Shook Star Sofia Wylie Reveals Why Dance Is Such a Powerful Tool in Her Life

Disney Channel just launched its first-ever short-form series, Shook, and we're already eagerly awaiting the next episode.

The show stars Andi Mack's Sofia Wylie as a high schooler named Mia. As Mia struggles with the changes in her life and a growing sense of responsibility, the show reveals what's happening with her internally through gorgeously emotional dance numbers. We got to ask Sofia all about the new show, and what dancing means to her personally.

Sweety High: What's your own history with dance?

Sofia Wylie: I started dance when I was about eight years old. It was the first time I really felt like I found "my thing." I truly think dance allowed me to grow so much as a person.

(Photo credit: Disney Channel/Tony Rivetti)

 

SH: What's your favorite dance style?

SW: Hip hop or contemporary! Those have always been my favorites, but I can never choose between them.

 

SH: What do you think dance communicates that other art forms don't?

SW: Dance really allows me to express everything I'm feeling at once. Sometimes there isn't even anything that I need to express, and dance simply just feels beautiful.

 

SH: Was it tough to learn the dance sequences for Shook?

SW: Yes! The hardest thing was the sheer number of hours we were dancing and how much choreography we had to fit into each day. I wouldn't have had it any other way though, because I believe it helped me grow even more in dance and as a performer altogether.

The learning process really varied with each dance because of how different they all were in size and length. I usually learned about two to four dances a day. Each dance was filmed, which really helped me keep the dances in my mind while shooting.

(Photo credit: Disney Channel/Christopher Willard)

 

SH: How difficult is it to express the emotion of a scene through dance?

SW: I think that is what dance is all about. I love portraying a story and emotions through my movement. There are always those days where it's crazily hot on set or we're at the end of the day and everyone's so tired, and in that case it definitely becomes harder to really get in the feeling of the scene or dance.  You just have to push that much harder!

 

SH: How closely do you relate to your character, Mia, and her experiences?

SW: Mia and I are very similar. We're both growing teenagers, and change is happening every day, so we're bound to encounter a lot of doubt and fear about the future and ourselves. However, dance has really helped me feel confident in who I am. It's an empowering art form, and Mia definitely becomes more self-assured because of it as well. We both love our family and friends to death and couldn't live without them. I'm excited for people to relate to Mia as much as I do.

 

SH: How do you adapt to the changes and struggles in your own life?

SW: Change is actually something that I sometimes struggle with in life. No matter how scary it can be, I always try to remember that growth happens the most in the presence of change. Everything happens for a reason! When I'm feeling down about it, I love binging TV shows or watching movies with my family, cuddling with my dog Violet and playing piano.

(Photo credit: Disney Channel/Tony Rivetti)

 

You can watch the first episode if Shook below. Be sure to subscribe to Disney Channel's YouTube page to see the rest!

 

Sofia is also set to star in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. Click HERE to find out which High School Musical track is your anthem.