Rumor has it there’s a sixth member of ‘N Sync. Well, not really, but 18-year-old dance prodigy Wade Robson comes pretty close. He’s their trusted choreographer, producer, writer and friend. (And pretty easy on the eyes as well.) If you had a blast at the PopOdyssey tour (and we know you did), you have Wade to thank for it, as a lot of it was his creation. He may be young, but trust us...this guy’s got it going on!
Q: How long did it take to get the concept together for the PopOdyssey tour?
A: The concept took about a week. After getting that approved, we went into pre-production and then had a month of actual rehearsal time—two weeks in a dance studio, a week at the New Orleans Super Dome and then we moved to another stage. It’s all a blur now. I wanted to do something theatrical that showcased their acting abilities and personalities. That’s why there’s lots of video segments in there.
Q: How badly were you stressing during the show?
A: The stage was very stressful; we had three or four injuries in the first week. It got pretty crazy and I was beginning to think this show was cursed. You’ve got lots of stagehands running around, plus the guys and their dancers, which is a lot to keep under control. We all had to focus and pull it together.
Q: When teaching dance steps, do the ‘N Sync guys like to goof off or are they ready to get down to business?
A: They go back and forth. Sometimes we’ll have some really bad days when they can’t get focused. But most of the time, they’re pretty good, especially when it comes down to crunch time. But they do have their fun.
Q: Who has improved the most as a dancer?
A: I worked a little harder and longer with Lance and Chris mostly because I have a different kind of movement than they were used to—not so much the steps, just the way I move my body. But they’re getting better and they’re really willing to take the time to work on it.
Q: When Joey hurt his foot, was it just the natural thing to have you fill in for him the "Pop" video?
A: That was the guys’ idea. Luckily, I have the same kind of look and, obviously, I made up the choreography, so it just seemed like the logical thing. It didn’t seem right at first because I’m normally behind the camera saying, "you guys do this," and this time I was saying "us." But we had to do what we had to do. It’s trippy, but also really terrific.
Q: What’s it like to have your own fans days?
A: I appreciate it, but sometimes I feel uncomfortable and try to stay backstage until the last possible moment. It’s not my concert...they are the stars. The first few times, I didn’t see any of the fans because I was so worried about watching every element of the show. But now that I know it’s good, I can sit back and watch as a fan.
(There’s a picture on this page, and another on page 70.)
