Name: Shane Cronin
Major: Biology
Minor: Education Certificate
Year: Junior
Hometown: Yorktown Heights, NY
Fun Fact: Shane’s favorite animals are frogs.
Notorious as a Hip Hop guru here at Siena, Shane Cronin is no stranger to the stage. Upon being crowned as Mr. Siena 2014, Shane showed off his dance skills, creativity and overall charisma to blow the Siena Community away. If you haven’t found him performing at school events yet, you can catch his story here!
HerCampus Siena: How did you first get into dancing?
Shane Cronin: I was 13, I started watching the Step Up movies and I really enjoyed them. I wanted to be like them. My parents were also big supporters of my dancing even though it was behind closed doors (I really didn’t want to take classes).
HC Siena: What is your favorite style of dance?
SC: I definitely like hip hop most of all, followed closely by Latin styled dancing — like, Latin ballroom type of dancing, but I would say Hip Hop is my favorite just because I like the feel of it a lot better than the other styles of dance.
HC Siena: If you had to choose, what is your favorite dance move?
SC: The headspin (which I can actually do).
HC Siena: Who is your role model or what is your dance inspiration?
SC: My dance inspirations would have to be Fik-Shun from, “So You Think You Can Dance,” he was on 2 seasons ago and Les Twins (from France). They are REALLY good and I really like imitating their moves and style of dance.
HC Siena: What are you involved in here on campus?
SC: I’m involved in a lot of clubs! I’m involved with the Hip Hop club — I am the president and I founded it when I was Sophomore. I work at WVCR, the on-campus radio station (even though that isn’t a club); I am the co-captain of Latin Fever and I am involved with Mr. Siena. Even though I’ve been done with that, I work behind the scenes now.
HC Siena: What was it like winning Mr. Siena last year?
SC: Winning Mr. Siena was amazing. Like I said in my interview right afterwards, it was definitely one of the best feelings of my life. I really liked meeting all of the different guys that were a part of Mr. Siena just because they were awesome. They were one of the most fun loving, hardworking group of guys on campus and it was a lot of fun getting to know them. Winning Mr. Siena was great but I think overall, the best part of Mr. Siena was the connections and the friends that I made through that experience.
HC Siena: Every year, the former Mr. Siena opens the show with a song, are you much of a singer as well?
SC: I am NOT much of a singer at all so it should be interesting…
HC Siena: Are you excited to see the new talent this year?
SC: I am very excited, it should be very good! I was able to meet a lot of the guys working behind the scenes and it should be an amazing show this year.
HC Siena: What advice do you have for them?
SC: I would just say be yourself. Go out there and don’t be afraid to make a fool of yourself because everyone’s going to love it, everyone’s going to love them! Just have fun.
HC Siena: Do you have any future plans to further pursue performing and/or dance?
SC: It’s still just a plan right now, it’s nothing too serious, but I am going out for, “So You Think You Can Dance” at the end of this month, around January 24th are the auditions in New York City and two of my friends are going out for it too so hopefully it goes well!