Kiana DVDS “The Sexiest Woman on the Planet!”

WORDS: Marissa Burgess PHOTOGRAPHY Ben Adams plus supplied

Kiana DVDS (pronounced Davids) as she’s known, is a “good kid”. She is sweet, polite and studious.

However, being the only female dancer in Channing Tatum’s testosterone-infused male revue “Magic Mike Live”, forcibly means Kiana is “The Sexiest Woman on the Planet!”

When I picked up my interview with Kiana, she casually mentioned that she had just arrived in Las Vegas from London where she had finished an MML season and had to commence rehearsals tomorrow, thus having very little time free to call live.

Given the Gold Coast and Las Vegas time zones are so difficult to align, I suggested we share voice notes instead. I enjoyed her eloquent voice notes immensely, with a side-serve of Magic Mike Live soundtrack in the background.

Kiana DVDS holds her own in the midst of some pretty serious, muscle-pumping Hip Hop prowess as a Venus amid a tribe of Adonis’.

Audiences watch spellbound as she thrashes and flips in expertly entwined dance movements with her male partner, wearing only her lingerie and a swathe of silky, long, black hair. What is most magnetic about Kiana is her enigmatic expressiveness.

All this sensually explosive lust takes place in a shower of rain, of course, adding a degree of difficulty for the dancers, but also a layer of delight for the audience in the splash-zone as Kiana’s thick, wet tendrils flick water “all the way to the balcony!” she tells me.

To the mere mortal, this might just look like two nubiles in the throes of passion, but make no mistake, these are the top-echelon professional, international dancers; a small cast of hand-picked, Tatum-approved pedigree. Indeed recently on social media, we have witnessed the superstar bowing down to Kiana in deep reverence for her work.

Kiana De Van Der Schueren paid her dues in dance class and on the Dance Competition circuit where she was a prize-winning contemporary dancer in SEQ.

I personally would watch her dancing dumbstruck at her technical maturity and effortless ability. Yet it was her exotic, ethereal performance quality that captivated making her mysterious to behold.

Fast-forward a decade to a showroom in Las Vegas where myself and Kiana’s dad met, two Gold Coasters, as cast guests. I congratulated him on his daughter’s dazzling success. At that time she had entered Mystère, Cirque Du Soleil’s flagship show holding a residency in Las Vegas since 1993. Being the company’s longest-running spectacular, having it on one’s CV is an exploit for any artist.

He spoke to me in level-headed, down-to-earth “Dad terms” of keeping Kiana’s head firmly on her shoulders and not getting swept away with all the hype. I respectfully reminded him that she WAS indeed the best dancer the Gold Coast had produced in recent times for which he humbly thanked me. It’s that very character trait of humility that makes this stunning performer so darn attractive!

Kiana attributes her unfailing self-discipline in maintaining her multi-skill set (Dancing and Aerial), her physical form, along with a sound relationship with the creative team, to the success of her longevity with the Magic Mike Live company.

Far from the bloke-ish “sheds” environment that an all-male revue may conjure, Kiana enjoys an amazing relationship with the majority of the guys and is very fond of them.  “There is a competitive, professional and artistic backstage vibe where energies are matched and care is shared” she reveals. As a self-confessed “Tomboy”, Kiana stressed she feels nothing but respect and comfort at work.

Cautious about being stereotyped into this “vixen” role, Kiana is determined to explore the full human experience that growing and developing as an artist may offer.

“If I have the right skill-set and I’m the right look, I’m open to any type of offer that will complete my dancing aspirations, whether that be in the Rockettes or variety shows or other”

 “ My eyes are peeled and ears are to the ground” Kiana is well aware that dancers’ bodies have short-term careers and sees herself on the other side of the stage in company production roles in the future.

The constraints and burden of touring life, as much as outwardly glamorous, make repeatedly leaving community and friends a challenging part of her chosen career.

When asked what is going to be her “dream job”, Kiana admits that it has already been acquired and accomplished at age 19, when she went into the iconic show Mystère for three years in Las Vegas.  Being one of five featured dancers in this vast cast and extravaganza was a “pinch me” moment!

“ I feel like anything thereafter is a bonus in this amazing, self-fulfilled career that I’m living”.

Kiana was somewhat robbed of the full Australian MML experience that was to play out when Melbourne went into a deep COVID lockdown in 2021 after a successful Sydney season. Kiana was fortunate enough to return to Las Vegas to complete her Cirque du Soleil obligations. Kiana expressed “There is no doubt that returning to Australia with Magic Mike Live, for all my friends and family to see, would be a career highlight”.