Aaron Guerra: At what age did you started dancing?
Erik Renz: My Mom said I started dancing when I was about 2 years old. She said I would just move around to the music and I would do it in front of anybody. When I was around 7 years old I performed for the first time at my 3rd grade talent show. It was also the first thing I had choreographed. Then my sister got into dance at a studio called Center Stage and I told my Mom I wanted to do the same. I started in a beginner’s class but my instructor wanted me to move up to the advanced class. I did after 3 weeks and after that year of classes; they wanted me to move up to Junior Company. This is when I think I made the biggest mistake of my life – I quit dancing for basketball, which obviously never stuck. At 15, I watched You Got Served and then I got into dance again. I started learning the dances from the instructional DVD they sold after the movie. Then I learned all the choreography from the movie and still wanted to learn more. That’s when I found Shane Sparks and Robert Hoffman III on Youtube and I learned by watching anything I could find with them. The rest is history I guess.
Aaron Guerra: Who are your influences in dancing?
Erik Renz: There are a lot of dancers that I look up to. To name a few: Robert Hoffman III, Shane Sparks, Chris Brown, Dave Scott, Mia Michaels, Joy Clift (my dance teacher), Tucker Barkley, Michael Jackson. I think there are to many to list so I’ll just stop there.
Aaron Guerra: What inspires you to create different moves?
Erik Renz: I don’t really ever know what I’m doing when I’m creating dance moves. It just happens… normally when I’m freestyling. I guess it comes up from watching my influences dance and when I see something I like, I learn it from them. After that, I just tweak it a little bit to make something that’s my own.
Aaron Guerra: Any favorite dance movies? if so, what and why?
Erik Renz: Well, You Got Served was a biggie since it ‘s what started me in dancing. Stomp the Yard was another good one. I liked this one because it was a little more rough and gritty. Another of my favorites was Step Up. I think it was the first actual dance film that wasn’t completely reliant on the dancing and brought dance into the public eye – made it more acceptable I guess? My favorite right now is Step Up 2 the Streets. I was excited to see Robert Hoffman starring in his first movie and dancing as well. Ever since You Got Served I had been watching for anything that Robert was releasing with dance in it so I could learn more from him. His style is so incredible when he mixes hip-hop with his more “classic” training and puts it to a hard rock song (like the Diary of Jane solo in the film).
Aaron Guerra: How many days/hours do your practice? Is there a routine you go through to stay in shape?
Erik Renz: If you asked my parents this I’m sure their answer would be all the time. I don’t really have a set schedule. Since I’ve taught myself all the hip-hop I know I don’t really go to a studio and train. I would say I always have some kind of music going through my head and I just dance around to it non-stop, practicing new things. I try to choreograph for about an hour most days though. That would probably fall under the “training” category. As for staying in shape – I never really worked out until about a year ago with my roommate. He put me on his lifting routine and that’s what I’ve been sticking to – Chest/ Tricep, Back/ Bicep, and Legs. Each is on a different day and you do abs everyday. I count my dancing as cardio.
Aaron Guerra: You also like to write lyrics. How did that come about?
Erik Renz: The lyrics thing was kind of a fluke. When I was 11 I lived in England with my family and they are really big into fine arts there. I was required to take a music class and my teacher, Mr. Millington, was amazing. He had a class competition for everyone in the class to form a group or solo act and we had to either make up a song ourselves (music, lyrics, etc.) and perform it or pick our favorite artist and perform one of their songs. I chose to write my own song and at that time I was really into Nelly and I wrote a rap song. I actually still remember the lyrics I wrote… My name is Erik Renz, I come from the states/ I was brought into this world in 1988/. I’ll stop there as to stop further embarrassment. Anyway, I actually won the competition and after that I just kept writing rap songs. Eventually I got a little more serious about it and have been writing R&B/ Hip-Hop types of songs.
Aaron Guerra: Is singing still in your future plans? If so, what kind of music sound/style would you get into?
Erik Renz: Singing is definitely still in my plans and I would love to create R&B/ Hip-Hop songs. I also have always wanted to blend that genre into like Rock or Indie or something –kind of like Chris Brown meets Coldplay?
Aaron Guerra: Do you use YouTube to express your art, or to promote yourself? Do you think it works both ways?
Erik Renz: Youtube wasn’t ever meant to get me anything – at least that wasn’t the plan. I remembered I had an account after watching Step Up 2, and decided that I should post some videos up just to show what I could do. I started getting lots of comments and messages after I did the Step Up 2 Finale dance. After I answered the comments and messages it just kept getting bigger and it formed a way to advertise myself. The original plan for my Youtube page was just to show I could dance. When people asked me about stuff it turned into a way to teach people and spread my love of dance – help get people inspired you know. I definitely think it works both ways – creativity and promotion - it just depends on how you use it. It’s such a powerful tool nowadays considering how people have been getting discovered (Esmee Denters, Justin Beiber, etc.) and it can definitely be a place just for art (Joseph Gordon Levitt from 10 Things I Hate About You posts his pieces on Youtube under Hitrecord – amazing stuff… true art.).
Aaron Guerra: You made a few video challenges to Miley and Mandy, currently one titled “Miley and Mandy - Still Waiting.” If they return the challenge, how would you go about doing the next one to top it off?
Erik Renz: Hmm. That’s a good question. There would definitely be some acting in this one. I love comedy and I think I would take my camera around Georgia Tech and ask random people to dance for me – now that I think about it – kind of like What the Buck did with his version. It’s more fun having more people involved. Of course the normal dancing would be in there – maybe a little mockery dance for some humor? I think I’d also do a different style, show them how versatile the ACDC is compared to the M&M cru… something along those lines? I think I’d just give it more comedy since the last 3 videos I did for ACDC were so dance strong – make it a little more fun.
Aaron Guerra: What advice do you have for aspiring dancers?
Erik Renz: If I had advice for any aspiring dancers it would be to pretend as if you know nothing. I know it sounds weird but my thoughts on dance are that you should learn as if you have never danced (in a way) and when you perform, you bring out the cockiness and the personality. I think if people are to concerned about outshining others or being the best or how they look while they are learning, then they don’t learn as much as they can. I believe you reach your best potential when you are humble. – Why would God tell us to be something if he knew it wouldn’t benefit us? Also, don’t be afraid to try new things. Dance is about breaking out of your comfort zone and letting yourself go.
Aaron Guerra: Why the album title “Bird’s Eye View”?
Aaron Guerra: What inspires you to write songs?
Aaron Guerra: You’re starting a YouTube Vlogging account. Is this a new outlet as an actor to express yourself in an artistic way?

Aaron Guerra: It’s not un noticed that you’ve lost weight, what motivated you?
Aaron Guerra: You have an internet talk show at TalkShoe. What made you want to do this?
Aaron Guerra: If you had to remake a song, what would it be? why?
Interested in acting by the time he went to high school, he was cast as Othello in the production “Othello.” Later went to American Academy of Dramatic Arts and now is known for his role of Charles on ABC Family’s Lincoln Heights. Get to know Rob in this interview and see what he has to say about wanting to work with Christopher Nolan and his new project on the web.
Aaron Guerra: You’re doing a web series called “Cause We’re Family.” How did that come about?
Kate Voegele is quickly becoming one of music history’s biggest stars. Being signed by Tom Anderson at MySpace opened a lot of doors to this Ohio native. Her debut album “Don’t Look Away” impressed listeners, and has appeared numerous of times on the hit TV show, The CW’s One Tree Hill playing Mia, a shy keyboardist-turned-solo singer. Not only that, she’s also going to school online while touring on the road.
Aaron Guerra: Will you be touring internationally in the near or distant future?
Blake Lively comes from an acting family with her own unique talent. She is known best for her film debut of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants playing soccer player Bridget. After being at the top of her school and participated in the National Show Choir, Lively is now ready to take Hollywood by storm with her upcoming dark romantic comedy of Elvis and Anabelle and a new horror movie Simon Says that was produced by her father who’s also an actor himself. Check out her new movie Accepted out in theatres now!
Blake Lively: I think that all actors that are in productions for the art and challenge , rather than the fame and money , try to play different roles. “Elvis and Anabelle” is one of the best scripts I have ever read! Not only is it an amazing and touching story , but the charecters are so layered and interesting. One of the biggest attracions for me was that the role of Anabelle is such a strong person. Most female roles are written to either compliment the powerful male role , or to be a pretty piece of flesh for the audiences’s viewing pleasure. Neither of which I would like to make a career off of . So, with such a great character and story and cast , how could I not want to be in that film?!
Amber Benson is a young entrepreneur; actress, writer, director and producer. She’s been acting professionally over fifteen years, but is best known for her acclaimed role of Tara Maclay on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. After leaving the show, she began working on a different medium: animation film Ghosts of Albion for BBC with co-creator and friend Christopher Golden. They both share other writing credits with the successful comics of BTVS: Willow & Tara and last year’s release of the short novel The Seven Whistlers. She also released two of her first independent films Chance and Lovers, Liars and Lunatics through her production company, Benson Entertainment. Check out her upcoming projects: Kiss the Bride, Strictly Sexual, and The Bluetooth Virgin! She definitely has a bright career ahead of her!
Amber Benson: I don’t know where the ideas come from. I like to think in Jungian terms, that there’s a collective unconscious out there that we all just tap into to find our stories. Usually, I just sit down and they come pouring out of me. I’m never quite sure what they are going to be until they happen.
Aaron Guerra: What is the movie “Forever Strong” about, and who do you play?
My name is Aaron. I live in the Bay Area and I'm 26. I love movies, books and music. It's how I identify in life. I'm also a web designer, and communications major.
