Jason Gilkison is an Australian professional ballroom dance champion and choreographer.

Early life

Gilkison was born in Perth, Australia. He was raised by his single mum, Kay. At age 4, he began dancing at the Perth ballroom dance studio, founded by his grandparents Sam and Ronnie Gilkison, the first of its kind in Australia. Gilkison has lived in Sydney, London, England and Los Angeles, United States. He realised he was gay when he was 16 or 17.

Dance career

At the age of 7 Gilkison was first paired with Peta Roby. Gilkison formed a professional partnership with Peta Roby in 1980 and were undefeated Australian Latin champions from 1981 to 1997. At age 23, Gilkison and Roby were the ranked pair in Ten-Dance Competition.

In 1990, Gilkison and Roby received the "Young Australian of the Year" Award. In 1991, they became the residing teachers at one of London's most prestigious ballroom schools, where they remained for seven years, training many of the world's leading dancers.

Stage

Gilkison has served as choreographer and director for the ballroom dance stage show Burn the Floor Gilkison's longtime dance partner Roby served as associate producer of the show. Burn the Floor began touring in 1999 and reached Broadway, Manhattan in 2009.

In 2012, Gilkison choreographed Dancing with the Stars: Live in Las Vegas, a live stage show at the Tropicana in Las Vegas featuring celebrities and dancers from ABC's Dancing with the Stars. The production opened in April 2012 and ran for twelve weeks.

TV and film

In 2008, Gilkison became a contributing choreographer for Australian version of the American reality dance-off series So You Think You Can Dance. Months later he joined the US version. Superstars of Dance, which he co-choreographed with Nakul Dev Mahajan.

As of 2014, Gilkison worked as the director of choreography on BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing.

As choreographer

So You Think You Can Dance SeasonWeekDancersDance styleMusic48Courtney GalianoMark KanemuraViennese Waltz"The Time of My Life"—David CookKatee SheanJoshua AllenPaso Doble"Filet" from Le Rêve9Courtney GalianoJoshua Allen Jive "The Dirty Boogie"—The Brian Setzer Orchestra60Karen HauerAshleigh Di LelloRyan Di LelloSamba"Everything I Can't Have"—Robin Thicke1Channing CookePhillip AttmoreJive"Rockin' Robin"—The Jackson 5Brandon DumlaoPauline MataSmooth Waltz"You Light Up My Life"—Whitney Houston7Kathryn McCormickRyan Di LelloCha-Cha"Put Your Hands on Me"—Joss StoneMollee GrayJakob KarrViennese Waltz"Ordinary Day"—Vanessa Carlton8Kathryn McCormickRyan Di LelloSamba"Magalenha"—Sérgio MendesEllenore ScottRussell FergusonPaso Doble"Village Attack" from Blood Diamond70Anya GarnisPasha KovalevCristina SantanaSamba"Work" (Freemason remix)—Kelly Rowland80Iveta LukosiutePasha KovalevBallroom Medley"Ven a Bailar (On the Floor)"—Jennifer Lopez feat. Pitbull1Miranda MaleskiRobert Taylor Jr.Jive"Runaway Baby"—Bruno MarsIveta LukosiuteNick YoungQuickstep"The Ballroom Blitz"—Sweet6Chelsie HightowerMarko GermarSamba"Cinema Italiano (The Ron Fair Remix)"—Kate HudsonMelanie MoorePasha KovalevViennese Waltz"Everybody Hurts"—Tina Arena90Lindsay ArnoldNick Bloxsom-CarterWitney CarsonBallroom Medley"Dance Again"—Jennifer Lopez feat. Pitbull1Amber JacksonNick Bloxsom-CarterViennese Waltz"Nights in White Satin"—Tina ArenaLindsay ArnoldCole HoribePaso Doble"Unstoppable"—E.S. Posthumus

So You Think You Can Dance Australia SeasonWeekDancersDance styleMusic11Jemma ArmstrongRhys BobridgeWaltz"A New Day Has Come" from Celine DionStephanie GolmanMarko PanzicJive"Untouched"—The Veronicas2Kate WormaldHilton DenisFoxtrot"2 Hearts"—Kylie Minogue3Jemma ArmstrongRhys Bobridge Paso Doble"O Verona" from the film Romeo + JulietTop 16Ballroom"Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)"—Louis Prima4Henry Byalikov Vanessa Sew HoyAfrican Samba"Lo-Lo Dzama"—Sum Svisti8Kate WormaldRhys BobridgeRumba"Message to My Girl"—Split Enz9Demi SoronoJack ChambersCha-cha-cha"Mercy"—Duffy21Talia FowlerEmmanuel RodriguezCha-Cha"Hound Dog"-Smoky Joe's Cafe2Top 18Rock and Roll/Latin Ballroom"Objection (Tango)"-Shakira3Amy CampbellDamien SamuelRumba"Stepping Stone"-Duffy4Penny HiggsCharlie BartleyViennese Waltz"I Have Nothing"-Whitney Houston6Talia FowlerCharlie BartleyQuickstep"Valerie"-Mark Ronson feat. Amy WinehousePenny Higgs Ben VeitchFoxtrot"Rock with You (Frankie Knuckles Remix)"-Michael Jackson7Top 8Foxtrot"Ain't That A Kick in the Head"-Robbie Williams8Kat RisteskaCharlie BartleyTango"Gotta Get Thru This (Acoustic)"-Daniel BedingfieldAmy Campbell Ben VeitchPaso Doble"Overture"-Australian Cast of Jesus Christ Superstar9Ash-Leigh HunterDamien Samuel Foxtrot"Hurt"-Christina Aguilera30Jessica PrinceKieran McMahonMatt GeronimiWill CenturionViennese Waltz"Never Tear Us Apart"—INXS4Robbie KmetoniIvy HeeneyPaso Doble"Sweet Disposition"—The Temper Trap7Nick GeurtsJessie HeskethCha-cha-cha"Istanbul 1:26 am"—Orient Expressions

As judge In 2014, Jason Gilkison joined the judging panel on the 4th season of So You Think You Can Dance Australia alongside Aaron Cash, Shannon Holtzapffel and Paula Abdul.

See also Index of dance articles List of dances List of ethnic, regional, and folk dances by origin Outline of dance

References

External links