RESPECT. Interview: Dance Power Couple Choreographs ‘Step Up China’

William “Willdabeast” Adams and Janelle Ginestra are a duo that’s taking over the dance world and they have a lot of great things coming. Whether its their time choreographing for your favorite artist, bringing together dancers for their immaBeast dance company, or posting fun tutorials to YouTube, the dance power couple is now taking their career to the next level in Beijing, China.

Will and Janelle have been given the wonderful opportunity to be the head choreographers for the sixth installment of the ‘Step Up’ franchise, Step Up China. In an interview via FaceTime RESPECT. was able to catch up with the talented duo and learn more about their come up within the dance industry, the challenges they experience, and what we should expect from the new Step Up movie. Check out the in depth interview below.

RESPECT.: How has life changed for you two since the launch in 2013 of the immaBeast dance company?

Janelle: It has given us a new purpose. When you move to LA you’re on a road to a selfishness and a road to fulfilling your dream to become a professional dancer. immabeast gives you a sense of family. Will and I have a new special priority and that’s making sure everyone feels that sense of family. We give them training, mentorship, and that mom and dad environment. We make our dancers feel comfortable and happy while still learning dance. Our students grow as humans and also as dancers.

RESPECT.: What was it like for the Willdabeast YouTube channel to reach 500 million views to date and more than 1.7 million subscribers?

Will: It is very cool but it is also pretty hard. I don’t really think too hard about it because I am always thinking about what I could do next. I feel like that’s how most successful people are. When I hear someone else speak on the success it is a reflecting moment. Its so surreal because obviously its just not my dancing that earns the love, it’s the environment me and Janelle have created and its incredibly awesome.

RESPECT.: You guys have built a strong and amazing dance company. When and why did you guys decide to team up?

Janelle: I have always been the kind of person that enjoyed teamwork but I know Will and I are great on our own as well. Obviously we can both do our own thing and be super successful but its so nice having somebody to work with and someone to bounce ideas from. Now we barely work without each other. When we were working separate and he was on his own tour and I was on my own tour it just didn’t work for us. We love being together and we would rather have it this way than anything else.

RESPECT.: Both of you guys choreographed and performed for numerous artists in the music industry. What influenced you guys to dream bigger and share one of the biggest dance experiences in the country with the public?

Will: A lot of time dancers and choreographers feel like getting that big artist like Beyoncé or Usher is the end all be all. We don’t want our whole career to depend on another person’s success. Its not promised that they’ll always want us around and they could always want to switch it up and say they want a new choreographer or team with an even bigger following than us. We wanted something irreplaceable and something that’s bigger like a Coachella or a summer jam. We wanted to create something where even if Janelle and I start pursuing something else we have an event that belongs to us and keeps growing bigger than us.

Janelle: To be honest Will inspired me to dream bigger. A lot of people put limitations on themselves and when I was younger I was an actress and I told myself when I move to LA I want to be a dancer. When you’re a professional dancer there is only a certain height you can get to and when I hear him speak and tell me his ideas he makes me believe I can do more and there are no limits. He shows me I have a bigger voice and I can do so much more. It was being around somebody that was so inspiring.

RESPECT.: It was recently announced you two will be the head choreographers in the new Step Up movie. What special moments in your career help you be up to this challenge?

Will: Moving to LA in general is a big jump in general. If you can make it in LA, you can make it anywhere. Just moving in general was half the battle. There are auditions that are hard and you get a bunch of no’s before you get that one yes in the industry. Just leaving home and having to fend for myself put me in the mindset of not being afraid anymore. I just jumped and that what a lot of people don’t do in their life. I really think God rewards you if you show that effort consistently.

Janelle: I feel the same way. I have done the tours, commercials, and everything else as a dancer and I think that choreography bug in you suddenly tells you that you can do anything. I can create something memorable and something that makes people feel emotions through the TV screen. I’m just extremely grateful we get to do this at such a young age. It’s a new generation and we are bringing something new to this film.

RESPECT.: What is different in this film from the other Step Up Movies?

Will: I feel like this one is taking the movie back to its roots and its reality and what dancers really go through. By crossing over to China hopefully we can start a new trend here and we will have different Step Up movies filmed all over the globe. Its so great because this is the first one outside of America. They are using stars of K-Pop and the movie as a whole is catered towards their culture.

RESPECT.: What has been the biggest accomplishment so far within the success of working with each other and the company?

Janelle: Buildabeast most definitely. It’s the proudest moment of our career and it’s the most rewarding, and spiritual thing to be able to watch a working machine happen before our eyes. It’s the most fulfilling for me.

Will: Same for me! We get to see all of our work and the crowd’s reaction. I enjoy seeing our kids dance one more time before we get a revamp the team. It’s a place where everybody comes together. We see people that we have been with for six years mixing with people we just met three months ago. Also, the fact that people come to America just to be apart of the experience.

Catch up with Willdabeast or Janelle on YouTube and watch their Choreography below.