by Gina Scarpa

 

Last night, on the season finale of So You Think You Can Dance, it all came down to Jeanine Mason and Brandon Bryant.  Brandon had built himself a strong following, after just missing the cut in season 4 and overcoming obstacles upon his return for season 5.  Jeanine, fairly unknown up until she hit the Top 20, came out with a bang in the first week of performances and never looked back.  In the end, America chose Jeanine as their favorite dancer and today, she spoke to reporters in a conference call about her victory.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: I was trying to read the expression on your face last night right before Cat read the results.  It looked like you were expecting her to say Brandon's name.
A. Jeanine: I tried to, before we got out there, to stay positive and convince myself that it was a possibility.  Once that music plays, that will always haunt me, I just didn’t think it could happen.  Brandon is such a beautiful and powerful dancer but I definitely thought he had it.  I was just ready to give him a hug and let him have it.  Hearing Cat say my name was amazing.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Did you and Brandon get a chance to talk after the finale last night and what did he say?
A. Jeanine: Brandon and I have been good friends for a very long time.  I know him from Miami.  He’s such a nice guy on top of being one of the strongest dancers, which is very evident in his muscles.  He was so supportive and very happy for me.  Right before, we were like, “Either way, it’s a win for Miami!”  I’m proud of him! 

 

 

Q. Was your family there last night and what was last night like for you?
A. Jeanine:  My family did actually come here – my mom, my dad, my sister, and my best friend.  They were in the fourth row, just shaking in their seats, waiting for that final announcement.  I was so lucky that they were able to make it out because it’s so far and it’s not exactly the cheapest ticket to get here from Miami.  It was the craziest night ever.  We finished and we went right into press.  I felt like I had been plucked out of my normal life and thrown onto some Hollywood red carpet.  I’m so happy to be here, I’m so blessed to be here.  I’m trying to take it all in.

 

Q. You’ve mentioned that when you first started dancing, you hated it.  Tell us a little bit about your love/hate in the beginning.
A. Jeanine:  It wasn’t really a hate.  I always loved dancing but I hated that it always made me feel so defeated in the beginning.  I was so horrible that my teachers didn’t really want to put out the effort.  It took me such a long time to find a teacher that was willing to work with me and put in that work.  I finally found some of the most amazing teachers in the world.  They’ve spent every year since then working with me, training me, and inspiring me.  They brought me to a place that I thought dancing could never take me.

 

Q. Are you excited to be on the November cover of Dance Spirit magazine?
A. Jeanine: Oh my God!  I had no idea.  I was like, “Are you kidding me?!”

Q. What has gone through your head this season, through all of the eliminations each week?
A. Jeanine: It was the greatest feeling ever to know that people actually voted for you.  Literally, every week, you think, “This is it.” You think about the craziest possibilities so every week, I sat there and thought I could go home.  To finally make it to that Top 10, which was always my goal… I just wanted to see how far I could make it and I made it all the way.  It was the craziest thing ever!

 

Q.  What is your goal, in terms of acting and performing?
A. Jeanine: I’ve always done theater, since middle school.  As I got older, I fell in love with film and that’s one of the main reasons I applied to L.A. schools.  I hope to do films.  I would love to do movie musicals.  I’m a big fan of Chicago and Hairspray and all those amazing MGM films that Evan would be so amazing at as well!  I would love to work in a film that would incorporate dancing and acting.  That would just be my dream.

 

Q. What’s your advice for younger dancers?
A. Jeanine: It would definitely be to never give up.  I definitely doubted myself too many times.  I thought I couldn’t do it and my mom was the one that told me, “You’re going to do it.”  I doubted myself when the auditions rolled around and my family told me to give it a chance and go for it.  Because they did that, I’m standing here right now.  It took me until now to realize that but I’ll never doubt myself again.

 

 

(Image courtesy of FOX)

 

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