Q: What has been your professional dance journey, and how did you come to dance with Eisenhower Dance Detroit?‍

I am originally from Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. I started dancing at five years old, so dance has been a part of my life for a long time. I trained in all genres of dance from ballet to hip hop to tap, and was very serious at a young age. I knew I wanted to do this for the rest of my life and pushed so I could get there. Luckily, I had a lot of support along my journey from my parents and my teachers. I have danced in Chicago, New York City, Washington D.C., and was then led to Michigan in 2011 and auditioned for Eisenhower Dance Detroit.
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Q: Do you have any mentors or important people in your life that have shaped the way you dance and or think about dance? ‍

I would say Christine Rich and Luciana Rezende from the beginning of my dance journey. I would also say the Washington School of Ballet as a whole, all of their faculty. At Eisenhower Dance Detroit, definitely Laurie Eisenhower and Stephanie Pizzo. I would say I was pushed as a young stubborn boy to then flourish in my artistry. I was accepted to a full time ballet school in Washington D.C., which was a completely different pace and a big change for me. I was still in my senior year of high school. I was forced to be on my own at a young age while diving into adulthood. After that, looking more into my future and what company I wanted to be in - I fell in love with Eisenhower Dance. It is a repertory company that brings in all different kinds of choreographers. We do jazz with our Motown series and of course the deep contemporary, which I love. ‍

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Q: What have been some challenges in your pre-professional or professional dance career? ‍

I would say injuries. Being a professional athlete and performing artist, you run into speed bumps. I like to call my craft an emotional rollercoaster because sometimes you have down days; when your mind is ready to go and your body just isn’t. And sometimes you’re on this high where you just want to always explore more. In my pre-professional career, I had to learn when to listen to my body. I couldn't always push. I would say that, professionally, another challenge is being pushed by other choreographers and having them come in and change your mindset on how they want you to move. It’s not a bad thing, that push. I would actually say that’s more of a positive. Maintaining the strength and athleticism of your body. Knowing when to push yourself and when it may be time to lay off. You have to be in tune with your artistry as well. There’s always a way to challenge yourself without going 200%. You can focus on minor things like the basics. It’s not always about how high you can jump or how many pirouettes you can do. Without the basics, it doesn’t mean anything. ‍

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Q: Do you believe dance can be a platform for social justice topics? If so, how? ‍

I would definitely say yes. I also think yes because no matter what the piece is about, if there is a storyline it allows the audience to really relate to the movement and how it makes them feel. As well as allow them to formulate their own storyline. They connect it to what they are going through at the given moment. I remember Laurie Eisenhower choreographed a work once and a person came up to her after the show and said, “Your piece was so moving.” She said she went through breast cancer. It touched her even though the piece had nothing to do with breast cancer. The audience member connected to it and I think that that is the beauty of art. People can connect personally in different ways. ‍

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Q: What inspires you and drives you forward as an artist and a person?‍

What inspires me is my peers and my surroundings. When we are all hungry and on the same page. When we are all after the same end goal. Everyone wants to be there and is willing to give 200%. The good and bad. It’s super inspiring to know you have a team behind you, and that you are not in this big dance world alone. There are so many live streams going on and different companies are putting full length works out there. It’s amazing to keep everyone on their toes. Keeping everyone inspired. It gives that sense of hope to the dance community and allows people to know that they are not alone during this. It allows us to keep the energy high and push forward.‍

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Q: How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected you as a performing artist?

‍I am no longer able to rehearse everyday with the company or be in the studio. Before my interview with you, I took company class and we had a small conference afterwards. We discussed future plans, and what that will look like for the company. No one really knows, but we hope that by the end of April things will start to go back to normal. Whatever that is. It’s definitely been a huge adjustment in terms of not being able to move as much. I’m cooking a lot more now that I have more time. I think the negative has also allowed me to see that sometimes it's good to have a reset. I've noticed that around the world it seems like the earth is healing itself. Grass is growing in places that it never grew before, pollution is down numerous percentages, dolphins being seen in the canals in Italy, the water and sky are getting cleaner. I think it is so important for us to take that in and see the changes. There is always something you can be doing to better yourself at home.

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‍Q: How do you think we can continue to create and share art during this time?

‍I think this is a good time for exploration. You are at your safest at home, and I think that is the time to be at your most vulnerable. Whether it is putting on a shuffle playlist and improvising, or finding new ways of moving. With that, it allows for new creation and sharing. Even if you don't want to give a class, somehow, just posting a snippet of you moving can inspire others. I also think writing about it helps. Writing what you are doing, maybe keeping a journal or a blog. This will allow us to reflect and possibly turn that into movement. Maybe you can create something like a masterpiece from your own writing, whatever that may be. ‍

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Q: What social changes and responsibilities have you seen people making during the pandemic? ‍

I would say people are willing to reach out more, even if it's via email. Also writing. I feel like a lot of people don't write anymore. To receive a letter is so nice, rather than just a phone call. It takes me back to middle school days when we did pen pals. Communication is important for overall survival, whether you live by yourself or with someone else. I think for some people it is a downfall and they need socialization. It is driving some people crazy. It's the emotional rollercoaster again. ‍

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Q: Do you think the pandemic will make us a more socially conscious society? If so, how? ‍

I would like to say yes, but I don't know. I feel like the pandemic has brought more racism and hatred. Some are even calling it the “chinese virus,” which I feel is so wrong. As much as I’d like to say yes, I want to say no because in some sense we are distancing the people in the world from one another. We are not having these interpersonal connections besides the people you’re already familiar with and there is no growth in that. ‍

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Q: Using the idea of “worldmaking” how do you imagine the performing arts world after the pandemic? (Worldmaking: How you can re-imagine the world in your own terms, the way you want it to be. Using this tool one can construct new worlds and write themselves into narratives that have excluded them and systems that have disabled them.)‍

Literally: I think that as a whole, it will have brought the community closer in more ways than one. There is so much love being shared virtually and many free classes available which are keeping the arts alive, in our youth especially. I also think it will hit hard, as we are already seeing Lou Conte Dance Studios closing indefinitely. I think back to my upbringing, doing intensives and taking classes and auditions with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. That will create such a huge gap in the dance community. Unfortunately, I think the arts will be negatively impacted due to the financial loss that everyone is experiencing. For example, Eisenhower has lost many bookings and the transition to virtual was tough. During this time, it is important to keep a sense of community and family to reach the end goal.‍

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Q: Using the idea of worldmaking how do you imagine the performing arts world after the pandemic?‍

More funding for the arts, more cross collaborations with companies - even those that are new. I know Detroit has a lot of young blood that is thriving and experiencing the dance world. They are showing who they are. My hope would be to see more giving, in general, to our public so they know we are out there. Whatever audience you’re trying to reach, I hope that they can relate to what we are making. And I hope they show up to keep us going and to keep the arts alive. Yes, we do the arts for ourselves but we really do it for the world.