Show & Tell: Soolin Deitchman of ‘Fantasy’
Q: “Soolin” is an interesting name.
A: My parents got it from a ’70s British sci-fi TV show, “Blake’s 7.” People have no idea what it is (laughs). Soolin was, like, the hot blond alien-fighting chick.
Q: You’ve probably had to spell it every day .
A: When I was in elementary school, teachers used to spell it “Sue Lynn,” and even though I’d tell them that’s not how you spell my name, they didn’t believe me (laughs).
Q: How did you get involved in dance?
A: I was 8, and my mom randomly asked me if I wanted to take a ballet class one day. I was, like, “Sure. Why not?” I jumped right into it immediately after I took my first class. I loved it, and I was, like, “Sign me up for everything.”
Q: When did you get your first professional job?
A: I couldn’t really start dancing when I graduated from high school because I was 17 and you had to be 18. I auditioned for a few things at 17 and they all said, “Come back when you’re 18.” So I went to community college for a year and immediately got a call when I was 18 from (a cruise line), and I was like, “Peace, out.” (Laughs)
Q: Where did you go?
A: I went everywhere. My first contract was crazy. We did a little bit of the Mediterranean and then went to South America and Antarctica. My other contract, I did a lot of normal cruising, like Alaska, the Caribbean and then places like Hawaii and Bora Bora and Fiji.
Q: Sounds fun.
A: (Laughs) I loved it, but I would have loved it even more if I didn’t get seasick.
Q: Then came Las Vegas?
A: I started going to auditions for shows and not getting anything because I wasn’t used to the Las Vegas-style, and not even the dance, but the look. I’m like Snow White – naturally pale, white skin and really dark hair – and every audition I went to, they were like, “Get a tan and put highlights in your hair.” That’s how I got my first job: I went to Mexico and came back and I had a slight tan, and they were, like, “Can you put highlights in your hair?” and I’m, like, “Uh, yeah, I can.”
Q: Was it difficult to transition into the sexier style of Las Vegas-type shows?
A: A little bit. Growing up in the studio, we didn’t do sexy numbers. But it’s fun. I like it now. … People are always, “How was it the first time you went topless?” Honestly, after two seconds I didn’t know I was topless because I was just dancing.
Q: How long have you been in “Fantasy”?
A: A year-and-a-half. This is the longest I’ve been in any show ever, and it’s my favorite.
Soolin Deitchman“Fantasy”
Hometown: Castro Valley, Calif.
Age: 24
