Area dancer living her dream on MTV show
"My parents are my idols. I love them and they are my best friends. I couldn't dance if it weren't for them," Allison Forslund said.
The quote is listed on the MTV Web site for all the world to see. How cool is that?
Allison is dancing tonight on MTV for the world premiere of Randy Jackson's America's Best Dance Crew. Her parents are thrilled for her.
"She's worked so hard," said Allison's mom, Annette Forslund, "I'm glad she has the opportunity to do what she loves."
Allison started dancing in seventh grade, taking classes at Moves Dance Studio in North Aurora with Kim Farrah. Although she started with ballet and jazz, she quickly found her niche in hip-hop. Her new interest took her to additional classes and competitions.
"I remember she was working with Rachelle Ochsner of EXL (a dance company)," Annette said. "Rachelle came up to her and told her she was pulling her from the dance if she didn't work on it. Boy, did she work on it. I think that was a turning point for her."
Allison started competing at hip-hop competitions and her hard work paid off. She was invited to dance in Monster Hip Hop, the top dance competition in the fast-paced dance form. She also caught the eye of Janet Jackson's choreographer, who invited her to audition for one of Jackson's music videos.
"Dancing with Janet Jackson has always been her dream," Annette said. "She was only 16 when she auditioned ... She didn't make it, but it was a great experience for her."
The experience also gave her exposure to the L.A. dance scene, and Allison was taken in by it all. She was more determined than ever to become a dancer.
She talked it over with her parents and opted to forego college and head straight to the world of dance.
"That was a tough decision for us, but we wanted to support her," Annette said. "Dancers don't get paid much, but they love what they do."
Luckily, she was able to find work. She did a country cardio video for the Discovery Channel, and recently she was in a large production featuring 40 dancers at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.
It looks like all those years of traveling to dance lessons and dance competitions paid off.
"There were also a lot of visits to the chiropractor and massage therapists," Annette said. "Sometimes dance can be very hard on the body and dancers can suffer injuries."
Allison Forslund is very excited to be a part of the new show, which is a competitive voting show similar to American Idol. Each week the dancers will perform and one group will be voted off.
So once again, we must get our voting fingers ready to support the hometown favorite. Allison is representing the Midwest in a group called the Femme Five. It consists of five young women from the Chicago area. Watch the show at 9 p.m. today on MTV and then place your vote.
Becoming a professional dancer is Allison Forslund's dream, and we can help make it happen. Who knows? Maybe Janet Jackson will be watching. One thing you can be sure of, the Forslund family will be watching.
"We're so proud of her," Annette said. "Alli is living her dream doing what she loves."