How did you get your stage name?
Ginger because of my red hair. But it just so happens that one of my biggest inspirations is Ginger Rogers! Knockout has a double meaning: it means “to knock someone out” and “to be extremely attractive”. According to Andrée Deissenberg, this is the effect I have when I come on stage. I love my stage name!
How did you get into dance?
When I was little, I couldn’t sit still. My mother decided to sign me up for ballet when I was four in order to channel my energy. It quickly became addictive. I was passionate about a new dance every week, so I explored musicals, hip hop, jazz and many other types of dance… When I was twelve, I enrolled at the professional dance academy in Amsterdam. In between my two-hour daily train commute between my small village and the capital, I followed a traditional school curriculum in the morning, and danced in the afternoon. After high school, I continued to study performing arts for four years. The studies were even more intense: I danced, sang and acted from nine in the morning to eleven at night. As soon as I graduated, I started working in Germany then England, Belgium, South Korea… and now in France. During my travels, I discovered the world of cabaret. One day, as I walked through the door to start a new contract in Strasbourg, a girl said to me “What are you doing here? You should be at the Crazy Horse! “. One year later, back at the same place, the same thing happened again with another girl. At the time though, I only knew about the Crazy Horse from Beyoncé’s video Partition, where she covers the acts of the show! A few months later, I auditioned to try my luck, and Bingo!
We would love to be a fly on the wall at a Crazy Horse audition, can you tell us about yours?
It was great! At first, I was dazzled and a bit overwhelmed by this rather small place that felt like a jewel box. Then I found myself alone on stage improvising for one minute, and I loved it! I chose to show off my personality with a very expressive freestyle performance, and it worked!
What thrills you when you walk through the door of the Crazy Horse?
At first, I was really focused on my preparation, on what I had to do and how to perform my solo. But then, from my very first encounter with the audience, everything changed in me. Seeing smiling faces during the opening number while wearing an English guard’s outfit and hearing the cheerful applause made me so happy that now, as soon as I walk through the door of the Crazy Horse, I can’t wait to be on stage to have that feeling again!
What do you think is crazy and what isn’t?
For me, life’s “crazy” is hidden in small, simple, funny and spontaneous everyday things like jumping on a train to surprise a friend. Hints of madness make life exciting and joyful!
What have you discovered about yourself since becoming a Crazy Horse dancer?
I’ve grown a lot in the short time that I’ve been dancing here, partly because of my solos. I first performed in Miss Astra where you need to be cheerful and bubbly, with a hint of sexy. It felt rather easy and natural to me. Then I was the main dancer in Reine de Cœurs, a number that has the same DNA. When I learned to dance Crisis? What Crisis!, which is quite different from my own personality, something shifted in me. This character takes herself seriously. She is a powerful businesswoman who knows how to be sexy without smiling. I discovered a new side to my dancing, but also to my personality thanks to this solo which I increasingly like. And now, my interpretation of Miss Astra has also changed. It is as cheerful as ever, but it’s become more subtle, with greater nuances.
Which of the acts from the Totally Crazy! show is your favorite?
When I first saw the show, But I Am a Good Girl is the number that made me want to dance here. I was blown away by the athleticism and the artistry: you have to be super athletic and at the same time, able to play with facial expressions. It’s always wonderful to watch!
Discover Ginger Knockout in video:
Photos: Paul-Henri Pesquet, Rémi Desclaux
Video: Paul-Henri Pesquet
