Step Up creator pays tribute to Naya Rivera: "She was a leader, a creative wunderkind, a pro and a badass"

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Holly Sorenson, who created YouTube's Step Up: High Water, starring Rivera, which is going by the title Step Up in its move to Starz, issued a lenghthy and touching tribute to Rivera following her passing at age 33. "There is an aching hole in the soul of the Step Up family," says Sorenson. "Naya Rivera was more than just a cast member to us. She was a leader, a creative wunderkind, a pro and a badass. Every show is of course a family, but there are many kinds of families. The Step Up family is, blessedly, the kind we all yearn for: loving, supportive, hilarious and committed – and this is in no small part because of the beautiful energy of Naya, making this loss unconscionable." Sorenson adds: "Our young cast, who came of age with the brilliant Glee, were excited but scared to meet her. The terror was real when she cruised across our stage all black on black, T-shirt, sunglasses and that amazing hair flying in the Atlanta heat. Because we cast dancers, and then had them read, many of our team had little acting experience. Naya of course had a lifetime of it, exponentially more than the entire cast combined. But instead of resorting to their trailers and their people, the top two on the call sheet, Ne-Yo and Naya (I am suddenly struck by the similarities in their names and their beautiful souls) both instantly folded into the team. Both became just another member of our happy no-bullshit family — but as seasoned pros, they managed to simultaneously guide and give advice to the rest of the cast on everything – the show, the craft, the career, and life."