Kaitlyn Jenkins and Julia Goldani Telles first danced onto our television screens last year when ABC Family's 'Bunheads' premiered. The dancers-turned-actresses have been able to combine the best of their two favorite worlds by stepping into the shoes of their characters, Boo Jordan and Sasha Torres, and they're now gearing up for season two! We talked to Kaitlyn and Julia about their dancing careers, the show, and what bunheads are in for during the second season.
J-14: When did you both start dancing?
Julia Goldani Telles: I started dancing when I was five or six. It was that sort of thing where parents like to see the little girls in tutus. It's kind of like a tradition, if you're lucky enough to be able to do that. So, I was having fun and I just ended up really liking it.
Kaitlyn Jenkins: My mom was a ballet dancer and she actually danced with companies. She always had a love for dance, so she put me and my brother in dance. My brother grew out of it, but I didn't. I just never had the jazz, hip-hop thing down. I was too sweet, naïve, and innocent. I liked the pretty music and the pretty costumes. Basically, I really liked ballet because it told a story and jazz was just dancing to a dance. I saw more of a story in ballet, so I was like, 'Wow, I want to tell stories.' That's kind of how I started off -- relating to the stories, so I always carried that with me.
J-14: What attracted you both to 'Bunheads?'
Kaitlyn: I just wanted to make it in Hollywood at this point. I had been injured and I just wanted to pursue my ballet career and I wanted to act. I had made the decision to switch from dancing to acting as my main focus. I love acting, I love auditions, so I was just like, 'You know what, alright, I'll try it.' I went in there and I was like, 'I'm probably not going to get it.' My mom's like, 'Think big. I just have a feeling this is going to be it,' and I was like, 'Okay, Mom, you say that about everything.' She was like, 'No, I have a feeling.'
Julia: What attracted me to the show was Amy Sherman Palladino. I'm not at a point at all where I can pick projects, but I knew that if I got on this it would be an incredible opportunity because I respect her so much. It's very stylized and I really admire its style. It has a very unique voice. Also, I liked that this is a time where ballet was coming up at Hollywood, being accepted and explored and to be a part of something like that again has its own special voice. It's set in a small town and has real a life dynamic and friendships.
J-14: Did you need any extra ballet training for the show?
Kaitlyn: We did have training with Margaret, she's our choreographer, so I guess you could say that's training in a way. We had all the choreography and we had to learn how to dance with the other dancers and some of the dancers were from 'So You Think You Can Dance.' They are so awesome. I don't think I've met a mean dancer at all. They're all so great and it's such a fun experience because not only do you get to act, but you get to be a part of the whole process of putting it together and then creating it and then sharing it to not just a small audience. You get to share it with the world. It kind of blows my mind.
J-14: How are you two similar or different to your characters?
Kaitlyn: I'm similar in the ways I love dreaming, imagining things. I've been like that since I was young. Some things that are different, I'm a little bit more of a realist now. I still take those values and those dreams with me, but I think a little bit more business now. A little bit more realistic and fashion. I like to make statements and really go in depth with fashion. I've always been kind of passionate about that so it's really fun that I get to explore that now, be in the spotlight and share that with other people.
Julia: I think I'm similar to Sasha in that I'm adventurous. I love being with friends and being like, 'No, let's go do that. Let's go do that,' and everybody's like, 'Eh, you sure?' But, I think I'm different from her in that I'm a little bit more composed. I like to think in certain situations where I can deal with feeling frustrated or vulnerable, although I do sometimes put up a sarcastic front when I'm feeling vulnerable, so that's a similarity. As far as style, I love leather, I love boots, I love dark colors, and I think we're both not the most optimistic people. I'm learning how to be more optimistic, but I'm always like, 'Oh, it's not going to work out. Everything is going to go bad,' and I think that's something her friends lift her out of. That's what Kaitlyn does to me.
J-14: What can we expect from the upcoming season?
Kaitlyn: I know there will be stuff going on in their love life. Probably get to explore that, a new, sweet, kind of adorable romance.
Julia: I think more the girls' individual story lines than we've seen before.
Kaitlyn: I think we probably get to see some of Sasha's home life. I think we'll get to see some of B's, Melanie's, Genny, maybe some more of that. And their individual struggles, kind of see how they can come together and fix that -- make it good.
Do you watch Kaitlyn Jenkins and Julia Goldani Telles on 'Bunheads?'