123. Behind the Scenes of The Wiz with Dance Captain Khi'Shawn Robinson

Khi'Shawn Robinson began dancing at 14 and initially set his sights on a career in classical ballet. After studying ballet at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, he unexpectedly took a professional job with Royal Caribbean, which opened the door to a completely different side of the dance industry.

Today, Khi'Shawn is a performer and dance captain with the national tour of The Wiz. In this episode, he shares his journey to The Wiz (including auditioning multiple times before finally booking the show), proving that sometimes "no" really does mean "not right now."

We also learn what a dance captain does, what a typical day on tour looks like for Khi'Shawn, and get some insight into the history of The Wiz!

Key "Pointes" in this Episode

* Starting dance at 14 and discovering a passion for ballet

* What Khi'Shawn learned from earning his degree in Classical Ballet from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts

* Why he decided to make the leap from classical ballet into musical theater

* His first professional job with Royal Caribbean's Hairspray

* The differences between performing on a cruise ship and touring with a national production

* Auditioning for The Wiz multiple times before finally joining the cast

* What The Wiz means as a celebration of African American culture and experience

* What a typical day on tour looks like for Khi'Shawn