by Linda Son
Hysterical laughter rang through the air behind a Redondo Beach, Calif., studio at 3 a.m. In the back alley, five or six young men armed with foam and papier-mâché gathered together to shape what would later become elements for an out-of-this-world stage setup.
With less than $100 and a handful of borrowed tools, members of dance troupe Fighting Gravity constructed cratered moons and life-sized rocks for their finale after finding out that “America’s Got Talent” didn’t have the budget to create certain props and elements the team need for the stage. Among the half dozen men there that night was 23-year-old Danny Kang.
[ad#336]
Kang, whose first love is investing in the stock market, stumbled into the world of dance when he and his fraternity brothers decided to perform in a school talent show. The Virginia Tech students utilize black lights and sheer creativity to create their hypnotic illusions.
Kang talked to charactermedia.com about the dance troupe, being runner-up for “America’s Got Talent” and what the future holds for Fighting Gravity.
What does the Fighting Gravity mean?
The name comes from our gravity-defying illusions. We never had a name for our group before “America’s Got Talent” and we were all sitting around trying to come up with a name when one of our members just threw it out there. That name just stuck and we just went with it.
What fraternity are you in?
I’m a brother of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. There are 13 of us that make up the group Fighting Gravity. We started this group in 2009 to perform for charity talent show at Virginia Tech raising money and awareness for the visually impaired. We weren’t sure what people would think of it in 2009 and we were one of the last people to perform that night of the charity talent show. There was a crowd of 3,000 students and we were nervous. As soon as we hit the stage, though, the crowd went absolutely ballistic and everyone was standing on their feet at the end of the show.
After that, one of our members submitted the video to “America’s Got Talent” and the rest is history.
[ad#336]
What is your role in the Fighting Gravity?
I’m one of the three main white dancers from the show. I’ve never danced or ever performed in my life (other than my sixth grade play). I was really just thrown into that position.
What were some of the first shows or performances put on by the Fighting Gravity? How did audiences react to seeing this type of show?
Just the one charity talent show in 2009, before “America’s Got Talent.” The crowd went insane, absolutely insane. The shows are very intricate, involving different elements.
Does one particular person choreograph the performance?
There are a few of us who will head up creative direction, but at the end of the day it’s a collective effort from all of 13 members.
What inspired you to join “America’s Got Talent”?
When one of our members submitted the video, he didn’t hear back for three months. We thought nothing of it until we finally got a call one day asking us to audition for the show. All of us just thought it would be our “15 minutes of fame” and be nice way to get away from our engineering and business classes for a few days and take a stab on being on TV. We never thought we’d make it to the finals; none of us had ever performed before or been on a stage. So, to be considered as the frontrunner of the competition throughout the show and make it as a finalist was a surprise to all of us. We never thought we’d make it that far and it was a very humbling experience at the same time.
[ad#336]
After competing, you received third place, how did it feel to make it so far?
When we made it to the semi-finals. We were happy. When we made it to the finals, we were surprised. When we made it to the finale we were absolutely humbled.
What opportunities did the show open up for your group?
I remember getting a call and getting offered a headline spot in Las Vegas while we were on tour a few weeks after the show. It was one of the most difficult decisions we’ve ever made, but we had to turn it down. We just didn’t feel it was the right time. Our show was in an embryonic phase and we felt that we didn’t have the time to put together a hour and a half long show that would live up to expectations. We weren’t ready to throw everything that we’d worked so hard for under the bus in exchange for a quick buck. We take pride in everything we do and we want to make sure that when we launch our show, we are confident and proud of our work.
Since the show, we’ve performed at many events, on various high profile TV shows, consulted at various events and are finalizing a deal with some very highly regarded producers that will be assisting us in developing our full length show.
Show’s we’ve performed at include: “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest” (right after the ball dropped), “Red or Black”, a guest appearance on “America’s Got Talent”, “Das Supertalent” and a few others. We had to turn down “So You Think You Can Dance” due to a schedule conflict.
What is the most difficult aspect on putting on a good show for an audience?
The show is a logistical nightmare. There’s such much you don’t see happening in the dark. The planning of the show just takes so much work. It’s a slow, lethargic and mundane process. [There’s] absolutely no glory in this part. We hit the drawing boards (literally, sneak into a classroom at Virginia Tech and user their dry erase boards) and spend hours figuring out how to make it all work. By the end of it, the drawing boards look like a scene out of “A Beautiful Mind.” And then we erase it all and go on to the next idea. When we were competing on “America’s Got Talent” the whole damn thing [was difficult]. We had to create a new routine each week and people started to forget that we were 13 fraternity boys with absolutely no experience in theater, let alone performing or dancing. We didn’t even know where to start or end.
[ad#336]
Was there a time while on stage performing that you remember the most?
Performing on tour in my hometown of Washington, D.C. to a crowd of about 3,000 people and hearing them go absolutely crazy. I had friends and family there, and it was a surreal experience. Also, consulting creatively at the Much Music Video Awards for Far East Movement.
What is up next for the Fighting Gravity?
We are developing our full-length show, which is estimated to debut late 2012 or early 2013. In the meantime, we are doing shows all over the world. We [performed at the] American Music Awards and have a few more TV appearances lined up before we wrap up 2011.
For more information about Danny Kang and Fighting Gravity, follow their Twitters @itsdannykang and @fgravity.
