Say “Justin Bieber” and the name is enough to catch the interest of teenage girls everywhere.
Say “I’ve met Justin Bieber” and the interest will probably turn into a frenzy of excitement.
Well Barrhead-raised hip-hop dancer Michael Ward has not only met the 17-year-old Canadian singer, he has also performed on stage with him.
Ward was among a group of 16 back-up dancers for Bieber’s Dec. 22 performance of Santa Claus Is Coming To Town on the X Factor season finale in Los Angeles.
“We did it before a live audience and it went very well,” said Ward, who was back in Barrhead for the holidays after flying from LA, where he juggles hip-hop dancing with hand-painting designs on shoes.
“The choreography was a lot of fun. It’s a good song and performing with Bieber was a great experience. He is probably the biggest star in the world at the moment.”
The energetic dancing routine was choreographed by Nick DeMoura and can be seen on YouTube.
For anyone keen-eyed enough to see him, Ward is wearing a green hoodie beneath a black jacket. Also marking him out is his long hair.
Ward said he only spoke very briefly to Bieber, who has been promoting his Christmas album, Under The Mistletoe.
“He is very busy, so there wasn’t much time to talk,” the former Barrhead Composite High School student said.
During his two-song set Bieber had a pair of surprise guests as contestant Drew Ryniewicz joined him for Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, which is on his Christmas album. Later he paired up with Stevie Wonder for The Christmas Song.
To be so close to the acclaimed American singer-songwriter was another memorable moment for Ward.
“Just being there was amazing,” he said. “Stevie Wonder is a legend. I must have been within 10 feet of him.”
To get on the X Factor Ward had to undergo auditions, in which about 40 other talented dancers took part.
After being told by his agent he had passed, Ward spent several days rehearsing under DeMoura’s expert eye.
Being in the company of celebrities is nothing new to Ward, who has performed in TV shows, a Hollywood film called Kickin’ it Old Skool, starring Jamie Kennedy, and completed a music video that aired on Disney Channel for the movie College Road Trip with Martin Lawrence and Raven-Symone.
This summer he was a background dancer for a Fiat 500 commercial featuring Jennifer Lopez, who sang Papi.
He has also taken part in two episodes of Fox’s Mobbed TV series, which will be shown in the new year.
The American reality TV show stars comedian Howie Mandel and was inspired by the flash mobs featured on many YouTube videos.
Ward’s other interest, his company Swaves (httpy://customswaves.blogspot.com), continues to develop and expand, keeping him away from the dance floor as he spends hours in a room at his LA home, hunched over a shoe.
Working with a little brush, he paints designs and logos according to customers’ specifications.
Recently the Movement Lifestyle dance group approached him to do up a pair of Vans shoes and a skateboard deck for display in its newly opened retail store.
It was a challenge – he had never put a design on a skate deck – but one that captivated him.
“I always love a good challenge and was to be honest blown away at how ‘factory’ it came out,” he says on his website. “(Seriously surprised myself a bit.)”
In many ways, dancing and painting reflect the two sides to Ward’s personality – one craves energy and excitement, the other prefers meditation and solitude.
Likewise, Ward needs the buzz and bright lights of LA, but enjoys the relative peace of Barrhead and the family farm.
“I love coming back home,” he said.
