In the modern age, resources such as social media sites and applications have afforded individuals a platform through which they can showcase their talent to a global audience in an unprecedented fashion. While this has inevitably led to a glut of people performing regularly on platforms such as TikTok, there are invariably those whose talent is so profound that it cuts through the noise surrounding it to make a bona fide impact. Such is the case with Orlando Lucas, a professional dancer, actor, and social media influencer with international experience, viral success, and notable appearances in film and TV.
Orlando Lucas’ Dance Credentials
Orlando is a professional dancer skilled in hip hop, Afro, breaking, popping, litefeet, house, and freestyle dance. With international competition experience, solid on-camera presence, acting achievements in film and television, and a vibrant social media presence, he has taken his career into his own hands and forged a success story that is entirely his own.
In the past, he has worked with high-profile choreographers like Riley Bourne, Kirsten Dodgen, and Joshua Cesan, as well as dance groups such as Fresh Groove Productions (Vancouver), and by performing at Showtime at the Apollo (New York).
He is currently with IDENTITY DANCE COMPANY (IDCO) (New Zealand), where he’s won international dance competitions including the World Dance Crew Championships Pacific qualifiers and the Upgrade Australia Competition. They are set to represent New Zealand in the upcoming World Dance Crew Championship finals in Auckland from April 14th to 19th.
Through dancing, Orlando cultivated a confidence and stage presence that he sought to further explore. His dances all have an innate performative, theatrical quality to them, so he decided to see if he could apply those same principles and artistic values to acting roles. He has now appeared in projects such as Altered Carbon, Big Sky River, iZombie, and Zoo. Additionally, he portrayed the son of Viola Davis and Vincent D’Onofrio in Netflix’s The Unforgivable, an unforgettable up-close-and-personal experience with two of the most highly acclaimed actors of this generation that he cherished immensely.
Using TikTok as a Tool for Authenticity
Through social media platforms such as TikTok, Orlando has been able to establish a direct line of contact with audiences and fans alike. In the past, public figures were only able to interact with fans in heavily augmented, monitored forms. However, with the prominence of social media sites, the contact between performers and their audience is now one that is open, honest, and transparent. Orlando is a huge fan of these aspects and has become a major social media influencer with over 1.8M followers on TikTok and over 155,000 on Instagram. In addition to filming and posting his own dances on these platforms, he also collaborates with other influencers, creates viral choreography, and is a dance ambassador for Shluv Academy alongside Michael Le.
Final Thoughts
The landscape of modern entertainment has changed dramatically over the last several years. As social media sites have become bespoke marketing tools unto themselves, everyone has sought out ways to capitalize on them. As a result, what began as a unique online oddity, in which audiences could speak directly to these famed performers, has since been commodified and monetized in increasingly garish ways. However, performers like Orlando Lucas are still crusading to present something honest, raw, and vulnerable that resonates with online audiences, and using these platforms for what they were truly intended for: connection and communication. Visit Orlando Lucas’ social media profiles today to see how the prolific dancer, actor, and performer is connecting with audiences in unparalleled ways.