Vermont dancer Ernest "E-Knock" Phillips is no stranger to reality television. He's shown off his sizzling moves on "So You Think You Can Dance" and "America's Best Dance Crew." But this summer, Phillips went after something even bigger: the $1 million grand prize on CBS' globe-trotting competition "The Amazing Race." He and his brother, Jin Lao, were one of 11 teams competing on the hit show's 27th season, which hits the air waves on Friday, September 25.
How far around the world did E-Knock get? You'll have to watch to find out. Meanwhile, watch the CBS video embedded here, in which he and Lao introduce themselves and explain why they're after the prize. Phillips describes himself as working "four jobs" and sleeping in his car. He also says he doesn't like flying with his brother — which could cause some ratings-bait friction as they race from one pit stop to the next. For his part, Lao describes Phillips as the "Eddie Murphy" of the duo, because he's seldom at a loss for words.
Phillips may have a gift of gab, but he doesn't need to talk to get attention on the dance floor. Watch him practice his craft in collaboration with local filmmaker Michael Fisher in this Stuck in Vermont video from 2014, which also has clips of Phillips' past reality-show appearances.
Then check out a dynamic video called "Arcade Hero" that Phillips and Fisher made last spring at the South Burlington Pizza Putt. And tune in to see if he can avoid "Philimination" (as fans of the show put it, referring to host Phil Keoghan) and spin and back-flip his way to a big prize.
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Bio:
Margot Harrison is the Associate Editor at Seven Days; she coordinates literary and film coverage. In 2005, she won the John D. Donoghue award for arts criticism from the Vermont Press Association.
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