The Shorties are dancing to their favorite JoJo Siwa songs on the next brand-new episode of
Lip Sync Battle Shorties, premiering Friday, November 9 at 7:00pm ET/PT, only on Nickelodeon USA! 🎀
In the brand-new
Lip Sync Battle Shorties episode "Candy Store, Colorful Arcade, 4th of July Party!" (#206), three JoJo Siwa super fans get the chance to sync to some of her biggest hits. Nick Cannon and JoJo Siwa host with a very special appearance by JoJo's faithful pup, BowBow Siwa!
From
qconline.com:
Little Q-C dancer has big dreams: 'I like making people happy when I dance'
Tatum Roselle, 12, of Colona, shows off his dance moves Friday, Nov. 2, 2018, in Carbon Cliff. Tatum will appear on an episode of Nickelodeon’s “Lip Sync Battle Shorties” that will air Friday, Nov. 9. Photo credit: MEG McLAUGHLIN / mmclaughlin@qconline.com
CARBON CLIFF — Tatum Roselle and his parents have crisscrossed the country the past year and a half — but they haven’t been on vacations. Instead, the 12-year-old Colona Middle School student has been working hard to make his dancing dreams come true.
Tatum has been dancing since he was 5, mainly in hip-hop style. He will show off his skills nationwide Friday, Nov. 9, when he will appear as a contestant on Nickelodeon’s “Lip Sync Battle Shorties,” airing on TV at 6 p.m. He performed recently at a Quad-Cities Lip Sync Battle Shorties event at Rock Island’s Establishment Theatre.
“Tatum is a versatile performer with a huge personality,” said Julie Medeiros, the dance department director for Go 2 Talent Agency, based in Burbank, Calif., which represents the 12-year-old. “When you watch him perform, you can’t take your eyes off of him.”
Tatum’s performance won him the Agency Award at a “Monsters of Hip-Hop” convention in April 2017 in Orlando, Fla., which earned him a meeting with the L.A.-area agency that summer, Medeiros noted.
“We had a conversation with Tatum and his family, and from there, mutually decided he would be a great fit for our GTA family,” she said.
“Tatum put together a video submission for the show, and they loved what they saw,” she said by email. “You need to be strong enough to capture a live audience, and he has what it takes.”
Tatum Roselle, 12, of Colona, poses for a portrait Friday, Nov. 2, 2018, in Carbon Cliff. Tatum was most recently selected to be on Nickelodeon’s “Lip Sync Battle Shorties” that will air Friday, Nov. 9. Photo credit: Meg McLaughlin.
Tatum’s appearance on Nickelodeon’s “Lip Sync Battle Shorties” was filmed over four days in July at Warner Bros. Studios in Los Angeles. He is one of three contestants ages 10 to 12 performing with backup dancers in the episode.
Tatum lip-synced to JoJo Siwa’s “High Top Shoes.” Siwa, who appeared on the “Dance Moms” show, is a 15-year-old native of Omaha, Neb.
“I love shoes,” Tatum said last week at his grandma’s house, noting he loves to wear Jordan high-tops. For the show, he couldn’t wear Jordans or any shoes with logos, but he sported a silver pair that lit up on the bottom.
He didn’t win his episode of the show, but is having a viewing party at his house Friday.
Tatum said his favorite part of the experience was performing and getting to be on TV. He said he wasn’t nervous. “I like making people happy when I dance, showing my personality, getting noticed by other people in the industry,” he said.
‘ALWAYS LOVED TO DANCE’
Tatum has taken weekly dance classes with the Davenport-based hip-hop studio RE-FL3X, run by Juan Valtierra of East Moline, since he was 5.
“He always just loved to dance,” Tatum’s mom, Jayne Roselle, said. “Like when he was 2 and 3, we’d go places, and he’d always just dance.”
“He’s been a loyal student of ours. There are some who stand out, and he stood out because of his outgoing personality,” Valtierra said. “Tatum is very energetic; he makes people smile.”
For several years, Tatum has performed with RE-FL3X as part of the Pete the Purple Bull anti-bullying program at area churches, schools and community events
That’s important to him, he said, because “I don’t like bullies.”
Tatum heard about the national “ImmaBeast” hip-hop dance company on Instagram, where he follows a lot of dance people. His own account (@taterose32) — where he posts photos and videos — has 2,010 followers.
He first auditioned in Chicago in June 2017 for ImmaBeast to get a scholarship to go to L.A. that July. Tatum was among about 100 who tried out in Chicago, and five were picked.
“He was lucky; they only gave two full scholarships to travel to L.A., and the rest were adults,” his mom said. “He was the only kid to get a full scholarship.”
“I’m going around totally overwhelmed, and he’s like, ‘I’m fine. What are you nervous for?’ He’s always cool and collected,” she said.
“I didn’t think I was going to get it because there were a lot of older people that had a lot more experience than me,” Tatum said. “I gave it my best, and that’s all you can do.”
He was in Los Angeles for two weeks in a row, since he had won a scholarship for “Monsters of Hip Hop.”
“He keeps us busy,” his mom said. “This year alone, we’ve been to California three times, New York, Dallas, Kansas City.”
One agency they met with in L.A. asked him to move there immediately.
“We said, ‘He’s 11; we’re not at a point we’re going to move,’ ” his mom said. “The other one he actually signed with said they’d work with us while he’s here, and that’s how he got with Nickelodeon, through the agent.”
“A lot of those kids he auditioned with, they live out there and audition,” Tatum’s dad, Darren, said. “They’re home-schooled. They dance seven days a week. He only dances one or two days a week; still plays football, plays baseball. I want him to be a kid, too.”
Tatum plays quarterback for his school team, and he said participating in sports helps his dancing, especially his hand-eye coordination and muscle control.
Tatum said he’d like to be an actor when he grows up. “That has a little more personality, and personality is pretty much how I carry my dance off. I’d like to dance professionally,” he said.
He’s been in a couple of local TV commercials, which were booked through the Rock Island-based SK Models and filmed in 2016-17. One of those gigs earned him $300, which he used to buy Christmas presents for his family.
Friends have said they’re glad he hasn’t changed with his newfound stardom.
“He’s very down to earth, outgoing, very compassionate,” his mom said.
He hopes the Nickelodeon show leads to more opportunities, more auditions, and more fame.
During the whirlwind of his performances, Tatum also got to dance before two Chicago Bulls games at the United Center in 2017 and this year with Essence W. Dance, based in Davenport.
“It was fun,” Tatum said. “You got to be on the floor Michael Jordan was on,” his dad added with pride.
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More Nick: Nickelodeon USA's November 2018 Premiere Highlights | Thanksgiving | Nicksgiving!
Originally published: Tuesday, November 06, 2018.
Additional source: TheFutonCritic.com.
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