Q: What has been your pre-professional and professional career path? How did you come to be a choreographer?‍

I’ve been dancing since I was three. I had the whole “dancing in my hometown studio thing”, and lived in the competition world. I graduated high school and moved to Los Angeles. Actually, I graduated and did a theme park for four months, and then a cruise ship. I usually don’t count these things, but they matter for this story. I moved to LA the following year and started going for it. I was on So You Think You Can Dance Season 2. I had an agent in LA, and was doing the thing—working the industry—for almost fourteen years. I moved to London for a year to dance and teach. I did X-Factor with Brian Friedman when I was there. Then, I moved to Vegas and did a show at the Wynn Hotel choreographed by Marguerite Derricks. I have done a lot of TV, film, awards shows, and music videos. I was with Lady Gaga for a while. I worked with Mary J Blige.

A year ago, I decided that it was time to switch it up. I felt kind of complacent and not challenged, so I moved to NYC on January 15th of 2019 and started my bender there. I started to focus more on my choreography and teaching. I’ve done some TV out there. I was doing season 3 of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel as a dancer. I have been teaching at STEPS (the owner, Joe Lanteri, asked me to teach there). I was so honored because this is where I would take class as a kid whenever I came to NYC. I’ve connected with so many dancers, and now I have an even wider dance community. I have dancers in LA, I have dancers in NYC, I have dancers in London. It is really cool and interesting and fun to know I have all of these communities, and hopefully someday I can pull from all of these pools when I am a choreographer or artistic director. That will be really special. ‍

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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? ‍

Movement-wise, Tovaris Wilson was one of my biggest inspirations. I found him when I moved to LA, and I was in his class every week. I studied everything about him from head to toe—his whole body and how it moved. I am a jazz dancer, so growing up and taking classes from Brian Friedman was everything. Marguerite Derricks too. I did “Fame” with her about fourteen years ago. Last season on Mrs. Maisel I assisted her for an episode. Obviously, Bob Fosse is a huge inspiration to me as far as what he created. Since I moved to NYC, I befriended Al Blackstone, and he has been introducing me to people like my little NYC guardian angel. He is heaven sent. He has been such a good friend and amazing choreographer. I did his show last year called “Freddie Falls in Love'' at the Joyce Theater. It was so amazing to be showcased in NYC on such a legendary stage, and he [Al] gave me that opportunity.

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

I started at 17 actually getting paid and being a professional, so it has been a while. I think most of my challenges have come from within myself. There were barriers and obstacles that I had to get over in my own spirit and soul. Now, I am in a place where I know that my talent, and the talent we are given as artists, is ours. It’s our gift that we own, that we possess, that we have responsibility over, that no one can take away from us, or diminish. No one can put out that fire. One of my earliest challenges was not owning or knowing my worth. I think that is a challenge for a lot of artists because everything is so subjective. Once you get to the point where you know your worth and you can stand behind it confidently, that is when you start to shine. People will see the confidence and the fire inside of you that no one can change. People like that. That is what I teach in my classes. The underscoring themes in my classes are all about confidence and people are attracted to that. People tell me that I have taught them how to audition and take classes better because of the confidence I’ve drilled into them and myself. It’s contagious—just sharing and living it is so important. I love being able to share that.

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‍Q: Do you believe dance can be a platform for social justice topics? If so, how? and/or Have you used your art form to make a difference?‍

Yes. It goes back to the whole thing that happened on Good Morning American, the #boysdancetoo movement. It’s social justice, in a way. I did a music video for Vic Mensa called “16 Shots” that was about police brutality on black men and the issues black men face. That was his platform and he used dance to tell the story. Dance is something that so many people know and love and pay attention to.

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

Faith. My faith. It’s the only thing. I just talked to a friend about this who was not optimistic about our current situation. I said, “I hear you,” but then I told him this is where my faith comes in. I’m always joking, saying that my life has proven to work itself out because I believe that it will. I have confidence in my gift. There were times I wanted to give up on my gift, but I lived outside of it for a minute and I saw that my life wasn’t going where I wanted it to go. As soon as I believed in my gift, my life went more smoothly. Knowing that things will work out is what keeps me going. And the fact I get to meet people, travel, encourage dancers and be a part of so many lives in my own journey is just icing on the cake.

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

I was teaching at STEPS on Broadway and choreographing for their professional performance workshop, which is their workshop for aspiring dancers in the city. They get four weeks with me, and then we put on a show at the end of the four weeks. We were in the second week and we had to pause everything.

It hasn’t affected me in a negative way honestly and I am very grateful for that. It almost makes me excited because everyone is on a hard pause. There’s nothing to be missing out on. There is no gig to book, there’s no money to be made unless you’re creating it in your own way. I think it is cool that we need to re-figure things out. I am in North Carolina, and I don't feel like I am missing anything in NYC or LA. This is kind of freeing my mind and letting me be present. I made a dance in my doorway the other day! I feel very creatively free without worrying what is next. If people take a second to pause and think about the fact that we are all in the same boat, it takes the pressure off. I think some people are really struggling financially which is upsetting. Mother nature is resetting herself. She is like, “Everyone go to your room, I’m gonna put life where there hasn't been life in a while. I am going to make the skies blue.” I think that’s beautiful. Mother nature is healing herself so that goes to show us things can and will get better and there is a brighter day. ‍

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

Personally I started doing what I call the Jason Williams Experience IGTV. I put dance tutorials on my Instagram (@jasonwilliams86) of different combos I am coming up with. People are going crazy with TikTok and having fun with that. People are just creating. I think now is the time to let yourself be creative with no attachment. Maybe you take this time to paint or read and find new things that interest you. There is no time clock, so if you feel like painting, then paint. Or if you feel like sleeping, sleep. There are many ways to fill the day, and being creative is one of my favorite things to do. I think people are doing it! Instagram is something that is helping people create and produce art. I hope people are documenting this time so we can share and create from it.

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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.)‍

The performing arts world is such a tight knit community. It’s a family no matter where you live. Performing artists tend to unite. I think [the performing arts community] may get even tighter. I think hopefully that there will be more diversity as well. I feel like, in this space, it is so interesting because everyone in every show is in the same boat. I think this is where we can all learn that we are all the same. We realize what is most important to us. We come back more grateful and aware of what is most important to us individually, and how to make sure we are taking care of ourselves in times of distress. If you haven't saved up or learned about a way to have a safety net, now is the time to plan that. It’s like a reality check. Having a freelance life comes with the responsibility of taking care of yourself financially, physically, mentally. This is the time to reevaluate your own health. I think this is the time of awakening of what is important to you, and how to sustain it if everything shuts down. We never had to think about this. Gigs and shows are our security. Our security was taken away along with the gig. I have gone from job to job since I was 17, but I always knew I was going to be okay. I think this is a wake up call to become aware of your reality, and prepare yourself for times that are hard. You have to have your ducks in a row, but not so much so that it stifles your creativity. If I plan too much I get shell shocked, and then I can’t move. Thinking about the future is important.