If there's one thing Utah can brag about, it's the dance talent the state has brought to the TV landscape from Dancing with the Stars to World of Dance. Provo's Stefani Sosa knows a thing or two about competing in front of a national television audience after being a part of the Top 10, with brother Ezra Sosa, on Season 16 of So You Think You Can Dance. She's now enjoying her success as one of the principal dancers on the second season of Disney+'s High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, which films in her home state of Utah.
It's an impressive career so far and it's kept her close to home without having to make a big move to Los Angeles or New York, but it is something Sosa thinks about from time to time. "That's the hardest thing, I don't know if it's worth moving to LA yet. I'm doing a show here at the Eccles Center for Andrew Lloyd Webber," she told News Break. "Then I'm filming two short films here in Utah to amp up my acting resume. After that, in a couple of months, it's going to be High School Musical again so I'm weighing my options. I might go back and forth to LA."
Watch the full video interview with Stephani Sosa:
Filming season two of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series was anything but easy. While they were able to get two episodes in until the pandemic shutdown in March, they had a six-month hiatus before resuming the rest of the season for filming. "The day we were starting the third episode, they shut us down that morning," Sosa explained. "They told us two weeks and it ended up that they had to keep postponing. In the first two episodes, you will see everybody in every scene, and after that, you're going to see a bit of a shift."
Sosa admits that the shutdown was a welcome break because she had been on "go" mode for over a year. "I'm not going to lie," she laughed. "I went from Season one of High School Musical to So You Think You Can Dance to the tour [of So You Think you Can Dance] and then going right into season two [of High School Musical]. I mentally needed that break, so it was a blessing."
After being asked to come back for the second season, Sosa was able to utilize some of the skills she learned on So You Think you Can Dance by bringing more experience to the table. "After watching season one I didn't realize how much we were seen in the background," the 21-year-old shared. "Coming back to season two, I realized how much we matter — we are a part of the musicals. In season two, I'm more invested with my energy on-camera. I'm also more comfortable saying lines as well — it definitely boosted my confidence."
She couldn't spoil any of the storylines for the second season, but she teased that viewers will see "some partner dancing," which fits right into the ballroom dancer's wheelhouse. We're hoping it involves a scene or two with this season's big guest star, Dancing with the Stars judge, Derek Hough, who is also a homegrown Utah talent.
Which begs the question: Would Sosa would ever be interested in doing Dancing with the Stars? "I'm in the process of putting all of my materials together, but I feel like if I do Dancing with the Stars, there's no going back to High School Musical," she said. "I'm loving acting and that's where I feel like I belong... but it's always been a dream of mine to do Dancing with the Stars."
Before you go, check out: Watch out, New York and LA! Atlanta Is Where All of The Commercial Dancers Are Moving