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Hamburg’s Allison Buczkowski selected to dance alongside Janet Jackson for ‘Unbreakable’ world tour

Jun 22, 2015 | Entertainment

By Lauren Kirchmyer

“She’s my favorite artist in the whole world,” Allison Buczkowski said about Janet Jackson, so when she received a text message informing her about an audition for Janet’s “Unbreakable” world tour, she jumped at the opportunity and went to the call.

Buczkowski – who moved to Los Angeles, Calif. four years ago after growing up in Hamburg, N.Y. and dancing at The Future Dance Center – missed the women’s call and had to audition with the men. “I liked it. I like dancing with boys better than girls.”

It has been said by some of her peers that she can dance as good as the guys, if not better. In this audition specifically, being in a room with the men showed off how hard hitting Buczkowski is when she dances, allowing her to stand out in a good way.

First cuts were made after performing a dance combination while wearing high heels. Later that day she received a phone call inviting her to a callback, where she performed another combination for the choreographers and said her name and her agency – Go 2 Talent Agency – in front of a camera.

A month later, Buczkowski received an email from her agent. She was one of the around 60 men, women and children remaining in the running to dance for Janet.

It was during the month-long audition process when Buczkowski saw Janet in person for the first time.

“I froze a little bit,” she said. “I was mildly starstruck. Being in a room with her was a lot to take in.”

Then that magical moment she always dreamed of happened. Janet’s choreographer, Gil Duldulao, said Buczkowski was selected to be one of the dancers for the tour, which currently consists of about 40 tour dates.

“I didn’t believe him at first and asked him if he was kidding,” Buczkowski said. “It felt like the biggest accomplishment in my life. I can’t describe that feeling. It has been overwhelming.”

And the outpour of support and excitement from her friends, family and fans has been continuous since the dancer announced her latest job. There have been numerous congratulatory posts on social media, some calling Buczkowski a power house, others an inspiration.

“It’s not real yet. It’s all still sinking in.”

Rehearsals for the tour, which are typically between eight and nine hours in length, began on Monday, June 22.

“Having Janet in the room with me eight hours a day is the best part. Not many people could say that they have done that,” Buczkowski shared. “She’s so involved in the process and she’s so nice and cares about her dancers.”

All of her hard work and dedication to her passion for dance throughout the years lead Buczkowski to this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. “There’s a spot for everybody,” she said about the dance industry. “I’m very competitive, that’s what kept me going [the last four years in Los Angeles]. I don’t allow myself to fail; I don’t give myself that option.”

And now she’ll be sharing the stage with one of the most iconic artists in the music industry.

“I’m very excited for the first show,” Buczkowski said. “I can’t wait for that very moment we get to stand on the stage and she’s there with us and the audience is screaming.”

Lauren Kirchmyer is the entertainment reporter for BuffaloScoop.com. If you have a story idea, please email her at lk********@gm***.com.

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