Wednesday, Mar. 03, 2010

Dance team hopes to jump for joy on TV

Brittany Fortier was shocked when someone recognized her in a Los Angeles mall.

"They just came up to me and said they have been watching me on MTV," she said. "I was taken aback by that. It was weird."

Fortier, 20, of North Raleigh, is a contestant on "America's Best Dance Crew," a popular reality contest showcasing the art of street dancing.

She's part of a six-person dance troupe competing for America's votes and hoping to win $100,000 on the popular show, which airs on Thursday nights.

But there's a little twist.

Fortier's crew is named Saltare (Sol-tar'-ay), a Latin word meaning "Jump," for a reason. The group incorporates jumping rope into its routines.

She's on the crew with her best friend, Tyler Perez, 23, who co-owns Tri-Force Jump Rope Gym in Morrisville. They formed their crew a few months ago, just so they could compete for a spot on the show.

After sailing through the auditions, they made the finals. They're getting standing ovations from studio audiences and enough votes from fans across the country to keep them in the running for the grand prize.

"It's a crazy experience, but a dream come true," Fortier said, speaking from Los Angeles, where the show is taped.

It has been an eye-opening adventure for a young woman who spent the previous four seasons glued to her television, watching that show.

"I always thought it would be glamorous, all fun and games," she said, "but now I realize all the work that goes into the routines."

The show, produced by Randy Jackson of American Idol fame, is built much like the popular singing competition. Each week, dance crews perform a one-minute hip hop routine for three judges: R&B singer Omarion; rapper Lil Mamma, and record producer JC Chasez.

It's challenging.

"We have only four days to put on a routine, and America expects it to be absolutely perfect," Fortier said.

Her crew practices up to 50 hours a week to perform a one-minute routine.

"That's the most stressful part," she said. "We work so hard all week, and it all boils down to one minute."

Contestants don't choose their own music, and Saltare must adapt their routines to tempos that are not always suited to jumping rope.

"On stage we have a 50/50 chance with the ropes," she said. "If we mess up, there's no guarantee we can pick up the routine where we left off. With jump ropes, anything can go wrong. In half of our rehearsals, we hit our routine clean. The other half are disastrous."

And there are the judges.

"It is nerve-wracking to stand before the judges," she said. "You put so much time into your routine, and even if it's clean, and even when we perform our routine perfectly, they say we could have done better. We take the feedback each week and fix what needs to be fixed."

Then it's up to America to vote. The results are revealed during Tuesday night tapings. The show airs on Thursdays at 10 p.m.

Fortier and her crew are sworn to secrecy about the outcome.

These days, their hours are filled with managers, schedulers, handlers, and hair, make-up and wardrobe stylists.

"We have people who call us and give us our schedules, take us to get food, or whatever we need," she said. "I like that. I feel like I would get lost in the day if I didn't have that."

Fortier has been jumping rope for 15 years. She is a member of the USA Jump Rope All-Star team.

She grew up in Wake Forest, has always loved all things musical, and plays the flute. As a student at Wake Forest-Rolesville High School, she took a brief break from jump rope to join the band. But she missed jumping too much, quit the band, and never looked back.

She's starting to look forward, though.

"I've always wanted to be part of Cirque du Soleil," she said. "I would also like to do commercials or music videos, using a jump rope."

She's also practical. At the age of 20, a lifetime of jumping rope is taking its toll on her knees. She reckons she has about 10 years left to perform. She wants to make the most of it.

But for now, her life revolves around America's Best Dance Crew.

Remember the name: Saltare.