Travis Michael Wall (born September 16, 1987) is an American dancer, instructor, and choreographer specializing in contemporary and jazz dance styles. He rose to international attention in 2006 as a competitor on the second season of the Fox television show So You Think You Can Dance. Wall received ten Primetime Emmy Award nominations for choreography between 2011 and 2020, winning in 2015 and 2017 for his work on So You Think You Can Dance. In 2012, he starred in the Oxygen reality show All the Right Moves, where he, Teddy Forance, Nick Lazzarini and Kyle Robinson launched their own dance company called Shaping Sound.
Early life and background
Wall was born and raised in Virginia Beach, Virginia. His mother, owner and operator of the eponymous Denise Wall's Dance Energy, recalls putting him in a walker and watching him imitate the dancers. He began dancing at the age of three, training at his mother's studio, and competing in a number of conventions.
Career Early career and training His professional career officially started at the age of nine when he appeared in a Dr. Pepper commercial.Travis Wall: Portrait of the young man as an artist movmnt, June 20, 2006. In 1999, he won the Junior National Outstanding Dancer Scholarship Award. On April 27, 2001, at age 12, he started a two-year run in The Music Man on Broadway, playing a resident of River City/Winthrop Paroo understudy. This led to him performing at the 2000 New York City Dance Alliance's closing-night gala. In 2006, New York City Dance Alliance awarded Wall its Teen Outstanding Dancer of the Year award and he toured with the group for a year.
So You Think You Can Dance In 2006, at the age of 18, Wall competed on the second season of the show So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD), making it to the final four contestants before placing second behind overall winner Benji Schwimmer. Wall was praised by the judges as the most technically talented dancer in the competition. Nigel Lythgoe and Adam Shankman have listed Wall, his brother Danny Tidwell, Season 4's Will Wingfield and Season 5's Kayla Radomski as the most talented dancers on the show, later adding Season 6's Billy Bell and Jakob Karr to that list.
While on the show, Wall danced in Mia Michaels' The Bench routine for which she later won an Emmy for Outstanding Choreography.Academy of Television Arts & Sciences During the Fall of 2006, Wall toured the United States with the top 10 dancers from the So You Think You Can Dance competition. He returned to the show in 2008 during the Season 4 auditions to teach choreography. He did a surprise audition on the 4th episode as "Danielle Chorizo".
On July 23, 2009, Wall returned to So You Think You Can Dance along with fellow Season 2 contestant Heidi Groskreutz on the 100th episode of the show, to perform the Emmy award-winning piece The Bench, choreographed by Mia Michaels.
Week Partner Style SongChoreographer(s) Result1Martha NicholsBroadway"Steam Heat"— The Pointer SistersTyce DiorioSafe2Krump"Clap Back"—Ja RuleLil' CSafe3Hip-Hop"Just Fine"—Chris BrownTodd SamsSafe4Salsa"Tanga"—Machito and His Afro-CubansRon MontezSafe5Foxtrot"Witchcraft"—Steve TyrellJean-Marc GénéreuxBottom 3Result Show Solo""The Blower's Daughter"—Damien RiceSafe6Heidi GroskreutzPaso Doble"The Plaza of Execution" from The Mask of ZorroMary MurphySafeContemporary"Calling You"—Celine DionMia MichaelsSolo"Belief"—Gavin DeGraw7Donyelle JonesHip Hop"London Bridge"—FergieShane SparksBottom 4Quickstep"Dancin' Fool"—Barry ManilowGlenn WeissResult Show Solo"Gotta Get Thru This (Acoustic)"—Daniel Bedingfield Safe8Heidi GroskreutzSmooth Waltz"Flying"—Cait Agus SeanRon MontezSafeAfro Pop"W'Happy Mama"—Zap MamaWade RobsonSolo"You And Me"—LifehouseResults show solo"Flying Without Wings (A Capella version)"—Westlife9Heidi GroskreutzDisco"Shake Your Groove Thing"—Peaches & HerbDoriana SanchezRunner-UpBenji SchwimmerHip Hop"Gyrate"—Da Muzicianz feat. Mr. ColliparkShane SparksDonyelle JonesContemporary"Georgia On My Mind"—Ray CharlesMia MichaelsSolo"Konstantine"—Something Corporate
Post-SYTYCD Wall danced on the October 16, 2007 Dancing with the Stars results show, in a piece choreographed by and starring Wade Robson. Wall, along with Tidwell and many previous finalists of So You Think You Can Dance, performed during the second annual Idol Gives Back charity event on April 9, 2008. Nigel Lythgoe produced both shows at the time."Idol Gives Back". American Idol. 9 April 2008 No. 7, Episode 29
Wall performs regularly with American Dance Artists, in Delmarva, as well as for Evolution dance company in Los Angeles, California. He teaches students contemporary dance at NUVO, a dance convention that tours the nation. In 2007, Wall and Ivan Koumaev made a dance video called Its About Time designed to be for the viewer's entertainment rather than for instructional purposes like most dance videos.
Wall was in the 2008 Disney movie Bedtime Stories, starring Adam Sandler, alongside SYTYCD Season 3 contestant, Lacey Schwimmer. In 2010 Wall worked as an assistant choreographer for the Academy Awards, alongside Mia Michaels and Brian Friedman.Feller, Alison (May/June 2010), "THE TALK OF THE TOWN". Dance Spirit.,14(5):54-56
So You Think You Can Dance Get Fit: Cardio Funk was one of two home exercise videos released by the producers of SYTYCD. Wall choreographed a contemporary dance and corresponding cool-down routine for the video.Lawler, Terry Ann (November 2009), "So You Think You Can Dance Get Fit: Cardio Funk/So You Think You Can Dance Get Fit: Tone and Groove". School Library Journal. 55 (11):53
Wall choreographed and performed in an ensemble piece featuring New York City Ballet principal ballerina Tiler Peck to a piece by Nuttin' But Stringz for ABC's Dancing with the Stars April 13, 2010 episode in a feature called "Macy's Stars of Dance"."Ep. 4 Results Show: Week Four". Dancing with the Stars. April 13, 2010. No. 4, season 10.BLOOM, JULIE (April 7, 2010), "'Dancing' To Feature City Ballet Principal". New York Times. :3
In 2010, Wall choreographed several numbers for the VMA's.
In 2011, Wall choreographed a floor exercise routine for Olympic All-Around Champion Nastia Liukin which she will use to try to earn a spot on the 2012 Olympic USA Gymnastics team.
Wall will be starring in a new reality show "All the Right Moves" with Teddy Forance, Nick Lazzarini, and Kyle Robinson. The four men are launching their own dance company called Shaping Sound.
Wall has appeared twice on RuPaul's Drag Race, first in the season 5 episode "Black Swan: Why It Gotta Be Black?" to choreograph a ballet based on the life of RuPaul, and later the season 11 episode "The Draglympics" to choreograph routines for an Olympics-like challenge. Wall also appeared on the RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars episode "All Stars Supergroup" in 2016.
Wall has appeared in two episodes of Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team in seasons 13 and 14 to choreograph routines for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders training camp candidates.
In 2018, Wall has appeared in a video against homophobia, dancing to This is me from The Greatest Showman while Shoshana Bean is singing.
In 2019, Wall choreographed the Off-Broadway musical "The Wrong Man" which debuted at the MCC theater, featuring Joshua Henry.
Wall was removed from the dance company Break the Floor (BTF) in 2021 after allegations that he had engaged in sexually inappropriate behavior. BTF said in a statement on Instagram that "Travis will not be traveling with BTF until we've had the opportunity for a third-party to look into these allegations." Wall has denied the accusations.
Choreography for So You Think You Can Dance Wall earned 2011 and 2013 Emmy nominations for his contemporary choreography in seasons 7 and 9. He won a 2015 Emmy for routines he choreographed for season 11. (See SYTYCD Emmy Awards for details.) Along with Mandy Moore, he jointly won a 2017 Creative Emmy Award.
SeasonWeekDancersStyleSongNote35Jaimie GoodwinHokuto KonishiBroadway"Mr. Bojangles"—Fosseby Tyce Diorio Travis Wall assisting56Jeanine MasonJason GloverContemporary"If It Kills Me"(The Casa Nova Sessions)—Jason Mraz7Top 8Jazz"Let It Rock"—Kevin Rudolf feat. Lil Wayne61Bianca Revels Victor SmalleyContemporary"Wasted Time"—Me'shell Ndegeocello4Ellenore Scott Ryan Di Lello"Your Ex-Lover Is Dead"—Stars7Ellenore Scott Jonathan "Legacy" Perez"Machine Gun"—Portishead8Ashleigh Di Lello Ryan Di Lello"I'm There Too"—Michelle Featherstone7LVWAll dancers"A Beautiful Mess"—Jason MrazMT11Kent Boyd Lauren Froderman Mark Kanemura Kathryn McCormickJazz"Paris is Burning"—St. Vincent1Adéchiké Torbert Kathryn McCormick"Addicted to Love"—Florence and the Machine2Ashley Galvan Mark Kanemura"Wonderful"—Annie Lennox4Lauren Froderman Kent BoydContemporary"Collide" (acoustic version)—Howie Day5Robert Roldan Allison Holker"Fix You"—Coldplay8Kent Boyd Neil Haskell"How It Ends"—DeVotchKa8LVWAll dancers"Yellow"—Vitamin String QuartetMT20Alexander FostMitchell KellyCaitlynn LawsonRyan RamirezAshley Rich"Moth's Wings"—Passion Pit1Sasha Mallory Alexander Fost"Stupid [Mark Bell mix]"—Sarah McLachlanMelanie Moore Marko Germar"Turn to stone"—Ingrid Michaelson5Jordan CasanovaTadd Gadduang"Brotsjór"—Ólafur ArnaldsCaitlynn LawsonMitchell KellyJazz"Piece of My Heart"—Janis Joplin8Kent Boyd Lauren FrodermanContemporary"Collide"—Howie DayGuest Dancers9LVWAll Dancers"I Won't Give Up"—Jason MrazMT20Top 10 girls"Where the Light Gets In"—Sennen1Audrey CaseMatthew Kazmierczak"Unchained Melody"—The Righteous Brothers5Witney CarsonNick LazzariniJazz"Sing It Back"—MolokoJaimie GoodwinCyrus "Glitch" SpencerContemporary"Outro"—M838Eliana GirardAlex Wong"Without You"—Harry Nilsson101Jasmine MasonAlan Bersten"Can't Help Falling in Love" (Live at Daytrotter)—Ingrid MichaelsonMalece MillerJade ZuberiJazz"Silver Screen Shower Scene"—Felix da Housecat4Jenna JohnsonTucker KnoxContemporary"Hangin' By a Thread"—Jann Arden7Tucker KnoxRobert Roldan"Medicine"—Daughter8Amy Yakima Travis Wall"Wicked Game" (Live at Kilkenny Arts Festival, Ireland 2011)—James Vincent McMorrow10Jasmine Harper Fik-Shun"Spiegel im Spiegel"—Arvo Pärt, performed by Angela Yoffe & Vadim Gluzman11LVWAll Dancers"Lay Me Down"—Sam Smith1Emily James Casey Askew"All of Me"(Live from Spotify)—John Legend2Valerie Rockey Ricky Ubeda"Oh Darling"—Gossling4Bridget WhitmanEmilio Dosal"The Leaving Song"—Chris GarneauBridget WhitmanCarly BlaneyJacque LeWarneJessica RichensMarcquet HillRicky UbedaRudy AbreuTeddy CoffeyJazz"Love Runs Out"—OneRepublic5Jessica RichensCasey AskewContemporary"Like Real People Do"—HozierTop 7 Guys"Wave"—Beck6Jacque LeWarne Chehon Wespi-TschoppContemporary ballet"Adagio for TRON"—Daft Punk7Ricky UbedaJaimie GoodwinContemporary"Smile"—Michael Jacksonwith All-Star9Top 4"Wind Beneath My Wings"—RyanDanJessica RichensRobert Roldan"When I Go"—Over the Rhinewith All-Star12MT20Kate Harpootlian Edson Juarez"Shaped Like A Gun"—Tailor1Team Stage"Stabat Mater"—Woodkid3Team Stage"Beautiful Friends"—Helen Money5Jaimie Goodwin Edson Juarez"Your Day Will Come"—Son Luxwith All-Star8Gaby Diaz Hailee Payne"Do Not Hang Your Head"—Elizabeth & the Catapult9Jim Nowakowski Alex Wong"November"—Max Richterwith All-Star13: Next Gen3J.T. Church Robert Roldan"The Mirror"—Alexandre Desplatwith All-Star3All-Stars"Send in the Clowns"—from A Little Night Music (Sarah Vaughan and the Count Basie Orchestra)4Tate McRae Kathryn McCormick "She Used to Be Mine"—Sara Bareilleswith All-Star5Contestants and All-Stars"What the World Needs Now is Love"—Hal David and Burt Bacharach (Will Young cover)5Emma Hellencamp J.T. Church"I Will Not Forget You"—Max Richterwith All-Star
Danced as Guest or All-Star for So You Think You Can Dance