Katherine Bailess has reinvented the term ‘cutting the rug’. Yet another triple-threat talent to look out for, this Mississippi native stars in VH1’s hit dance show Hit the Floor (which she tells us is the #1 scripted cable show currently on television!), and she is definitely one to watch. With a background in gymnastics and credits that include One Tree Hill, Gilmore Girls and NCIS, Katherine is now gearing up to go further into her musical leanings, and we can’t wait to hear!
Young Adult Magazine: Hi Katherine! First question. What was your first love: acting, dancing or singing? What spurred you to branch out and try these other passions?
Katherine Bailess: My first love was dancing, linked with gymnastics. That’s what I did in my early years. I was always dancing, so I transitioned from gymnastics to dancing full force: I put every single ounce of my being into it. I then started singing in high school, and started going to NYC every summer for musical theater workshops, like Anne Reinking’s workshop. That’s how I fell into musical theater. I got a scholarship to dance in musical theater in college, and that’s how I landed into acting!
YA: And where did you study?
KB: I studied in New York City [at William Espers Studio]. My [parents] were a little scared dropping me off at school: I was a southern naive belle, I was so flat out country! [she laughs.] But it worked out – I didn’t know a soul, but I made my own way!
YA: And how did you end up in LA?
KB: I graduated and moved out to LA – I had an agent already [in New York]. They didn’t really want me to move out here. They were like, ‘Oh god, you’re gonna move out there, you don’t have a job, why don’t you stay in NYC, this is where your career is?’ But I was all ‘I need to move out here. I need to be ‘in person’. People need to see me, they need to shake my hand, they need to hear my voice, and I booked my very first audition, for Bring It On Again!‘
YA: Amazing – we love Bring It On! And now you’re on Hit the Floor. What’s the best part about filming this dance show?
KB: God, that’s a hard question! Everything! From my role, to the cast, to the producers…the show itself! I’ve never played a character this fun. And I get to dance harder than I have in my entire life! These are all professional dancers–so many amazing people. It’s really like, here it is, the dream job: I get to dance every day, I get to perform, and I get to create a character. [The creators] let me do whatever I want. They love when we bring in ideas, and love when we have interesting things to bring to the characters. Which is amazing. We are creating these characters, which was kinda the hard part when we first started. No one’s ever played this character before, this is my character!
YA: And in terms of your character, how much of Katherine is in Kyle, the role that you play?
KB: People always ask me that. I am Kyle in a couple of aspects: wey’re both southern, we’re funny, people like us. BUT, I would never do anything that Kyle does to get what I want. Kyle has no shame, she’s not out to ask for any forgiveness, she doesn’t care, she is who she is. Which is why people relate to her. She could be so unlikable, but she’s not. She’s like, ‘This is who I am, either take it or leave it.’ And she’s funny–she’s not mean.
YA: Do you bring some country lovin’ to the show?
KB: I actually have a story about that! The writer who created the show, she wrote this character a certain way. When I came in and did it [Katherine auditioned for the role 8 times!], just the style of the writing for Kyle sounded a little southern to me. I wasn’t trying to do her southern, I came in with no accent at all. They heard it though, because of the little nuances you can see that I have, and they were like, ‘Where are you from?’ and I said ‘Mississippi. Why, can you tell?’ They go, ‘Uh yeah!’. I got a callback the next day, and they wanted me to bring in the accent, and another solo dance to show my technique (because my character is a stripper – so I came in and kinda gave ’em a little va-va-voom). So that’s how Kyle became Kyle! After we shot the pilot, they wrote according to the ‘southern aspect’, with some southern charm. And they’ve always kept that southern root to her.
YA: Do you see Country Music as having an appeal to the Young Adult crowd? What are your desires musically?
KB: I feel that Country music has crossed over in the past couple years. Look at Taylor Swift, and Rascal Flats, [etc.] I would love to be a crossover [artist]. I would love to be like Shania Twain – she appeals to women and men, and that’s what my vision is for my music – to appeal to women, with ‘girl power’, but also the guys. Guys like me because I’m almost like a tomboy who can hang out with the guys, but also [want to] have the girls like me!
YA: What advice would you give young people today aspiring for a career in show business (besides the classic ‘never give up’)?
KB: For me, it was a matter of perseverance. You can’t lose focus – you have to focus on each and every one [of your talents] in a different way. That’s how I got this job [on HTF]. You have to stay grounded.
You have to just acclimate yourself and not let too many people shoot you down, because what you’re bringing to the table is you, and not somebody that you’re trying to be!
YA: What’s coming up next for you?
KB: [I just completed] a play…called The Boomerang Effect by Matt Levin, who’s a fantastic writer here in LA. People getting to see you live, in person, when every night is different — that’s definitely really what I love doing when it comes to the arts. I also want to get my band together now that I have a little time before the show starts [shooting its second season]. To perform live around town like we used to: there’s nothing like being on stage with 5 guys, playin’ our music!
YA: When you think of the term ‘young adult’, what comes to mind?
KB: It’s like a stage in between being an official adult and being a kid. It’s a learning process of growing up and becoming who you’re going to be. My young adulthood was about trying to find ‘Who am I, and what do I bring to the big world?’
YA: We can safely say, a lot! Thanks so much Katherine, and best of luck! See you on season 2 of Hit the Floor!
Never one to neglect her Southern roots, Katherine still makes time so she can continue to work on her Country music as both a singer and songwriter.
Samples of her music can be heard at: http://www.reverbnation.com/katbailess