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Talking Art in Motion with Dancer Sarah ‘Smac’ McCreanor

Sarah “Smac” McCreanor is the scene-stealing dancer who has helped move the thousands of viewers in Redbubble’s “Art in Motion” video. Beyond dance, Sarah is a bit of a renaissance woman, specializing in stuntwork, acting, modeling, and more. Her explosive, martial arts-inspired moves, combined with some sick acrobatics helped take the concept and spirit of “Art in Motion” into brilliant new places. We chatted with Sarah about her diverse background, the “Art in Motion” shoot, and her upcoming projects, which includes a Mad Max-esque music video for David Guetta and Nikki Minaj.

How did you get from growing up in Australia to working as a performer in Los Angeles?

Yes, I’m from Brisbane! A few years ago, I auditioned in Australia for the live-action theatre show “How to Train Your Dragon,” where I was lucky enough to fly dragons around the world. I finished that tour in Los Angeles and spontaneously decided to stay here in L.A., temporarily. I’ve now been here for over 2 years and absolutely love it!

How did you get involved with the “Art in Motion” campaign?

These types of jobs start off with big auditions. I admit, I was overwhelmed walking into the audition space, which hosted hundreds of brilliant dancers and tricksters of all styles! One by one we went into the middle of the circle, had to dance for our lives and just dance like no one was watching (except that everybody was watching and it was actually really nerve wracking)! They had callbacks the following week and you never really know who books the job until you turn up on the day of filming. Choreographer Chris Downey-Asher selected a really versatile group of dancers, breakdancers, tricksters, contortionists, and poppers. It was an amazing team to work with!

What was your favorite part about the shoot?

When I wasn’t dancing, I was sitting back watching in awe; my face started to ache from so much “ooh-ing” and “ahh-ing” at the other dancers. The individuality of each dancer was awesome and really inspiring!

You have a very diverse background. What are some of your specialties?

Beyond dance, I’m focusing on acting, commercial/print work, and continuing working on my acrobatic tricks. I love anything art related, so in my down time I’m usually practicing photography, visual art, music, choreography, and pretty much anything to get those creative juices flowing!

On your website, you’ve posted videos of some of your badass stunt and fight work. Do you prefer the action-packed stuff over dance? How do they compare?

As of late, I prefer the action-packed stuff! Since moving to L.A., I’ve been introduced to amazing stunt guys and gals. I’ve developed a huge appreciation for what they do. I’m currently training to be a badass Aussie Jackie Chan-esque dancer… well, not really, but I do try to learn some stunt moves! Having a dance and acrobatic background is really useful with learning fight choreography.

How do you express your creativity and personal style?

I really aspire for versatility, so with that, I often find myself merging multiple skills into my work. Social media these days calls for a lot more visual content, so I express my creativity with dance and art in videos and imagery. I also love to make people laugh, so if I can I try to sneak a little sarcasm or quirkiness into things, I will.

You’re working on a David Guetta and Nikki Minaj on a music video. What can you tell us about that?

Yes! The latest music video I worked on was “Hey Mama” by David Guetta, Nicki Minaj, Bebe Rexha & Afrojack. The day before that shoot I was dancing in a field, and the next day I was in the middle of the desert dancing in a “Mad Max”-like truck. Music videos and commercial shoots can be like entering a new world! No matter how long the days can be, you’re surrounded by a great team and usually in fancy costumes, so it’s always fun!

What else are you working on?

This month I’m working on a few upcoming jobs here and there, like photo shoots, video shoots, collaborations, and training. Every month I like to try and learn a new skill, this month it’s skateboarding. It isn’t going great though; I definitely ate it on my first go.

If you could share one piece of advice with the thousands of artists who use Redbubble, what would it be?

For artists, I think having a balance and drive is important. For me personally, I have to balance out working on particular skills to avoid getting creative blocks or worn out. This gives me reason to work on other hobbies and skills that I might otherwise neglect. I get drive from discovering new artists and using my positive and negative critiques as motivation!

Find out more about Sarah at her websiteInstagram, and Twitter.

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