From the first time I met sophomore Alonzo Russell, 20, I always wondered how he seemed to be able to do it all. From going to classes full time at Columbia, to taking dance classes, to coaching his own dance team back in Rockford, IL, to making his own music– and he seemed to be doing it all with ease.
But only the people close to Alonzo knew just how much blood, sweat and tears he put in to his work–and this summer all of his hard work finally started to pay off.
Alonzo and his dance team “Fatally Unique” made it all the way to the semi-finals of the reality talent competition show “America’s Got Talent”, performing alongside other dance acts like “Team iLuminate” and “Silhouettes”. They were praised for their quick and precise dance moves along with breathtaking (and sometimes dangerous) stunts.
“America’s Got Talent was the most humbling experience of my life,” says Alonzo. “Fatally Unique was founded in 2006, so considering that we’ve been working for many years and our hard work was finally paying off was a dream that I couldn’t wake up from.”
Unfortunately, Alonzo’s team didn’t make it to the final round, but he still says that the experience and the exposure gained from doing the show has opened up so many doors–not only for him, but also for his team.
“Right now there are a few things on our list of goals. We would like to go on tour, do movies, music videos–and maybe even do MTV’S ‘America’s Best Dance Crew’,” he says.
The possibilities are truly endless for this group with so much creativity, talent and passion.
Alonzo says he would ultimately like to become one of the greatest entertainers of all time–fusing all of his passions of modeling, acting, dancing, choreographing and motivational speaking to become the complete package.
But right now, he’s focused on being a student first and foremost.
“I am the type of person that wants to satisfy everyone, but when you’re really busy, you have to remember that your priorities, your health and your grades come first.”
Check out the group’s website at www.fatallyunique.com for more information!