Dancer Kevin Keti - Expert of the Week

Each week we showcase a top practitioner in the industry and we want you to get an inside scoop on what they do and how they do it. Giving you access to the best information from the people who own it!!

This week we are talking to Kevin Keti, a professional Dancer, Personal Trainer, Fitness & Dance Instructor, all-round bundle of energy with a cracking taste in music and who's been serenaded to by Christina Aquilera!

Want to know how to dance like Kevin? Scroll down for an exclusive video routine.

 

A bit about Kevin:

Born in France but growing up in London, Kevin has always had a passion for dance and fitness. In his career, Kevin has worked with artists such as Christina Aguilera, Jessie J, Fleur East, Cheryl Cole, Robbie Williams, Take That, LMFAO, JLS, Leona Lewis, Eternal & Damage. He’s performed a whole range of gigs including on magic shows, west end shows, fashion shows, art shows, tv shows (The X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent, Dancing on Ice, Royal Variety Show, Children In Need), pop shows and awards shows.

He’s had one of those stand-out career moments in India doing a Bollywood film watching the Indian dancers having so much energy and sharp Bhangra flavour. When he’s teaching dance class to us mere mortal ‘after-workers’, everyone feels welcome in his class. You can be trying to perfect the perfect rudeboy steps and he’ll throw some classic sayings at you like “put that sass in that ass”, “nice like rice” & “make it spicy” to remind you it's dance class, it's not to be taken seriously!

Bet you wouldn't know that this guy also makes the BEST fried chicken wings!

 

Hey Kevin, what's your dance style?

My dance style is commercial with hints of jazz, African, house with a hint of humour! Everything has to have a bit of bass to get my clients going.

When teaching, your most often heard saying:

"Any questions, queries, concerns" & "Strong not wrong”. As British people we can be reserved, we don't want to go wrong or don't want to go big unless we know what we're doing. I just say to people to go wrong, I don't care, just try it! I purposely go around saying to people ‘ask me anything’ as I remember being so shit at dancing when I started off. I just had the passion and kept going. One of my biggest joys is seeing people improve and become more confident in class. When the music is on, people forget their worries and what's going on in life and just connect with their bodies.

How did you get you started in dancing?

I started dancing because I was naughty at school and in a gang, one of my teachers knew I was just following the others and that life wasn't me. She encouraged me to go for an dance group audition that was in the Stage newspaper, so I went with 2 left feet, but they could see the passion in me. I trained from aged 14-17 at Pineapple Studios, where the buzz was at that time. I got to be around and see how the professional dancers moved.

Dancing has taken me to India, Dubai, Beirut, Singapore and Korea. I’m so lucky and blessed to have met so many people from all walks of life. It’s a job that has taught me how to work with dancers from different backgrounds and cultures, working 8 hours a day and sharing hotel rooms. I wouldn't have met them if it wasn't for dancing.

What's the best thing about your job?

I get to do something that I love. I can leave my work each day feeling blessed. It sounds cheesy but once I was dancing for Christina Aguilera and I came off stage and cried as it was such a huge achievement dancing for someone who I respect. Backstage she sang ‘who run the world’ to me and asked me to massage her hand - one of the greatest high points about my job is that I can leave saying I love my job.

 

What does a typical week in the life of a Professional Dancer look like?

What's on your ultimate playlist?

What is your wellness philosophy?

I think that everybody should work out but you need to find what works for you. If you want to dance, do that, if you want to do cross fit, do that, just make sure there's music involved like heavy based tunes. It's good for you to be fit & healthy even if it's just walking every day. It's important to look after your health so you feel good, and you feel good after you’ve worked out. Wellness & good health IS goodness.

What Music Video do you wish you were in?

So Many!! Anything my Janet Jackson; ‘If’, ‘Rhythm Nation’;

Michael Jackson’s ‘Remember the Time’ or ‘Dirty Diana’;

anything by Paula Abdul; Jennifer Lopez ‘Love Don’t Cost a Thing’; Missy Elliot ‘Get Your Freak On’.

 

Got the Moves Like Jagger? Wanna pull off something special when you next go out-out?