This is default featured slide 1 title

Go to Blogger edit html and find these sentences.Now replace these sentences with your own descriptions.This theme is Bloggerized by Lasantha Bandara - Premiumbloggertemplates.com.

This is default featured slide 2 title

Go to Blogger edit html and find these sentences.Now replace these sentences with your own descriptions.This theme is Bloggerized by Lasantha Bandara - Premiumbloggertemplates.com.

This is default featured slide 3 title

Go to Blogger edit html and find these sentences.Now replace these sentences with your own descriptions.This theme is Bloggerized by Lasantha Bandara - Premiumbloggertemplates.com.

This is default featured slide 4 title

Go to Blogger edit html and find these sentences.Now replace these sentences with your own descriptions.This theme is Bloggerized by Lasantha Bandara - Premiumbloggertemplates.com.

This is default featured slide 5 title

Go to Blogger edit html and find these sentences.Now replace these sentences with your own descriptions.This theme is Bloggerized by Lasantha Bandara - Premiumbloggertemplates.com.

Monday, 14 September 2015

Step Up star talks fitness, body confidence & pizza!

We spoke to Briana Evigan - the dancer/actress who is best known for her role in the Step Upmovies - about the gruelling training process for the newest film, Step Up 5: All In. She also talks about her diet, the naughty foods she loves, and the crazy fitness classes she has tried in the past.
Step Up star talks fitness, body confidence & pizza!
Hi Briana. It goes without saying that you have to be fit to do the Step Up moves. You're a trained dancer so are we right in thinking that fitness is a way of life for you?
Yeah, fitness is absolutely a way of life for me. I actually like exercising, and I obviously like being healthy and eating well. I think everything you put into your body kind of allows you to be more physical and go out there and just feel really great about yourself.
I agree! Any differences between your usual workout to training for Step Up 5?
Yes, actually I don't dance anymore like I used to, so when they called me for Step Up I started dancing for about a month again before the shoot and normally I do Pilates on the reformer, and I like yoga and kind of do a high intense cardio workout on a regular basis. But I like to switch it up a lot, and when we returned to the film it was just you know, 9-11 hours of dancing a day.
What would a typical day's training be like?
Stretch, choreography, kind of random dance moves in between the flow, partner dancing, but mainly just choreography since there's so much for the film and we have to learn it so early, because it's always changing, and it switches the day of, often. But mainly just choreography and kind of playing and having fun with everybody.
Did you ever just want to sack off the gym and stay in bed? 
Who doesn't want to do that? But I do feel better all the time if I actually keep up with exercise. I find myself more lethargic and not as happy if I don't actually push myself to go exercise all the time. The more I do it the better I feel.
Step Up star talks fitness, body confidence & pizza!
Great. What's your favourite exercise? 
Favourite type of exercise would be Pilates on the reformer. It's short, it's hard, it's only 45 minutes so it's kind of in and out, which I like, but other than that I do love spinning, like dancing on a bike. It's really fun.
Do you ever do SoulCycle?
You know what, I've been a few times and I've been to a couple of big studios out here but I just go the gym at Crunch where I work out.
Have you ever tried any wacky fitness classes?
I tried this crazy trapeze exercise years back, I don't remember what it was called. It was one of the most fun things, really really hard though because you're holding yourself up constantly, your entire core has to be so strong. But yeah it was a good trapeze dance aerobics class.
What music do you like to work out to?
I like electronic music, kind of heavy beats. Something that really gets my heart pumping. And then sometimes I like kind of epic feel good indie really big singing songs to run to. That kind of stuff. But yeah, mainly electronic.
What kind of diet do you have? Is there anything you won't eat? 
When I'm really on a diet I do try to stick to really small portions. That's kind of my thing because I do love to eat. But lots of vegetables, fruit obviously, fresh pressed juices, really low carbs, that kind of thing. Really clean eating.
What is your guilty pleasure - food wise? 
Pizza, pasta, I mean, everything. All that stuff, I like it!
What's the best part about being in the Step Up movies? 
I think the energy on set with all the people and all the dancers, it's just a very special place to be, having done it twice, I got to feel it both times. There's nothing like it, it's like a party but in a dance. It's completely different. A party without all the booze! All the dancers just have this kind of crazy energy together, it's so much fun.
You can definitely tell when you watch all of you together! People often look at you and think 'wow, I want her figure', who do you look at in the same way? 
You know what, I really like Jessica Alba's. I must say I always go back to her because she's not too thin and she's still got a butt and some curves, she's somebody that always kind of comes into my mind. Rihanna's body is pretty insane too. I like curves and stuff, I feel like the too skinny is like you're staring at a ten year old boy! I think women are sexy and their bodies are beautiful.
When you go out do people watch you on the dancefloor to see what moves you'll do? 
Freaks me out, makes me so uncomfortable! People totally do, I think people are expecting me to bust out some crazy dance moves all the time and I'm just trying to not do that and dance normal and have fun with my friends. I like silly dancing way more, I'd rather go out and get down with some silly 80s music than try to breakdance.

Briana Evigan Talks STEP UP ALL IN, Returning to the Franchise, Her Favorite Dance Sequence, and More

Briana Evigan STEP UP ALL IN
Step Up All In takes one of the most popular dance franchises in film history to all new heights, following Miami street dancer Sean Asa (Ryan Guzman) as he tries to make it in Hollywood, only to discover the almost insurmountable odds of making it in the professional dance world.  When he meets the headstrong Andie West (Briana Evigan), they form a new dance crew that reaches the final rounds of a high-stakes reality TV competition that will make their dreams come true.
At the film’s press day, actress Briana Evigan spoke to Collider for this exclusive interview about how thrilled she was when she was invited to come back for the fifth film in the Step Up franchise, the experience of returning to a role that she first played six years ago in Step Up 2 the Streets, what Andie has been up to since we last saw her, that they use no stunt doubles, except for one trick that was too challenging to do in the timespan they had to do it in, why this story is so relatable, her favorite dance sequence, and what it’s meant to her to be a part of this highly successful franchise.  Check out what she had to say after the jump.
Collider:  How did you find out that they wanted to bring you back for another Step Up film, and what was your reaction?
Briana Evigan STEP UP ALL INBRIANA EVIGAN:  When I didStep Up 2, I thought maybe, the next year, I’d come back for something, if it made sense, but that didn’t happen.  So, I just assumed that Step Up was done for me.  I wanted to really pursue the acting world, and step away from the dance world.  But, I was absolutely thrilled when they called me and I got to come back and get back together with all of my homies.
Because you had been away from the character for a bit, did you have to do anything to get back into her headspace again?
EVIGAN:  When I booked the role of Andie six years ago, she was a lot like me.  I was a street hip-hop dancer.  I have a different situation with the family thing.  I’ve got a very close family that’s all together.  I was not adopted into a black family.  I showed up with the do-rag and had this attitude of, “Whatever,” and it was me, at the time.  If anything, it was fun to be able to go back to being a little bit sloppier and chill and homied-out.  That’s really the way it was.  I’d hang out, go to dance classes and literally eat, breathe and live dance.  So, I got to do that again for awhile.
What can you say about where Andie has been since we last saw her and what she’s been up to?
EVIGAN:  When Step Up All In starts, they made it so that Andie has gone through a knee injury.  That’s what starts the story with my character and brings a little of the drama between Andie and Sean.  Andie is working at a runway fashion type of place with a normal job.  She’s given up dancing and given up on the dream.  When Sean and Moose come find me, we get our own crew together and she’s reminded how important family and love and friends are.  That’s all that matters to her, throughout the movie.  That’s the conflict between Andie and Sean.  Sean is about winning and the competition, and Andie thinks dancing is great, but she just likes Sean.  There are some cool real-life instances going on, which I think audiences will really relate to when they watch all of us.  You can always gravitate towards one character. 
The dancing in these movies is really awe-inspiring, gravity-defying and almost otherworldly, in a lot of ways, and because of that, people think there must be trickery and special effects involved.  Is it easier once you’ve already done it, or is it just a huge challenge each time?
Briana Evigan STEP UP ALL INEVIGAN:  I’d like to say it was easier.  The other cool thing I had in the bag this time was that I’ve done a ton of films in the last six years.  It’s the whole package now.  It’s an entire performance, rather than just dancing.  Now, I’m putting a character to it.  Now, I’m adding sexy to it.  Now, I’m putting all of these pieces on top of just dancing.  I think that, at least in my case, my dancing has become even stronger, even though I haven’t danced in six years.
Can you attest to the fact that the dancing is all real, with no special effects or trickery?
EVIGAN:  Yeah, there are literally no stunt doubles, except for the one trick that Ryan [Guzman] and I have.  I think we’d both agree by saying that, if we had more time to actually learn the trick, and his knee was not doing so well, we would have absolutely done it ourselves.  But we had no time, and we were still learning choreography on the day that we were filming.  Obviously, it’s not worth getting hurt.  So, for that one move that everybody will see, it’s amazing and looks phenomenal, but they did hire somebody else to do it.  But, that was the only time.  Everybody was flying on ropes.  It’s all real.  There are no special effects.  It’s so much better that way.
Was it any different to have a male lead that doesn’t come from a dance background?
EVIGAN:  No, there was no difference.  Ryan held his own, every single day, even with an injury.  He was just awesome.  And the cool thing about Ryan and I is that we have such a good friendship, and we have a little bit of that brother-sister feeling, all the time.  We were really there for each other when the hours got long, and we were always together, having a good time.  He made it really easy for me.
Was it important to you that Andie and Sean really be able to stand toe-to-toe with each other, and that she’s as strong as he is?
EVIGAN:  Yeah.  The whole time, they’re butting heads and going toe-to-toe.  Andie wants to let him be the man and hang onto whatever he’s hanging onto and show him, by example, and that maybe not having her is what he’s really missing out on.  She’s just trying to show him the bigger picture, throughout the film.  
This story is very relatable because the idea of having a dream that may be a little more difficult than you first thought is something that many people have experienced.  Did you find yourself relating to that?
Briana Evigan STEP UP ALL INEVIGAN:  Yeah, I think that there’s always a struggle in this job.  But in a weird way, acting has chosen me.  I didn’t really know that I wanted to do this, and then it happened and things have taken off.  But now, it’s up to me to make the choices that I want to make and choose the right films.  It took me a minute to figure out why I was doing this, and that I want to share stories and make people believe and have hope and create these worlds that, even if they’re not a part of me, they can become a part of me.  I can do anything I want, by being an actor, and there are no consequences.  It’s pretty cool.  Even though there are a bunch of people judging you, that cannot be important.  It is not in my head, what people are thinking about me, on a regular basis.  The rejection has become so casual.  But I chose this career, so I can’t expect any less.  If anything, I like it.  I’m like, “Give it to me!  Tell me something!  Bring it on!”  I love the challenge.  But I do think that it takes a specific person to be able to do it. 
What was your favorite dance sequence to shoot?
EVIGAN:  Most definitely the fire sequence.  It was so cool and so much fun.  I just felt like this sexy animal on stage.  I felt so powerful.  And I worked so hard for it.  I only spent two hours actually playing with the fire, so there was that adrenaline rush of not really knowing what I was doing, but trusting myself.  It was cool. 
And that was something that you came up with the idea for, right?
EVIGAN:  Yeah.  I was at a luau in Hawaii with my family and I knew the people dancing.  The Chief was actually his name.  And I was so impressed that I took a video and sent it to the director.  Sure enough, when I got home, they said, “Here’s your stick.  In one month, there will be a bunch of fire on it.”  I just believed that I could do it, and I got up there and did it.  You just show up and do it. 
Do you enjoy doing the big performance numbers?
Briana Evigan STEP UP ALL INEVIGAN:  Yeah, I like the big show, for sure.  The minute you turn on the music and you have 400 extras, and there’s fire and camera flying and everybody is screaming, that is the greatest feeling.  After the fire sequence, I totally threw up.  I was so overwhelmed with adrenaline, and the fumes and the people, and the risk of catching somebody on fire.  That was pretty major, and very easy.  There were a whole bunch of people in front of me, right where I was swinging it.  They trusted me, I trusted the two girls behind me, and I had to trust myself.  It made me ill. 
What’s it meant to you to be a part of the Step Up franchise?
EVIGAN:  It’s definitely a family that you create, and it’s just so cool.  Not many franchises make it to movie five, and everybody is hyped and pumped.  I’m so thrilled to be a part of it again.  I feel lucky that this is the movie that started my career, six years ago.  What a better way to set the standards for me.  I’ll always be able to look back, when I was 20, on this as my first job.  It’s such a great place to be comparing things to.  It’s definitely been a piece of what’s shaped me, for sure. 

Briana Evigan, Jenna Dewan and Sharni Vinson's "Sweet Dream" at Dizzy Feet

stepupgirls.jpg

Ryan Guzman and Briana Evigan to star in 'Step Up 5'

Breath easy, "Step Up" fans. 

Series stars Ryan Guzman and Briana Evigan are officially returning for the inevitable "Step Up 5."

it will be the first time they've shared the screen together, with Evigan last appearing in "Step Up to the Streets," and Guzman not joining the series until last year's "Step Up: Revolution." 

The fifth film in the hit street dancing series is being directed by commercials vet Trish Sie from a script by John Swetnam.  Adam Shankman ("Hairspray") and Jennifer Gibgot are once again producing through their Offspring Entertainment banner. Matt Smith is executive producing.

With "Twilight" finished, the "Step Up" films have become one of Summit Entertainment's most reliable perennials. 2012's "Step Up: Revolution" grossed $140 million worldwide.

Other "Step Up" vets will be returning for the fifth film, including Adam Sevani, Misha Gabriel, Alyson Stoner, Stephen "tWitch" Boss and Mari Koda. Plot details are being kept under wraps, but we're guessing it has something to do with killer cyborgs fighting dinosaurs. 

The film starts shooting September 19 in Vancouver and Las Vegas.

'Step Up: All In' stars Ryan Guzman and Briana Evigan talk evolution of twerking

LOS ANGELES - Ryan Guzman and Briana Evigan have been in a few of the "Step Up" movies between them, so maybe they should have the say in which locale the franchise features in next. The new sequel, "Step Up: All In," takes place in Las Vegas, for a fictional crew talent competition reality show.
In our interview recently, Guzman and Evigan suggested some cool new haunts -- maybe Japan, for instance -- but how about Antarctica and Greenland, too?
OK, so maybe they shouldn't have final say.
Kidding aside, the dancing duo talked about their core expertise, and the terrible trends that sometimes come out of it.
"Stop 'Gangnam Style' now," Guzman pleaded, as he and his co-star said they've had to learn and then perform the horsey side-dance over and over again.
Evigan said she's appalled the twerking just became a "thing." And that it's even called twerking. "It's butt-shaking," she said. "I learned to twerk upside-down against the wall when I was 12 years old."
Watch the full interview above, as Guzman talks his newly re-invented Rio for the "Jem and the Holograms" movie and how "The Ultimate Fighter" is the ultimate reality show, and why Evigan didn't take up the reins on the one f-bomb this PG-13 flick is allowed.

Ads 468x60px

Featured Posts