Interview with Brandon Lising:
Brandon started dancing at the age of three and has never looked back. He has had the opportunity to perform at festivals, flashmobs, music videos, on screen and on stage. He was cast to perform at Canada Day 150th Anniversary in 2017 at the Parliament in Ottawa as Canada’s “young voyageur”, performing alongside his sister, Lauryn. He shared the stage with many amazing artists and with Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in front of the nation.
Brandon has appeared on TV series such as CBBC’s The Next Step, Nickelodeon’s Make it pop and Discovery Channel’s Fatal Vows. He has appeared in seasons 6-9 on The Next Step, with him playing the role of Xander in seasons 8 and 9. Brandon is not only experienced in movement, he also has experience in voice acting. He was a principal character named Tomas on the animated series Snowsnaps (Treehouse Network) for two seasons.
In this interview I will be talking to Brandon about his life as a dancer and what his weekly training looks like. We will also dive into his time on The Next Step, where we will be discussing his favourite dances and moments from being on the show.
Brandon as ‘Xander’ in The Next Step season 8. © The Next Step
10 questions with Brandon Lising:
When did your dance journey begin?
It started at the age of 3, my first class was breakdancing.
What was it like auditioning for The Next Step?
The first time I ever auditioned was when I was 13-14, and it was incredibly stressful. It was my first big dance audition and I was not sure what to expect going into it but overall it was a great experience and helped me shape into the dancer I am today!
What advice would you have to someone who wants to become a dancer?
Perseverance, your gonna have a lot of road bumps along your dance journey, certain things might click right away and somethings might take time but keep pushing! If you put the work in it’ll show in your dancing.
What was your favourite dance to be part of on The Next Step?
My favourite dance was definitely the finals Clock dance or my duet with Jett.
Brandon in The Next Step season 8. © The Next Step
Do you have a favourite style of dance?
My favourite style is Hip Hop but my surprising other favourite style of dance is Tap.
What was your favourite behind the scenes moment on The Next Step?
Probably the naps in between scenes they always hit.
What was it like shooting Nationals for The Next Step?
Shooting nationals was a lot of fun, getting too meet other dancers besides the ones from our studio was cool! The nationals scenes were always a bit more stressful but it almost made me perform better!
What’s your dance training schedule like for the week?
Rehearsals:
Monday 7:30pm -10:30pm
Tuesday 8:30pm -10:30pm
Wednesday : work/rest day
Thursday : 8:30-11pm
Friday: work/rest day
Saturday : 6:30-9pm
Sunday : 6-10pm
Brandon in The Next Step season 8. © The Next Step
What would you say is the biggest challenge for a dancer?
Taking the jump to make it a career, a lot of people have the dream of making it a career but it’s sometimes scary to go all in with dance.
If you could dance with any celebrity, who would it be and why?
I would try and go on tour with these 3 artists, Justin Timberlake, Bruno Mars and Chris Brown. All because the creative directors/choreographers and dancers on all 3 casts are all insane dancers!!
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Written by Charlie Wheeler
