So You Think You Can Dance Interview: Ashley Galvan

Archive

Injuries strike the So You Think You Can Dance dancers yet again, this time taking 20-year-old Ashley Galvan out of the competition with a fractured rib.

After being unable to perform on Wednesday’s dance show, Galvan was automatically placed in the bottom 3 and eventually eliminated. Although it was the fifth week of the competition, Galvan said her injury started to bother her in week 3.

“I was doing this one specific lift during the duet with Adé Chiké,” Galvan said. “And it was like where the one where I go over his head and it kind of like he dropped me close to the ground.  And it was a really fun lift, but it was hard and I think that’s when I started feeling the pain.  I didn’t know, but it developed into a bruised rib and then further along the line, it went into fracture rib.”

Galvan is the second dancer to be eliminated because of injuries, following Alex Wong’s injury to his Achille’s Tendon during week 4. With injuries and difficult dances, Galvan said she had no idea what to expect before the show started.

“I didn’t know what the rehearsals were going to be like,” Galvan said. “I didn’t know how exactly I would learn the routine and be great to perform them on Wednesday. I just loved every moment of it. I got to grow as a dancer. I got to do new experiences, like hip hop and the quick step and I’m sad that I didn’t get to do more of that, but I had a great time on the show. I really hope that I get to continue somewhat in the business.”

Even though she only got to show off her dancing side on the show, Galvan said she’s interested in acting work as well.

“It’s only beginning now and hopefully I get to work in movies and commercials and TV work,” Galvan said. “I’m hoping that someday I get to be on Glee, so that’s my dream. I was trained in acting because that’s something that I really wanted to do, something that I wanted to open up with because I am a shy person.  I feel like doing acting will help me grow up and not be so shy anymore.  So, yes, I would like to continue with acting and see where that takes me.”

With the different genres of dances that the competitors have to perform, Galvan said she was pushed out of her comfort zone and that made the show even more fun.

“I’ve never been partnered before,” Galvan said. “I’ve never actually had to dance with a guy before, so it was all very new to me.  It really opened my eyes as a dancer and as a person that there is so much more to dancing than just dancing at a dance studio and being a competition dancer.  So I’m so grateful that I had the opportunity to do the quick step and do hip hop and actually learn something from them.”