Whether it's a sleek dance, a head spin or a fantastic acting performance in front of the camera, you would be hard-pressed to find a better person to do all of the above than Tony Porucha. First, he conquered Slovak television screens in a talent competition with The Pastels, then he tasted world stages in Paris, Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi, only to then head straight to the big screen in the lead role. The young guy, who is apparently not afraid of anything, is currently facing the biggest challenge of all: fatherhood. But that's not all we talked about with Tony Porucha during a short break in his super-packed calendar.
Why did freedom appeal to you? Have you always been more of an individualist?
"Even as a child, when I was playing sports, I had a bit of a problem with coaches and authority. I wanted to do things my own way. And the breakdance/b-boying coach was completely different. He let us develop in a direction that suited us. He gave us space for self-expression. And that's really important to me ."
You are one of the most famous Slovak dancers. How did you get into dancing?
"It's actually a coincidence. Since I was a kid, I loved the acrobatic fighting stunts of Jackie Chan and Jean-Claude Van Damme. And then I saw a video with guys dancing capoeira, which is a Brazilian fighting dance. It had everything - acrobatics, dance and tricks, great! However, when I was looking for where I could do capoeira in Trnava, since that's where I come from, there was nothing like it. That was 14 years ago. The only thing that was a bit similar to it was breakdancing/b-boying. However, I thought of it as just spinning on your head and only occasionally doing some other trick. So I said, okay, I'll go for it, but I'll only do the aspects that I enjoy. I definitely won't be spinning on my head! Then I found out that it's completely different. It's not a structured dance. It's incredibly free and I liked that."
When did this hobby turn into a job?
"It came unexpectedly. At the beginning, we were a group of friends who went to competitions, we took it as fun. We lived by it, but we had no ambition to make a profession out of it. However, I gradually got into the dance community and once the guys who were already working on dance projects were looking for a dancer. That's how I actually got into the group that is now known as The Pastels . We performed together in a talent competition, which was the main trigger. At first, we hung around Slovakia and the surrounding area, but gradually we also got abroad and eventually we traveled almost the entire world. I never expected that I would end up in Pakistan or Abu Dhabi with my dance."
If you want to start dancing, you have unlimited options. Dancing is a fantastically individual thing.
What advice would you give to young people who want to start dancing?
"If you want to start dancing, you have unlimited possibilities. Dancing is a fantastically individual thing. Other people's opinions don't matter, it doesn't matter whether they like it. All that matters is how you feel. But if you want to start taking it more professionally, you need to, of course, adapt to trends, but especially to train. The more a person can offer, the better for them."
Few people imagine dancing as hard work. How often do you engage in physical training?
"Constantly. A dancer needs constant physical training. For example, if I miss a week of training due to illness, I immediately feel that my muscles need to start again. And it also affects my psyche."
Dance is, in a sense, a top sport.
However, sometimes we create one choreography for a month.
Dancing elements of other styles is always a bit of a challenge for me and an escape from stereotypes.
Do you have any other favorite dance styles besides street dance?
"I like almost everything. I'm open to every style, I try to take something from everything. Dancing elements of other styles is always a bit of a challenge for me and an escape from stereotypes. For example, I admire contemporary jazz dancers because they can dance to almost every type of music. That's one of the highest levels for me. But I also like ballet. You can see the dressage and perfection of movement there."
What people inspire you in life?
"It's similar to my style of dancing - I try to take something from several people. So I don't have one specific person as a role model, because no one is perfect and I don't think it's good for someone to blindly follow one personality. They may not be as amazing as we often idealize them to be."
I had enormous respect for the main role, because it's a really big responsibility.
You played the lead role in the film Backstage . What was that like?
"It was a really great experience. I had a huge respect for the main role, because it's a really big responsibility. In the end, we managed it, but I'll leave it to the viewer to judge whether it was good or not. Since it was a dance film, it wasn't completely out of my control, even though on the other hand the character's nature was completely different from mine. Every morning before filming it was stressful, because there were still great expectations from the people who were involved in the film, but when I look back on it, it was a great school."
Did you have other acting offers?
"I recently had the opportunity to appear in a series where I played a kitchen assistant. I enjoyed that even more because it had nothing to do with dancing. It took me to a completely different realm."
You and your partner are now expecting a child. Will you guide him towards an artistic direction?
"It is necessary to give the child freedom. It is not easy to make a name for himself in this business. However, if he wants to follow in my footsteps, I will not forbid him."
After your baby arrives, most of your free time will likely be focused on one thing. But how do you fill it now?
"Apart from dancing, I spend a lot of time in the gym. It's not just work for me, but also relaxation. I'm simply drawn to physical activities. I try to catch up on what I can't do when I'm busy, and as soon as I have time off, I catch up on my own workouts. I'm always on the move, so I definitely don't do anything like knitting and I never will (laughs)."
I really like to wear street sweatpants, but I also love to wear pants, suspenders, a bow tie, or a suit.Finally, the obligatory question must be asked: what about you and dressing? "I like both extremes. I love to wear street sweatpants, but I also love to wear pants, suspenders, a bow tie or a suit. I don't prefer to always wear the same style. I really like costumes and I always enjoy wearing something unusual and enjoying the transformation into a completely different personality."
