Pridefest Denver 2012, was an experience that came at just the right time. A couple weeks ago I was honored, thrilled, and extremely grateful to dance with Denver Dance Performing Troupe behind Fab Morvan, formerly of Milli Vanilli. The rehearsals started two weeks before the performance and the whole troupe worked so hard. Marguerite, you are an amazing teacher whose strength and commitment are an inspiration. Thanks for all your hard work for every show. You are appreciated.
As much as we looked forward to Pridefest 2012, it has come and gone. I am left with great memories of an incredible experience. Fabrice "Fab" Morvan was discovered in the late 1980's in Munich, Germany and released a Grammy Award winning album, "Girl You Know It's True," in 1990 along with Rob Pilatus. Fab's Denver Pridefest performance was his first in the U.S. in over 10 years. When I got the word, we would be dancing with him in late April, I couldn't say no. Dancing is what I love to do, and to be a part of Fab's 5 song set was just another dream come true.
Fab flew into Denver Friday June 15th 2012, one day before our scheduled performance. Our schedules had been a bit hectic with Drag Nation Pride also on 6/15/12. With rehearsals for both shows in full effect, we made time Friday afternoon to rehearse and review the choreography with Fab as soon as he landed. All of the nervousness and fears I had before meeting him, were all wiped away when he arrived at Denver Dance Studio. He is so kind hearted and very personable. He made me feel like I had worked with him before, and the man can actually sing! After tweaking some moves and fine tuning our placement we were ready for our two day performance at Denver Pridefest Main Stage.
Saturday June 16th and 17th Denver Dance Performing Troupe had the privilege of dancing with Fab Morvan, who was this year's headliner. His 30 minute set opened with, "Girl You Know It's True." An immediate rush of energy and adrenaline took over me as I made my way on stage and begin to make eye contact with the audience and feel their intense vibes. The crowd cheered, smiled, sang and clapped their hands as I realized this was GO TIME!
Fab's set included his three number one songs, "Baby Don't Forget My Number," "Girl I'm Gonna Miss You," and "Blame It On The Rain." The rush of energy and adrenaline only intensified when I spotted my brother in the audience. The feeling then became euphoric as I spotted myself on two large LCD screens placed to the left and right of the stage. While the camera man was focused on Fab, all of Denver could get a close up of the dancers as we danced around him. I was in the zone and ready for my close up.
While on stage dancing and hyping up the crowd, I noticed my brother standing to the left of the stage. His ear to ear smile and cheers made me give just a little bit more. The support of my family means the world to me. Early Sunday over brunch with my dad he told me, "I'm very proud of you hijo." No better Father's Day gift than making daddy proud. Thanks to my bro who snapped these images and featured some on his weekly style column for Westword. I also found some videos on YouTube recorded by The Colors of Light. All links are below. Check em out.
Reflecting back on Pride 2011, I am proud to say I have made one of my biggest dreams a reality in a year. Dancing with an artist has always been something I wanted to do since I was a child. Growing up watching Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson and Paula Abdul, I imagined what it would be like to dance with them. This is just the start of other dreams that will one day be realities. Consistency is key. Huge thanks to Marguerite from Denver Dance for her continued skill and guidance and to Mr. Fab Morvan for choosing Denver out of all the cities in the United States to perform. It was an incredible experience. I am still on a dance high two weeks later and yet there is more in store. Possible pride performance in another state? Stay Tuned...
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