Interview With Tristan - April 16, 2014

Photo Courtesy of Gleb Savchenko Instagram

Photo Courtesy of Gleb Savchenko Instagram

We never run out of questions for Tristan, and  he always finds time to answer them. Here is the latest Q and A - a few serious questions with a few of the ridiculous ones. Thanks to all of you for sending them in, and keep them coming!  You never know when we'll do another interview.

You have been traveling quite a bit, and there are a few questions about that.

      If you could travel to one place in the world where you have not yet been, where would it be?

I’ve never been to Africa before so I would love to try and get there and see how everything is there.  I’d like to go to South America.  I’ve been to Brazil for two days or something with work but never got to see the place.  I love travelling but I hate going to touristy places so to go to these places [Africa and South America] would be unreal for me to see and explore.  I’m very much the type that sees a hole in a ditch and wants to climb in and see what’s happening!

      With all of your airplane travel, you have probably been in the situation where flights were cancelled and you were stuck.  Do you recall any one flight delay/flight cancellation experience that was particularly difficult, funny, or just aggravating?

Yeah, for sure, planes are forever getting cancelled and delayed especially when you are flying so frequently, but generally it’s only for the odd few minutes or whatever here and there but only last week or the week before we had a show - I always try get the earliest flight home as possible.  So we got picked up from the hotel at 3.30 a.m. or so, and for the first flight we had had engine trouble or something and couldn’t land properly.  After a while it finally came down in Peoria, Illinois which doesn’t have many departing flights and there’s the scramble from everybody else to get home as well.  I ended up being the last person in our company to leave so I didn’t get home until close to midnight.  It was a hassle but at least I made it home.  I don’t mind delays too much, but they only seem to happen when you have to be somewhere else!!

     Have you ever woken up in a city and had no idea which city it was?

 I never know where I am half the time!!

     Is there a city in the United States that reminds you (even a little) or Ireland?

No, not really.  To be honest Ireland is Ireland and America is America to me.

     You've danced in many places all over the world, but where did you have the largest audience? Have you ever performed somewhere where the show or performance was not well received?

I’m not too sure of numbers and things like that but when we used to tour with Burn The Floor the crowds we had in Japan were unbelievable.  The support there was mental.  They used to lose their minds when the shows started and then right until the end.  It would be packed out like crazy and loud as hell. There would be crowds and crowds of people outside afterwards, and you would be standing for hours taking pictures and making peace signs – hahaha! There are always times as well when the show is not received well for different reasons.  Some people can be theatre snobs, some people go to look for mistakes, some like to compare to stuff they know, some only want to see what they want to see, and honestly sometimes the show just isn’t good.  I can’t remember specific places but for sure I have been in shows that haven’t been received well. I think most of us have.

Last week Gleb Savchenko posted lots of photos with you, Kym Johnson, and Witney Carson.  Would you please tell us about that event?

That was just a corporate gig that we did in Monarch Beach.  I hadn’t seen a lot of the guys for a while so was good to catch up but it was an outdoor event we did. Myself and Kym danced, Gleb danced with Wit, and Karina danced with Corbin.  It was a fun gig but it was slippy as ice because it was outside and coming into the evening there was a bit of mist on the makeshift floor.  A few people went down - it was fun to watch – haha!

It has been nice to see you back in Ballroom With A Twist, and it’s been especially fun for so many of your supporters to get the chance to see you dance with Kym Johnson.  You have danced together many times.  Do you have a favorite performance with Kym?

Yeah - myself and Kym have danced a lot together in the past - not so much the last while though. It’s always great dancing with Kym.  We get on real well. We have known each other a while so we can have a laugh and still put the work in.  I don’t have any favourite dances I don’t think - maybe a few from the show but I prefer doing theatre performances and stuff than the actual tv show.  On the show it’s usually 15/20 seconds here and there so it always ends up being just tricks and gimmicks unless we can get a full dance and then it’s fun again.  I like the Kelly Clarkson numbers.  It seemed like Kelly Clarkson was our singer or something for a while.  Haha!

For those who haven’t gotten the chance to see you in the newest BWAT shows, tell us about your performances and how they differ from the BWAT shows last summer? Do you have a personal favorite specific  performance from BWAT?

I don’t remember the shows last summer so I can’t really compare them to be honest but I’m dancing in these ones with Kym and we do a jive to “Dance With Me Tonight” by Olly Murs.  I think we did a number on the show to it as a group and then we do a Waltz to “Say Something” by A Great Big World and then a Tango to “Drunk In Love by Beyonce and then a Foxtrot/Swing to “Fever” by Mickey Bubbles. :)  Then we do the usual Q and A's and teach a bit of dancing and jabber on for a while about nothing and everything. Numbers change all the time on the show but I love a number usually done by Randi Lynn Strong, Legacy and Jonathan Platero from SYTYCD and the song is “Gravity” that Gina Glokson from American Idol performs. There is also a Rumba in the most recent show done by Kiki and his partner Magda (good old Keekster is back!)

You have been teaching a lot over the last few weeks.  Do you have any other teaching commitments coming up? (We did see that you have a master class with LA Ballroom Studio May 3).

Yeah, I have been travelling teaching a lot recently but the next few months I don’t have too much. I have a few other things in the works that I’m working on so I’ll have a bit of teaching in LA Ballroom and maybe a few private lessons around somewhere but at the moment nothing is locked in. 

Speaking of teaching, you have taught a lot of different people during your career.  Who is the youngest person you have ever taught (or what approximate age)? 

I have always taught all ages. There are no limits I don’t know what the youngest is but I would only teach someone who was old enough to pick something up, otherwise you are just throwing money away and sure that doesn’t make any sense.  Some adults lose concentration in twenty minutes let alone a full lesson so why put a kid through that? I know many would have a different opinion but that’s just mine.

Now on to the ridiculous….

So how is the puppy training going? Is Pike behaving? We hear he has a little thing for shoes.

The training is going okay, but the smell of Lemon Pledge in the house is turning my stomach!! He is still pretty young but gets his last shots in a few weeks and then we can start taking him outside and get him used to being around other dogs.  He is finding his voice now but he is a little coward - he likes to think he is brave.  He is getting at a nipping stage because his teeth came through so he is trying to eat everything.  He loves laces and he likes sitting on clothes and nestling into them but he doesn’t behave – no. he is a little s*&# but what can you do? He is only a puppy and is supposed to be like that.  That's why we like him!  

Where did the name Pike come from? We like it.  It’s edgy.  Bad-boyish. :)

We just like the name Pikey/Pike and it’s Irish. It's rough and cheeky which he will end up being - ha ha!

Other than Pike-related incidents, what is your least favorite housekeeping chore?

I don’t mind cleaning.  I like working in the garden but I’m not fond of doing dishes every day but who is!

We are huge fans of Jimmy Fallon – his lip sync competitions with people like John  Krasinski, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Stephen Merchant, and Paul Rudd are legendary.   Then there are his skits….

I love Jimmy Fallon! His show is great and I love his skits.  His #hashtags skits with JT and Jonah Hill are funny because they are so ridiculous but it’s how morons are talking these days!

Justin Timberlake did a killer impression of Jimmy Fallon.  Who does a killer impression of Tristan MacManus? And we imagine you can do some great impressions too.  Is anybody in particular your favorite target?

I’m not one for impressions to be honest but if someone does something stupid or says idiot things, I will call them out on it and make fun of them – ha.  I’m sure everyone has an impression of me - maybe we should ask them!?

So David Letterman is stepping down next year, and while we understand that Stephen Colbert is replacing him.  Let’s say you were the replacement.  Who would be the guests on your first show?

If I took over Letterman I’d probably try have him as a guest and Jimmy Fallon.  I’d love to talk to Dave Chappelle.  He is one the funniest guys I have ever seen.


**That's it for this time.  Have questions? Send them to us macmaniacs.org@gmail.com, post them on our forum (MacManiaLand tab at the top of your page), or post them on Twitter to @T_MacManusFocus.

Photo of Pike ManManus Courtesy of Sasha Farber Instaggram

Photo Courtesy of S. Ruane

Photo Courtesy of S. Ruane