Christopher Horsey (born 11 July 1972) is an Australian entertainer, director, choreographer and performing arts teacher.

Early life

Horsey learnt to perform, teach and choreograph from his mother, Kay Horsey, who had a dance school for 26 years on the Gold Coast. Horsey began his tap dancing career as a pre-teen in 1984 by finishing in first place in the age 9 to 12 category of the Fred Astaire International Tap and Jazz Championship at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. At age 13 he appeared on the Australia television show ''Young Talent Time'' as their "Talent Discovery of the Week".Tap Dancing Resources, Retrieved 25 August 2018.
/ref> At age 16 he performed in the "Ultimate Event" Frank Sinatra concert at Sanctuary Cove, Australia.

Career

Performer

Horsey has performed onstage since 1989 in productions including '' 42nd Street'' (original Australian cast), '' Funny Girl'', ''

West Side Story ''West Side Story'' is a musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. Inspired by William Shakespeare's play ''Romeo and Juliet'', the story is set in the mid- ...

'', ''

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

'' and ''

Singin' in the Rain ''Singin' in the Rain'' is a 1952 American musical romantic comedy film directed and choreographed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, starring Kelly, Donald O'Connor, and Debbie Reynolds and featuring Jean Hagen, Millard Mitchell and Cyd C ...

''. Horsey rose to fame in the early 1990s as an original cast member of '' Hot Shoe Shuffle'', "The first Australian musical with an all-Australian cast to make it to the West End", in which he originated the role of "Tip", touring Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the

Queens Theatre The Sondheim Theatre (formerly the Queen's Theatre) is a West End theatre located in Shaftesbury Avenue on the corner of Wardour Street in the City of Westminster, London. It opened as the Queen's Theatre on 8 October 1907, as a twin to the n ...

in London. He continued working with

Dein Perry Dein Perry is an Australian tap dancer. He is founder of the recurrent tap dance production 'Tap Dogs'. His film credits include work done on the Australian movie Bootmen, as well as choreographic work on Happy Feet 2. Early life and career P ...

, joining Tap Dogs on their North American tour which included six months at the Off-Broadway

Union Square Theatre Union Square Theatre was the name of two different theatres near Union Square, Manhattan, New York City. The first was a Broadway theatre that opened in 1870, was converted into a cinema in 1921 and closed in 1936.(8 October 1921)Two landmarks to ...

. In 2000, he played the role of Angus in the

Fox Searchlight Pictures Searchlight Pictures, Inc. is an American film production company and a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, which is part of the Walt Disney Company. Founded in 1994 as Fox Searchlight Pictures, Inc. for 20th Century Fox (later 20th Century Stu ...

film ''

Bootmen ''Bootmen'' is a 2000 Australian-American romantic comedy film directed by Dein Perry. It was distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures and funded by the Australian Film Finance Corporation. Production was from 19 June to 18 August 1999 in Sydney ...

'' alongside his friend and collaborator

Adam Garcia Adam Gabriel Garcia (born 1 June 1973) is an Australian stage, television, and film actor who is best known for lead roles in musicals such as ''Saturday Night Fever'' and ''Kiss Me, Kate''. He is also a trained tap dancer and singer. Garcia has ...

, as well as

Sam Worthington Samuel Henry John Worthington (born 2 August 1976) is an Australian actor. He is best known for playing Jake Sully in ''Avatar'' and its sequel, ''Avatar: The Way of Water''; Marcus Wright in '' Terminator Salvation'', and Perseus in '' Clash ...

. In 2007, Horsey portrayed Andy Lee in a limited showing of '' 42nd Street'' in Melbourne. In 2009, he played Lank Hawkins in '' Crazy For You.''''Ausstage'', Retrieved 25 Aug 2018
/ref> In 2014, he plays the role of Benny Southstreet in ''

Guys and Dolls ''Guys and Dolls'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on " The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" (1933) and "Blood Pressure", which are two short stories by Damon Runyon, and als ...

'' and that same year he played conman Rooster in ''

Annie Annie may refer to: People and fictional characters * Annie (given name), a given name and a list of people and fictional characters with the name * Annie (actress) (born 1975), Indian actress * Annie (singer) (born 1977), Norwegian singer The ...

.'' Horsey has appeared in the independently produced ''Every Single Saturday'' at Glen Street Theatre and both choreographed and performed in ''Lifeforce'', both written by

Joanna Weinberg Joanna is a feminine given name deriving from from he, יוֹחָנָה, translit=Yôḥānāh, lit=God is gracious. Variants in English include Joan, Joann, Joanne, and Johanna. Other forms of the name in English are Jan, Jane, Janet, Janice, ...

. In 2014, Horsey joined the cast of ''The Tap Pack'' for their Sydney season at the recently established

Hayes Theatre The Hayes Theatre is a 111-seat theatre specialising in music theatre and cabaret in Potts Point, Sydney, Australia. It is named after the Australian performer Nancye Hayes. Hayes Theatre Co was established at the former Darlinghurst Theatre aft ...

Potts Point Potts Point is a small and densely populated suburb in inner-city Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Potts Point is located east of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney. Potts Po ...

and continued a small tour with the show until its debut in the Dunstan Playhouse at the

Adelaide Cabaret Festival The Adelaide Cabaret Festival is an annual arts festival featuring cabaret held in the South Australian capital of Adelaide. It has been held in June each year since 2001, with the exception of 2020 owing to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, ...

in 2015. Horsey originated the role of Officer Peter Hammett and choreographed the New Musicals Australia production of ''The Detective's Handbook'' at the

, directed by

Jonathan Biggins Jonathan Martin Biggins (born 14 September 1960) is an Australian actor, singer, writer, director and comedian. He has appeared on film, stage and television as well as in satirical sketch comedy television programmes. He was born in Newcast ...

. Horsey has featured in five 'Neglected Musicals' shows, ''

Girl Crazy ''Girl Crazy'' is a 1930 musical by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin and book by Guy Bolton and John McGowan. Ethel Merman made her stage debut in the first production and co-lead Ginger Rogers became an overnight star. Rich in son ...

'', ''

My Favorite Year ''My Favorite Year'' is a 1982 American comedy film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, directed by Richard Benjamin and written by Norman Steinberg and Dennis Palumbo from a story written by Palumbo. The film tells the story of a young comedy write ...

'', ''

Seesaw A seesaw (also known as a teeter-totter or teeterboard) is a long, narrow board supported by a single pivot point, most commonly located at the midpoint between both ends; as one end goes up, the other goes down. These are most commonly found a ...

'', '' Nick & Nora'' and ''

Lucky Stiff ''Lucky Stiff'' is a musical farce. It was the first collaboration for the team of Lynn Ahrens (book and lyrics) and Stephen Flaherty (music). The show is based on the 1983 novel ''The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo'' by Michael Butterw ...

''. Neglected Musicals are presented with scripts in hand, and with piano accompaniment after only a day's rehearsal. Horsey presented ''Arts Friday'' on

Eastside Radio Eastside Radio (callsign 2RES) is a community radio station based in Paddington, Sydney, and broadcasting to the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney and the greater Sydney area, where it can be heard as far west as the Blue Mountains. High density broadc ...

for 5 years

Performances

*'' 42nd Street'' Ensemble *'' Hot Shoe Shuffle'' as 'Tip' (originated) *''

'' as 'Big Deal' *'' Tap Dogs'' as '2IC' *''

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

'' as 'Harry'/'The Jury' *''

'' as 'Sid Phillips' and first cover for 'Cosmo Brown' *'' 42nd Street'' as 'Andy Lee' *'' Crazy For You'' as 'Lank Hawkins' *''

'' as 'Benny Southstreet' *''The Tap Pack'' as 'Marty' *''

Kiss Me, Kate ''Kiss Me, Kate'' is a musical written by Bella and Samuel Spewack with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The story involves the production of a musical version of William Shakespeare's ''The Taming of the Shrew'' and the conflict on and off-sta ...

'' as 'Paul' *''The Detective's Handbook'' as 'Officer Peter Hammett' (originated)

Director/Choreographer

Horsey is a 2017

Australian Dance Awards The Australian Dance Awards recognise excellence and promote dance in Australia. They are awarded under the auspices of the Australian Dance Council (Ausdance) for performance, choreography, design, dance writing, teaching and related professions. ...

nominee in the 'Outstanding Achievement in Commercial Dance, Musicals or Physical Theatre' category,''ausdance website longlist'' Retrieved 27 Aug 2018.
/ref> for his work on ''

Swing on This Swing on This is made up of musical theatre leading men, Michael Falzon, Luke Kennedy, Matt Lee, Rob Mills and Ben Mingay, singing a collection of classic swing songs reworked with a more contemporary style, as well as more recent popular mus ...

'', a show he has been directing and choreographing since its international debut at the 2014

. The show stars Matt Lee,

Ben Mingay Ben Mingay is an Australian actor and singer, perhaps best known for having played Buzz Graham in the series '' Packed to the Rafters'' and Rob Duffy in ''Wonderland''. He played the role of Billy in the stage version of ''Dirty Dancing'' in Aus ...

Luke Kennedy Luke Kennedy is an Australian performer best known for placing second on the second season of ''The Voice (Australia)''. He has also toured internationally with the Ten Tenors and performed the title role in ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' in six d ...

Rob Mills Robert Mills (born 21 June 1982) is an Australian actor, television host and singer-songwriter. He was one of the finalists from the first season of ''Australian Idol''. He co-hosted the late-night quiz show '' The Mint'', and was a regular sin ...

and Michael Falzon. ''

'' is a collection of classic swing songs reworked with a more contemporary style, as well as more recent popular music arranged for an 18 piece big band. Horsey was both choreographer and Resident Director for the 2016

Opera Queensland Opera Queensland is an opera company based in Brisbane, Queensland. The company was founded with funding from the Queensland State Government in 1981 under the name ''Lyric Opera of Queensland'' after the Queensland Opera Company was closed in ...

production of ''

.'' Horsey choreographed a new cabaret-style show, ''Everybody Loves Lucy'', starring

Elise McCann Elise McCann (born 28 July 1985) is an Australian actress and musical theatre performer most well known for originating the role of Miss Honey in the Australian production of ''Matilda the Musical'' and as Lucille Ball in ''Everybody Loves Lucy ...

and choreographed ''

Ruthless! ''Ruthless! The Musical'' is an all-female musical with music by Marvin Laird and book and lyrics by Joel Paley that spoofs Broadway musicals, like ''Gypsy'' and ''Mame'', and movies such as ''The Bad Seed'' and ''All About Eve''. The musical pr ...

'' at The

Seymour Centre The Seymour Centre is a multi-purpose performing arts centre within the University of Sydney in the Australian city of Sydney. It is located on the corner of City Rd and Cleveland St in Chippendale, just south-west of the city centre. The ...

starring Katrina Retallick,

Geraldine Turner Geraldine Gail Turner (born 23 June 1950 in Brisbane, Australia) is an Australian actress and singer. She has been a leading performer in Australian musical theatre since the 1970s, and has also been active in plays, recordings, film and tele ...

, Margi De Feranti and Merideth O'Reilly on which he was also Resident Director. In 2012, Horsey choreographed the opening sequence of the ''

Helpmann Awards The Helpmann Awards are accolades for live entertainment and performing arts in Australia, presented by industry group Live Live Performance Australia (LPA) since 2001. The annual awards recognise achievements in the disciplines of musical t ...

'' at the

Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century archit ...

featuring host

Simon Burke Simon Gareth Burke (born 8 October 1961) is an Australian actor, active in films, television and theatre. Biography Simon Burke began his career at the age of 12, starring in Michael Cove's ''Kookaburra''; a painful look at a dysfunctional wo ...

and

Genevieve Lemon Genevieve Lemon (born 21 April 1958) is an Australian actress and singer who has appeared in a number of Australian television series and international film, including a frequent collaboration with Jane Campion for Academy Award-winning '' Th ...

Trevor Ashley Trevor Ashley (born 27 February 1980) is an Australian musical theatre actor, cabaret and drag artist based in Sydney. He also has appeared on television in "The Very Trevor Ashley Show" Early life Ashley grew up in the south of Sydney and stu ...

, Peter Carroll and corps de ballet dancer

Montana Rubin Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British ...

from

The Australian Ballet The Australian Ballet is the largest classical ballet company in Australia. It was founded by J. C. Williamson Theatres Ltd and the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust in 1962, with the English-born dancer, teacher, repetiteur and direct ...

. Horsey performed in and choreographed

's 2010 and 2011 judges performance on ''

Got To Dance ''Got to Dance'', originally titled ''Just Dance'', is a British dance competition that was broadcast on Sky 1 in the United Kingdom from 20 December 2009 to 28 December 2014. Auditions for the show were held in specially built "Dance Domes" and ...

'', a British

dance competition Competitive dance is a popular, widespread sport in which competitors perform dances in any of several permitted dance styles—such as acro, ballet, contemporary, jazz, hip-hop, lyrical, modern, musical theatre, tap, and improv—befor ...

that was broadcast on

Sky 1 Sky One was a British pay television channel operated and owned by Sky Group (a division of Comcast). Originally launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, it was Europe's first satellite and non- terrestrial channel. From 31 July 19 ...

in the United Kingdom and

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. Horsey was commissioned by Northern Tap Company to create and choreograph a brand new Tap Dance show which he called ''Soundz Extraordinary'' for a one night only showing at The Civic Theatre in Barnsley (United Kingdom) on 24 September 2011. Horsey choreographed 'Mickey's Christmas Big Band' show at

Disneyland Paris Disneyland Paris is an entertainment resort in Chessy, France, east of Paris. It encompasses two theme parks, resort hotels, Disney Nature Resorts, a shopping, dining and entertainment complex, and a golf course. Disneyland Park is the origi ...

and is resident choreographer for ''

Carols in the Domain Carols in the Domain is an annual Australian Christmas concert event held in the Domain Gardens in Sydney. It began in 1983, and features many national and international performers and guest appearances. It a free event, broadcast around Austra ...

'', broadcast on the

Seven Network The Seven Network (commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is a major Australian commercial free-to-air television network. It is owned by Seven West Media Limited, and is one of five main free-to-air television networks in Australi ...

Performing Arts Teacher

Horsey teaches drama, musical theatre and tap dance. He has taught and lectured at

Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University (formerly the Queensland Conservatorium of Music) is a selective, audition based music school located in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, and is part of Griffith University. History The Conservatori ...

Sydney Dance Company Sydney Dance Company is a contemporary dance company in Australia. The company has performed on stages around the world, including the Sydney Opera House in Australia, the Joyce Theater in New York, the Shanghai Grand Theatre in China, and th ...

, Academy of Music & Performing Arts (AMPA),

Victorian College of the Arts The Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) is the arts school at the University of Melbourne in Australia. It is part of the university's Faculty of Fine Arts and Music. It is located near the Melbourne city centre on the Southbank campus of the ...

(VCA),

Excelsia College Excelsia College, formerly Wesley Institute, is a tertiary education provider in Sydney, Australia, offering undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in counselling, creative and performing arts, education, social work and business. History The ...

(formerly Wesley Institute), ED5 International and Brent Street School of Performing Arts

Awards

First Place - Fred Astaire International Tap & Jazz Championship 1984 People's Choice Award, Short Sweet & Dance Festival 2007 for his Seinfeld inspired Tap show ''3 Hits and a Miss''

nominee in the 'Outstanding Achievement in Commercial Dance, Musicals or Physical Theatre' category, for his work on ''

'' 2017

Filmography

Personal life

Horsey married Australian film, TV and stage actress

Lucy Durack Lucy Durack (born 17 November 1982) is an Australian actress, singer and television personality who played Glinda in the Australian production of ''Wicked'', and Elle Woods in the Australian production of '' Legally Blonde: The Musical''. She st ...

Rottnest Island Rottnest Island ( nys, Wadjemup), often colloquially referred to as "Rotto", is a island off the coast of Western Australia, located west of Fremantle. A sandy, low-lying island formed on a base of aeolianite limestone, Rottnest is an A-class ...

off the coast of Perth, Western Australia on 5 April 2014. They have a daughter, Polly Gladys and son Theodore Lindsay.''Perth Now article Linda Parri'' Retrieved 27 Aug 2018.
/ref>

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Horsey, Christopher Living people 1972 births Australian choreographers Australian male musical theatre actors