Emilie Callion accepts television’s double dare

Mumbai: She played Katrina Kaif’s body double in Dhoom 3, mostly facing her back to the camera. But this time around, Emilie Callion is ready to flaunt her moves in front of the lens as she participates in Life Ok’s Dare 2 Dance, hosted by Akshay Kumar. The concept of the show revolves around combining dance acts with action stunts. Speaking about the experience the French dancer says, “I have never seen such a concept on television before. I have trained in gymnastics and dance for ten years, so when I was offered the show, I jumped at it. This was a dream combination because it’s what I love to do. Besides, we shot in South Africa so I got a chance to experience the land and its culture.”

Though a pro at her job, Emilie admits that there were moments when she was terrified. “The fire act was by far the scariest. We had to dance with fire on our bodies. I tried not to think much about what I was doing and just went with the flow.” About show host Akshay Kumar, she says, “It’s the first time I met Akshay and I was surprised, in a good way of course. He is a very nice person and very committed and dedicated. He tried to get to know us, and would encourage us and egg us on to do better. He seems to be versatile too he’s good at anchoring, action and comedy. He is very courageous too because he took risks with us even when he didn’t have to.”

So how did dancing happen to Emilie? “I always enjoyed choreographing and at every party I was the first one to get on the dance floor. I was 19 when I saw two girls perform hip-hop on stage. I fell in love with it instantly. Back home in France, I worked with small dance companies and participated in hip-hop contests. Then I started doing live shows and touring the world. One of the biggest live shows includes How To Train Your Dragon based on the film by the same name. Then I got Dhoom 3 and now this show.”