard because we had people that have been in The Dream for two years that didn’t make it through and then you have fresh faces so it’s this whole balance.”
Marko says his work on high profile TV shows over the past few years like ‘The Voice’, ‘Eurovision’ and ‘Australia’s Got Talent’ has heavily influenced his creative mind. “Sometimes working in different elements inspired me to go OMG maybe I could do this … there’s so much new technology and amazing things that these TV shows have massive budgets for! I know exactly all the things I did previously were leading me to do ‘The Dream’ … working with lighting directors and working with cameras … giving me the wisdom to do what I do now”.
With his own start to stardom on Season 1 of So You Think You Can Dance, Marko feels proud that ‘The Dream’ is giving Australian dancers a platform to dance their hearts out. “That’s why I want to do it! I want these dancers to have the opportunity that I had with things like ‘So You Think You Can Dance’! Next year we’re taking more risks, we’re taking ‘The Dream’ around Australia and including some special places – a special announcement just for DANCELIFE is we will for the first time be going to ADELAIDE!,
I asked Marko if he thought The Dream Dance Co. was ‘something that could inspire others to create more work in this industry’ to which his simple response was “100% – I encourage that if the right intention is there and quality is there. I think the dance that’s out there … promoting dance and making dance important is something that needs to happen.”
To relieve tension, Marko admits to Diva-like singing in the shower… “I think my neighbours are like what the hell? Sometimes I’m doing opera, sometimes Celine – I jump around and go from Rihanna to Kanye … next minute I think I’m a rapper, so it’s quite funny!
So where does Marko’s own dreams end?
“The day I wake up and it’s like I don’t have anything left I know that it’s time to pass it on. As much as I know that I’d love to do this forever is that there’s going to be a younger me one day coming through that I would love to be able to go ‘Here’s The Dream … go and continue The Dream and get on TV that’s what we need. The Dream will keep going until I can dream no more. OMG … That was so corny!”
TOURING DATES FOR THE DREAM DANCE COMPANY
“The Secret Society”
FINAL SHOWS in The GOLD COAST
January 28th & 29th 2017
@ Gold Coast Arts Centre
Tickets: HERE
