Pro Series with Mark Pawsey Mark Pawsey

To continue with our Performers Stuff Pro Series, please welcome Hilary O’Neil, India Cabezuelos-Lamborne & Jason Campbell. Having worked, between them, as entertainers for most of the top cruise lines in the world, it is illuminating, especially in light of the Cruise Industry re-awakening from the pandemic, to hear their shared knowledge, enthusiasm and experience regarding performance careers at sea.

Hilary O’Neil  performs worldwide as a Comedienne, Impressionist & Singer. After training at Laine Theatre Arts her career began as a dancer working with Sir Ken Dodd at the famous London Palladium. Her major TV break was on the hit TV impressionist series Copycats, in which she appeared for two years. From there she appeared on numerous TV shows including The Royal Variety Show, Live from the Palladium, Summertime Special, Night of 100 Stars, Two Freddie Starr Series, Des O’Connor Tonight, Celebrity Squares, and many more.Her West End credits include Acorn Antiques the Musical, written by Victoria Wood &directed by Sir Trevor Nunn, Summer Holiday (West End & UK tour), the 60’s musical Shout & the Marx Brothers Comedy, Animal Crackers, at the Lyric Theatre.Hilary now headlines in her one-woman show all over the world on Cunard, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, Seabourn, Oceania, Regent, Holland America, Azamara, Cunard & P&O cruiselines, but always comes back to the UK to appear in Pantomime having appeared in 40 Pantomimes to date. Recently she formed O’Neil Management & manages Comedy Ventriloquist Max Fulham, Mind Reader Matt Daniel-Baker, Illusionists White Magic & The Crazy Comedy Company!

Jason Campbell started out at a very young age dancing and singing all around the world.  He studied voice in Philadelphia and worked for 5 years at one of the largest Christian theaters in the United States, Sight and Sound Theaters in Lancaster Pennsylvania.  Jason then began working in regional theater across the country in shows such as Jesus Christ Superstar, Beauty and the Beast, Gypsy, Footloose, Swing the Musical, 42nd St. and La Cage aux Folles. Regional and National tours include Swing the Musical, Cats, the 10th Anniversary tour of Footloose and The Wedding Singer. Jason has sung and danced around the world performing for Celebrity Cruise Line, Oceania Cruise Line, and Norwegian Cruise Line. Currently Jason is a Resident Director, Choreographer and Stager for Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.

India Cabezuelos-Lambourne is a Singer and Dancer that has worked all over the world from Universal Studios in Singapore to multiple Cruise Line companies including Norwegian Cruise Line where she was a principal singer on the Norwegian Star and Sun.

Pasquale La Rocca Interview for Performers Stuff Pro Series: Dancing with the Stars

Performer Stuff Pro Series host, Mark Pawsey catches up with Pro Ballroom & Latin Dancer, Pasquale La Rocca, two-time winner of Dancing with the Stars firstly in Belgium (2019) and most recently in Ireland (2020). Pasquale shares with Mark his passion and dreams for dance and what it means to win DWTS

Meet Two-time Dancing with the Stars Champion

PASQUALE LA ROCCA

Originally from Italy and now based in London, Pasquale La Rocca is an Italian Ballroom and Latin American Champion having represented Italy at the World Latin American Championship in 2007. Dancing since he was 9 years old, he has since become a specialist of Ballroom and Latin America dancing, and has also trained in Jazz, Commercial and Musical Theatre.

In 2014, Pasquale joined the Broadway production of "Burn the Floor", touring London, China, Australia, Japan and South Africa as Principal Dancer and Dance Captain. Following UK tours of “Tango Moderno”, and "Here come the Girls”, as a leading male dancer, Pasquale joined Dancing with The Stars – Belgium, in 2019, partnering influencer Julie Vermeire. Immediately after winning the competition and lifting the famous Mirror Ball Trophy, Pasquale joined the Irish cast of Dancing with the Stars, this time partnering Broadcaster Lotti Ryan. Remarkably he was able to dance to victory again and lift the Mirror Ball Trophy for a second consecutive time.

As an introduction to Performer Stuff, Pro Series here is our recent interview with MDC 3, a young dance trio from Placentia California featured on Season 4 of NBC’s World of Dance.

Listen to Madison, Emma, Diego talk to our pro series host, Mark Pawsey about their collective passion for dance.

Back in July 2020, as an introduction to our Performer Stuff, Pro Series we had an interview with MDC 3, a young dance trio from Placentia California who were being featured on Season 4 of NBC’s World of Dance. To watch part one of that interview click here. They were crowned Champions of the series and won $1,000,000 and have agreed to be interviewed again

Listen to Madison, Emma, Diego once again talk to our pro series host, Mark Pawsey, this time about what it took to win the championships.

Michael & Jowita Interview for Performer Stuff Pro Series: Winners of BBC TV’s The Greatest Dancer
To continue with our Performers Stuff Pro Series, please welcome professional dancers Michael and Jowita, winners of BBC TV’s The Greatest Dancer, in 2020. Hear them share their passions for dance, as they join Pro Series host, Mark Pawsey to talk about their careers, what goes into making a successful dance partnership, their dreams together, and what it feels like to win such a coveted television show.

Michael Danilczuk & Jowita Przystal

Michael began ballroom and Latin dance aged 7 and Jowita at 12.

They met in 2013 at a summer dance camp in Krakow, Poland. Initially they disliked each other but, after a year of partnership they fell in love, and now are inseparable both on and off stage. They represented Poland at many National and International competitions and in 2014 became Polish Open Latin Champions.

In 2015 they ended their competitive career to join Burn The Floor, an internationally renowned dance company, where they worked for the 4 years, investing their time to learn, develop and incorporate tricks, lifts and other styles of dance into their choreography. They then moved to London, to follow their biggest dream, becoming professional dancers on Strictly Come Dancing the show that sparked the worldwide phenomena, Dancing with The Stars.

In 2020 Michael & Jowita won the BBC TV hit show “The Greatest Dancer” series 2, giving them an opportunity to perform on Strictly Come Dancing, a stepping-stone to achieving their dreams.

https://michaeljowita.com/

Instagram michael_jowita
Facebook, Cameo and YouTube Michael & Jowita

Leading Ladies of the West End Interview For Performers Stuff Pro Series:  Maintaining 8 Shows a Week, Keeping Your Voice Healthy & Great Acting Tips

Performer Stuff Pro Series host, Mark Pawsey catches up with 3 of London’s West End Leading Ladies, Kim Criswell, Sophie Louise Dann and Janie Dee as they share up close and personal, their first-hand knowledge and experience of what it takes to maintain 8 shows a week.

Meet London’s West End Leading Ladies

KIM CRISWELL

Kim is a native American musical entertainer, actress and EMI solo recording artist who has performed with most of the leading Symphony Orchestras of the World. She came to London as Annie Oakley in Annie Get Your Gun for which she received an Olivier Award Nomination. On Broadway she appeared in the original casts of Baby& Nine and starred opposite Sting in The Threepenny Opera.She played Grizabella in the first LA production of CATS & won the Helen Hayes Award for Side By Side By Sondheim in Washington.

SOPHIE-LOUISE DANN

Sophie-Louise is a British actress, who recently completed the UK tour of Les Misérables playing Madame Thenardier. In the West End, she was nominated for Olivier Awards on 2 occasions, for Lend Me a Tenor and The Girls, the latter of which was written by Take That star Gary Barlow. A protagonist for new works and writings, Sophie-Louise also created leading roles in the new musicals Bend it Like Beckham & Made in Dagenham.

JANIE DEE

Janie is an English actress and singer. She won the Olivier, Evening Standard, Critics Circle Theatre, Obie and Theatre World Awards for her role in Alan Ayckbourn’s Comic Potential both in London and New York. She also won an Olivier Award for her performance as Carrie Pipperidge in Carousel. Most recently she was nominated for an Olivier Award playing Phyllis in the Royal National Theatre's acclaimed Follies opposite Imelda Staunton.