Wednesday, August 5, 2009

DREAMS COME TRUE

Ok Every body.


I'M ON BROADWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm in the Broadway Show SOUTH PACIFIC!!!!!

I START AUGUST 18TH

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Approaching an Open Door of a Dreams Actualization

Alright, I know I have been absolutely awful at keeping up to date about my occurrences and auditions ever since I returned from Florida from doing BARNUM at the beginning of this year, and all I can say is please forgive me. Figuring out how to live in the BIG NYC is a huge learning process.

Alright I know you're going to want me to give you all the juicy details as to what happened with SPIDERMAN, but you are just going to have to settle for the cliff note version of things so I can try and update you with all of the worlds of things that have gone on in the past 6 months.

Let me just start off saying that I don't think I have ever danced as hard as I have in my whole life then in theses past 6 months. The reason I have not kept up writing is because there have been too many too detail about, and not having an adequate source of internet. It has been a very frustrating 6 months as well, because I have danced so hard, and well and haven't felt like I have gone anywhere. This recession has hit Our industry pretty freakin hard, I think I've already said how they bring in Movie and tv stars to be our leads on BWAY, and then that makes the leads be ensemble, the ensemble chorus, the chorus to the regional theatre, and then us left to fend for anything and everything thats left. From cruise ships to industrials and small dance gigs, to settling for real jobs. But what gets hard about looking for real jobs is still wanting to audition, and when your in prime audition season there can be an audition 6 days a week for almost a moth straight. So there goes any available tim you have to work. Thats why people who aren't in the bizness don't understand that auditioning is our job! We are constantly going on interviews so to speak that can last anywhere from 20 mins to 8hrs, and I am not exagerating. But enough boring fact lets get down to the reasons why I am still pursuing this crazy Artform!

There was a period at the right in the middle of spring where I was really getting down, cause it seemed that everything was going to be great for me being a chocolate man cause there were 3 shows that were calling for blacks guys approaching. And I danced my A#$&* off! MEMPHIS, FININNIAN'S RAINBOW, and DREAMGIRLS. 2 new Broadway shows, and revival Nat'l tour. But I would dance my heart out, pass the cut to sing , and wait for a call, and be left waiting. Or I would keep getting called back, or invited to comeback, but I would never get the gig. And this is what made me feel down. I felt like it was always between me and Tyrone, and he would always get asked to stay over me. It was killing me, I was already taking as much class as I could, learning how to tumble, working on new songs, I din't know what else I needed to do. I remember asking my big bro James(whos in CHICAGO), what was wrong, and he then enlightened me that I have reached a new place in this biz. He told me that I was talented, very, and that now it is not about my talent. I was like what? Yeah so now I have reached the point where it is about politics, time, place, people I know, and if Ifit the costume. Semantics. oh yes. Well that information was all good, it eased my mind in my lack of self confidence, but I still was unhappy with why I wasnt getting picked. So I asked Tyrone to critique me, give me some feedback. And you know what he told me, that I dance to big! That I am always trying to prove that I can dance. WOW. And you know he was soo true.
I always felt I had to show that this big guy wasn't coming in to play the wrestler who could just throw people in the air and catch them. It's just my nature to go all out, and give a hundred percent. But he was telling me that, yes when they first see me to give it, kick my face, do my tuns, jump high, but when they call me back, to show them as much style as they wanted, or even better as they showed. That I didn't need to be so aggressive they already know I can dance thats why they called me back. So It was pretty priceless feedback.

Then Came along a SPIDER and sat down beside me, and then made me throw myself all around, and free style krump for 5 days straight!! HA! So that was pretty amazing, after all this rejection, on a whim to audition on Monday I passed the cut for tuesday, which of course was the actual invited call as I talked about previously in post. Well how awesome I pass that cut on tuesday, and get calledback to dance on wednesday for the official callback. Show up that day and there are cats there from LA, and VEGAS, as well as all these other cats who ar currently in BROADWAY or OFF Broadway shows, gees I thought, the real deal here we go. and Yes Tyrone was there. hahaha. Well that all goes well pass the first initial cut to learn another combination. But then I had to leave to run to an invited call for the LITTLE MERMAID. (I tell you about that in the next paragraph). I had asked them if they wanted me to just shoot right over after that but they said no, if they wanted me they would call. Oiy! More waiting. Well they did call me, and told me that they wanted me to preapre for being with them later that evening all night, cause the chroeographer Daniel Ezralow wanted to have one on one time, and they wanted me to dance for Julie Taymor!! Awesome!! Well It was pretty cool making it to the last group of guys for this new Musical SPIDERMAN. They told us that there were no more cuts. It was kind of crazy cause we weren't going to dance again cause Julie got stuck in the studio with Bono from U2,( yeah I know), but then at the last minute she came in. And let me tell you we worked it out! We all ended up improving for her one by one and let me just tell you I have only experienced energy like that a couple times in my life. People were flippin, spinnin, krumpin, and sliding on their heads it was AWESOME!!!!!!

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Never been so Close part 2

SO I went to the open call for Spiderman monday morning. I should have guest it was going to be a special experience when I went to the place for the audition and it happened to be the very theatre they plan on creating and putting up the production. I was also surprised that there was a line of guys outsides the door, like if it was one of those reality tv shows. I was like what is going on, for we never have to wait outside to audition for Broadway shows, it's kind of obsurd. None the less once the time approached for the audition to began, we were let inside.

When we got into the room I was surprised to see Ari as one of the dancing assistants. I danced with him for Pilobolus in Spain last October. Pretty cool. The Production team for this is the very same team from the Movie ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, which I talked about in on a blog when I was on tour, which seems like a million years ago. So the famous choreographer Daniel Ezralov was also there, so just getting to dance infront of him alone was pretty cool. Anyway the combination was pretty fun and unique, it started like formalized crumping, yeah awesome Crumping,( if you don't know what that is go get the movie doceumetary called RIZE, or google it). We also had to improv, and it just so happened that I went last and it was good too cause I was able to give them a lasting impression. So I passed the cut and then we had to do this strength assesment routine consisting of roles, slow cartwheels, and handstands, with kip ups. After that was over I actually ran over to Ripley studios to jump into the last group of 101 DALMATIONS, A new tour they're putting out this fall. I was weary about auditioning for this one cause its the same company I toured EVITA with, and if you remember they fired me from the second half of that tour, for reasons that are still unknown. But I did and made it thru that as well. The thing however that sucked for my singing was the pianist . He was obviously new, and I thought I had everything clear when I told him how I wanted to sing my song, but as I finished the first verse of my song, he ended and put the tag on it. I thought to myself what the heck, are you serious, and looked at him with dumbfoundedness, as he then says oh. and the production team behind the table was like thank you. So I was like oh well. Then Later that day was The GREASE tour. Now I knew that there was no chance for me for this, since there are no black people, but I had to go to just to say I did 3 auditions that day. But while I was at Grease I got a call from Telsey casting that they wanted me to come back to the invited call the next day. So it would be day 2 of Spidy for me. I am trying to change the way I think and speak, and and instead of being frustrated with being called back to the invited call, and not freaking having an agent so I can skip the freakin open call, but say hey I keep making it Praise God.

So day 2 Tuesday I went to the theatre and saw a whole bunch of guys I have never seen before, and some I had not seen in a while, And lots who were good, and already in Broadway shows. That's also always frustrating to see people who are already in shows, makes you feel like they are just being greedy, or ungrateful for what they have. But I know thats not always the case. So as usual we do the same combination,Just with the guys they are actually really looking at. I see a couple others from monday as well, so we feel a sence of commoradary for the pain we are feeling from the day before, and for making it thru. This was not a totally easy combination, for the crumping was the frist part of the routine the second part was the Spidy part whee we had to crawl and dive and swing our legs, and again after this we had to improv and I was last again. Now this was somewhat disconcerting cause, everyone was throwing in all there tricks, and dance moves, and I was like what the heck am I going to do now! But I ended up being a goofball, and doing something totally different which made everyone laugh and smile and remember me. One thing I did was crump really hard, which no one had done. WHich I found later was the best thing. So later that day, I get a call from Telsey casting asking me to the actual real callback on wednesday, and told me to keep the whole day open. Awesome, but I knew I was coming up against a problem for I had my appt for THE LITTLE MERMAID on wednesday, so I was afraid about how I was going to make this work..........to be continued.
EveryBody thanks for being patient with me,
I will update soon!!!

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Never been so close part 1

Living. It has been a crazy venture actually living here in this Metropolis. This city is absolutley the place that makes or breaks you.

Since I have gotten back from Florida, I have really started understanding what it means to live here, and truly be pursuing this whole lifestyle, and dream experience. It hits me every now and then, either when I leave a really great dance class, or am standing in a high rise that looks out over timesquare, how amazing it is that I'm here. That I'm actually living and walking around new york city, pursuiing something that I have been dreaming about since Highschool. I just think Gees, I'm really here!

But Also what comes with really living here, and being in this environment, is the anxiousness, the discouragement, the reality, disconcernment, fear, and even the feeling of no hope. Thats why New Yorkers are strong and hard, cause this place will eat you up and spit you out. So it's a matter of finding out how to be strong and hard, and when you need to apply that.

This spring audition season was absolutely brutal. It was absolutely packed, I think there was only 4 week days in march that I didn't have an audition on, and some days I literally had up to 4 auditions. And everybody has been there, it has been nothing but survival for dancers, no less. We need jobs. That has been the main reason why I haven't kept up with all the auditions, there has just been way too many of them, and most with not much to talk about. From Broadway shows, National tours, regional theatres, to cruise ships, dance agencies, and circus entertainment companies.

However, some of these auditions have made me absolutely alive! and feel Like I was really living for the first time. I auditioned for the newly returning broadway show MEMPHIS, and the combination was so hard, and demanding, and awesome, that it created this atmosphere of fun, and true commorodery. After we had broken up in smaller groups so we could actually use the whole space, and my group went, I realized how good of job I did by the hand fives I was recieving. I as sat down to watch the next group go, And just was over whelmed by the live music and great dancing, and encouragement we were all giving I almost broke down and cried. There was another moment like this when I was auditioning for the Nat'l tour of A CHORUS LINE. In this audition they have you line up by 2s and come down the room doing the combination while everyone else claps in time for you and screams out the starting counts. I literally felt like I was dancing for my life! You wanna talk about dancing fiercely.

The most awesome experience of this season has just happened this past week, and so worth remembering forever. I have never been as close to Broadway as I have been this past week.
On friday of the week before I got a call from a big Brroadway casting agency, asking make an appt for an immediate replacement audition for the show, THE LITTLE MERMAID. I don't even know how this agency got my information cause I haven't auditioned for anything they were doing in a while. I ended up finding out thru friends in the show, and around that they were looking to fill the black track, so all the 5'9" guys were getting called. I got another call from them asking me shoe size, and making sure I was available immediately, So I was like man they are really looking to fill this role now. They were going to have us do a jazz number, and tap number, and there was going to be no way I didn't get this from not being able to tap so I decided to take as many tap classes as I could. The appt was for wednesday at noon, so I had at least 3 days to take class. I also found out that my friend Tyrone was going. He is like my direct competition. He's my height, a dancer, and alwasy placed next to me in a group it seems, he's just not as dark as me. So I knew I had to be prepared. Well Sunday night came and I decided to look at the audition sites again to make sure I had everything down for the week, and then I saw a random audition for SPIDERMAN, that was happening the next morning,Monday. Oh crap, I was so thankful that I had looked. Anyway, So I decided to make sure I hit this one as well, and planned accordingly for the rest of the week.

to be continued.....

Monday, February 16, 2009

Well here we are.

Back home and back to the life I lead here in the city. You know I had lived longer in florida than I did in my NYC apt! So I have been trying to get acclimated back to the city, and find my way around, and find my life here again. It was actually pretty great that when I came back I was already doing work with Pilobolus again. They needed me to come in and do some alphabeting for them, pretty soon you'll be able to use Plo's body font to send messages to people, and you be using my body, oh yeah! I've found some new dance studios to take class at, and I have already been keeping up with my aerial skills by taking some Silks classes so that I can become awesome. Although I have gotten a little bursitis on my left knee right below my knee cap, so I have this swelled bump now, please pray that it heals, and doesn't flare up anymore.

So as you know back to the life in the city means, back to auditioning, and what a season it is turning out to be. I've already had 2 auditions. Because of the economy and everyone freakin out about money, everyone everywhere is doing lots of big dance chorus musicals, which is pretty good for all us dancers, but because so many shows have closed everyone is coming out of the woodworks to audition. I really want to work at this theatre in Sacremento, and there season is known for being called the music circus, cause you are constantly working, rehearsing in the day and performing at night. But they have an awesome season of dancing that I would love to be apart of. I also auditioned for this other theatre, that had its audition on sunday, which we were all not to pleased about. It's hard to tell you specifics about shows these days, cause this is the time where you are auditioning for a theatres whole summer season, but here are some pictures for some of the shows involved, the ones that I haven't been in.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Happy New Year


Well, it is a new year, Woo HOoo!
and you guessed it, I am still in Florida doing Barnum. It has been a long time, but I thank God and am grateful that I got to finish the year and start the new year, working and with a job, Amen. We're actually coming up on our last week, we have tomorrow off to prepare and then straight into a full 8 show week bangout!

So it's a new year and a new me! Actually it really is, because Jan. 1 is my birthday! So while you were all out getting trashed, smashed, and waisted( and for those who were in church), You were ultimately celebrating the coming of my birth as well. (My best friend, JC and I have that in common, with our bdays a week apart) hahahaha. Anyway, no disrespect Lord, but I thought new headshots would be nice, and since one of the guys in the cast is trying to build his portfolio, he was giving out free sessions, so here are some, You like? Are they great, He has a great eye.




We our now in a new theatre, the Maltz Jupiter theatre, over in Jupiter Florida which is on the east coast, the oppisite to where we were in Sarasota. we were all very worried about doing the show over at this theatre cause we knew we weren't going to have our wonderfully experienced circus crew, and the other scary fact that the stage was even smaller than at the Asolo. But we came in with open minds knowing that it was going to be a different show. The stage was so much smaller that we had to remove the swinging Trapeze, and place the spanish webs in a different location,( you should have seen the first time I tried spinning, as my legs kept hitting the pole, yeah I wasn't happy.) But they ended up moving them to an cooler place, in the audience right in the aisle!! And Matt is feeling a whole lot better, and doing the straps, but again since there was no space on stage, he flys out around Barnum and over the audience. Yeah they go wild!



The other really awesome thing that was able to happen was, I found out that Pilobolus Dance Company was going to be performing an hr away so I was able to hook up with them for there day off, and they were able to see my show!!!!!!!! Yeah for family!!! It was soo great to see them, and have them see me dance , and do the other thing that I do. And theye were able to give me great feedback, and more over great validation that I was doing well. Man I love those Guys!!



This has been quite an amazing experience, I have made some great new friends, and have done some fun stuff. Being down in florida for the winter has been absolutely wonderful. I Love the beach and have seen some amazing sunsets over the ocean. And besides all that I am the one who has gotten the most out of it all. I had to learn the most circus tricks, and learn how to be dance captain, and have the most fun with the locals! I am excited to go home though, I miss my friends, and young people!!! and things to do, and places to go all the time. I love New York!! though I'll be missing the sun ever so ferociously! I have done so much great stuff, over the next couple of days I will just post some pics of the adventures!!!!