Fernandes, a dancer turned choreographer, has worked on numerous Hindi films and the top dance reality television show “Jhalak Dikhla Ja.” He received The Best Choreographer Award at The 2009 Filmfare Awards for his work in the movie Papu Can’t Dance.  His contributions to the Indian dance industry have earned him a spot as one of India’s top choreographers and helped him to land the role as choreographer for Slumdog. Fernandes was personally selected by the film’s director, Danny Boyle. “Amar Butala, who I had earlier worked with, recommended me to Danny. I went prepared but all Danny saw was one of my previous works, and I was on,” Fernandes said.

Slumdog Millionaire, the rags-to-riches story of an orphan from Mumbai, features two works from the choreographer.  Fernandes was thrilled to be given the opportunity to choreograph to “O Saaya” and “Jai Ho,” both by the acclaimed Indian composer A.R. Rahman.  “Jai Ho,” which plays during the final credits of the film, won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.  The film also won Oscars for Best Director, Best Original Score, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Longinus latest work include choreographing Top 18 for So You Think You Can Dance Canada, Bollywood Hero with Kris Kattan, and the movie Eat, Pray and Love with Julia Roberts. He is at the moment in Miami working on the 2010 Orange Bowl Convention with some of the best choreographers in the industry.

Fernandes is represented by Xcel Talent Agency in Atlanta, GA.

Longinus Fernandes Choreography Reel

So You Think You Can Dance Canada

Bollywood Hero

Tickets can be purchased online www.dance101.org or by calling 404-542-3887

Suffering from break-up blues? Did your significant other do you wrong?

Then Jennifer Lopez has some advice for you, inspired by her hit single “Louboutins.”

“I love the [female]-empowering message that it has. If someone cheats on you or breaks up with you or does something awful or wrong to you, you [want to] sit there and cry and feel sorry for yourself and eat ice-cream and wear sweat pants and [have] your girlfriends come over. It’s like no, let’s not get it twisted,” a fabulous-looking Lopez told Pop Tarts on Wednesday. “I’m going to put on my good shoes and my good dress and bye. You’re going to watch this (slaps her backside) walk right out of the house.” More…

Winning wasn’t the only thing Russell Ferguson wanted to accomplish on So You Think You Can Dance. He also wanted to familiarize America with the urban dance form known as krump. Read an interview with Ferguson at www.thestar.blogs.com/

As an artistic event, Nutcracker does practically everything but crack nuts. The Tchaikovsky ballet provides a holiday tradition for families, a rite of passage for aspiring young dancers, and a kind of outreach program for ballet companies nationwide. This year’s Atlanta Ballet production of Nutcracker features about 250 young area dancers in small roles, in addition to the company’s cast of professionals. When I arrived at Saturday’s matinee, I ran into a family friend who proudly pointed out that her daughter was one of the “party children” for that performance. More…

What are the names of the seven Orphans?

The first person with the right answer wins two tickets for the opening night. You can e-mail your answers @ dancedirect@hotmail.com

America’s most beloved family musical, ANNIE, is back in an exciting 30^thwww.ticketmaster.com.” anniversary tour,” states Christopher B. Manos, Producer of Theater of the Stars.  “We are delighted that a whole new generation can experience this classic musical about never giving up hope!  And as is our custom, we are adding 25 local girls to the production to make it even more fun. Join us for the timeless tale of Little Orphan Annie when it returns to the Fabulous Fox Theatre in Atlanta for 8 performances from January 13-17, 2010. Tickets are on sale NOW at area Ticketmaster outlets, by calling 800-982-2787.

XCEL choreographer Cici Kelley choreographed another episode of Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne. More about Cici Kelley and the agency here…

The opening of Cirque du Soleil’s Viva ELVIS is predictable, nostalgic and – if you’re familiar with Elvis Presley’s fabled Vegas years – utterly emotional.

A chorus line of dancers, their backs to the empty seats of Aria Resort’s Elvis Theater, face a three-story black curtain spotted with Sun Records 45s. Booming over hundreds of hidden speakers is Richard Strauss‘ Thus Spake Zarathustra, famous for its anthemic roles in both 2001: A Space Odyssey and Presley’s ’70s stage shows.

As the music swells, the curtain falls and 30-plus cast members start dancing frenetically as vintage Elvis clips play on a huge screen overhead. Thus kicks off yet another rehearsal of a spectacle – opening Dec. 18 and scheduled for a 10-year run – that downplays Cirque’s circus roots in favor of lavish dance-fueled production numbers. More…