Alexie Agdeppa
Alexie Agdeppa is a UCLA graduate and former Los Angeles Laker Girl. She has performed in music videos for Prince, The Pussycat Dolls and Nelly Furtado. Agdeppa loves to cook, act and travel, and has been to the Philippines, Mexico, Europe, Brazil, Japan and Cuba.
When I got a chance to speak to her she answered some questions about her time on So You Think You Can Dance and future plans:
Q: You tried out a few times to be on the show, now that you have made it was it what you expected?
A: It was definitely not what I expected. I mean, I had an idea of maybe what the show was like because I had obviously seen it and auditioned for it, so you kind of get a taste of what it’s like, but it’s way more rigorous, and you realize how much you need to push yourself before you’re going every single day. You’re dancing the whole day, and your mind is going in different directions sometimes because you’re learning your routine, and sometimes it’s a routine that’s not your comfortability [sic]. It’s not your specialty genre. And so you’re worrying about your performance. You’re worrying about remembering the steps. You’re worrying about all the people that you hope will vote for you, and it’s a really intense situation. It’s a lot more intense than I had could have imagined, but even more rewarding getting on it than I could have imagined too.
Q: During Vegas week, you only have a couple hours to learn routines. How much time do you get when you’re actually on the show?
A: Yes. It’s funny because learning a combo in Vegas is a lot harder, I think, than learning a dance for the show just because you do get a couple more hours to actually get the routine in your body. But it’s also of like a catch 22 because the dance is longer, and you are performing now for the whole nation, and it’s a different feeling. You can’t really compare them.
Q: What was the one dance style that you wanted to try on the show, but you never got a chance to?
A: That’s a good question. If it was a dance style, I think I would have loved to do, like, a samba, a Latin ballroom, and really show off my fiery side in terms of like sexiness. But, yes, that would have been really fun just because I also really, really, really would have loved to have danced with Pasha.
Q: What was your mindset going into the results show? Did you think you would be safe, or did you think you would be in the bottom three? Then once you found out you were in the bottom three, do you think you would be able to save yourself?
A: You know what? I was surprised just because I know that hip-hop is not my genre, and so going into the actual duet, I did my best out there, and I don’t know. I didn’t really expect to be in the bottom three, but I did ready myself just in case. And I, of course, was in the mindset ready to dance for my life just in case because, with that show, you never know what’s going to happen. Yes, so in terms of the results show, I did come in knowing that I did my best the day before, but also knowing that I could be going home.
Q: What did you think of the judges’ criticism that you were kind of too cute when you were dancing?
A: It’s funny because I’m a very vivacious spirit, and some people can maybe misinterpret that as immaturity. But I was me. I can’t help being me. I can’t help smiling while I dance. If that is cute for some people, then it’s cute for some people. And like I said, I did my absolute best in what I could have done. I wouldn’t have done it any differently.
Q: What were you doing before the show and what do you plan on doing now that your journey on the show is over?
A: I was auditioning and booking a couple of things. Like I did a Macy Gray video right before I got the show, which was cool, and I’ve mostly been teaching dancing at a studio in Southern California. And then after, I still want to be doing the same thing. I definitely want to book more shows, maybe like a … show or something or dance for an artist. But eventually I do want to open up my own school, my own dance studio, and maybe dabble into a little more acting on the side because I do, do that on the side too.
Q: You said you were really looking forward to getting to dance with Twitch, so how happy were you that at least you got to do that?
A: Oh, my gosh. It was so awesome. It was like meant to be that I got him in the first week, and then funny that I was eliminated. But I was so excited to get him as a partner. Yes, I admire him as a dancer and as a person.
Q: Do you have any regrets, anything you wished you’d done differently?
A: I honestly can say that I have no regrets because I fulfilled a dream. I was able to actually get on the show, and so from then on out, I knew that I would just have to do my best, and that’s it. Other than me doing my best, I had really no control over everything else.
Q: Who do you think is going to make it to the finals?
A: That is a hard question just because I’m such friends with all of them, and I really don’t know. I know that Alex and Billy are aliens, and they’re unreal in their movements, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they were in it. I don’t know. And for the females, I mean, they’re all really strong contestants, and I’m so happy. I do hope a girl wins just because I’m so proud of the strong women that are finally on the show. But, yes, I think I’m rooting for a girl. They’re all amazing, and they all deserve to win, but of course only one of them can.
Q: Were there any other all stars that you’d been looking forward to meeting or anyone that you particularly admire who’s been on the show before?
A: Definitely. Funny enough, it was Allison Holker and Lauren Gottlieb who I also got to dance with the week before for Broadway in the group pieces. Definitely those two also I would have loved to may be later in the competition, if they did female/female duets or male/male duets, it would be awesome to dance with one of them.
Q: If you had made it another week, what would you have done differently?
A: If I had made it another week maybe put a little more tricks into my dance for my life silo. I have no idea. It’s hard to say because I did give me and I did give everything I had in my dance for my life solo. In terms of like the genre or whatnot, like I couldn’t. There’s only so much you can really do with the amount of time they give you to learn the routine, and you can only go out there with the confidence that you have in your pocket and do the best you can.
Q: What does dance mean to you in your life, how you feel about it?
A: It is something that is always going to be a part of me. I’ve been doing it since I was young, and luckily I’ve been able to perform. I’ve been able to share it with a lot of people, whether it be through the stage or on camera. And it is who I am. I know it sounds really corny, but I cannot imagine doing anything else. My heart and soul is into this, and when my body breaks down and I’m not going to be able to dance anymore, I’m still going to be related to it in some way, whether it be opening up a school or teaching. Yes.
