Q: How did you begin acting and dancing?

I grew up in Southern California where I, initially, did theater for fun -- and the more I did it, the more I started to love it. I was an outgoing kid who enjoyed having an audience, so l participated in the shows during elementary school, and eventually wound up finding my way into the theatre department in high school. Sometime around my junior year, I realized that I could pursue acting as a profession --  something I’d really only thought was for those with a desire to be famous. The next year, as a senior, I auditioned for 4 theatre schools and was accepted into The Boston Conservatory at Berklee where I went to study musical theater. After I graduated, I immediately moved to New York City and began pounding the pavement looking for a job.

Q: How did your performing arts career transition into journalism/writing?

I sort of fell into journalism by way of hosting. I grew up loving the radio and the idea of being a radio DJ, which sparked an early interest in hosting --  so one day, while working on a musical out of town, a former costume designer friend I’d worked with years before called out of the blue and asked me if I’d be interested in hosting a new TV show for a friend about high school show choirs. The show was for a new online television network that was launching called Dance Network. That show, called “To The Stage”, ended up being one of the first original content series shows that Dance Network released when they launched in the summer of 2015. The more I hosted, the more I also became interested in the fundamental practices of journalism. I began practicing by crafting more journalistic interviews for the show, and when the series finally ended, I started writing and publishing written articles and feature stories about dance and theatre for Dance Network. I soon became the New York City correspondent for the network, and began pitching, creating, and curating nearly all news content that came out of NYC for Dance Network. It was a lot of work and took a long time, but I cut my teeth as a journalist and worked hard at becoming a good, dogged, and accurate reporter.

Q: What has the performing arts and journalism taught you that you have applied to your everyday life and how you engage in the world?

I think the two big ones are empathy and humanity -- being a journalist and a performer requires both of those qualities. It’s fairly easy to understand how those traits can help an actor -- being able to understand why a character does what they do, and understand how to play actions toward achieving a character’s objectives needs some sense of compassion. Being on stage also means being vulnerable -- but, so does being in a one-on-one interview with someone. As a journalist, one needs to be able to tell a well-rounded story, and that is accomplished by approaching pieces and sources with humanity and empathy. I think my confidence as a performer has helped, but also knowing a source won’t open up to a journalist who doesn’t have an understanding of those two qualities drives my approach to reporting with that in mind.

And, as much as I think of myself as outgoing, I am still shy in a way. Inherently, I’m not always someone to push buttons or ask a controversial question, but my work as a journalist has pushed me to step out of my comfort zone and ask what needs to be asked to cover a story from the angle it needs. And, since I’m a performer, I naturally love to tell stories -- and being a journalist lets me get to do that on another similar but different pathway.

Q: What other interests and passions do you have outside or inside of acting that influence and inspire your artistry?

I’m passionate about the work of first responders -- I’m training to become a firefighter and am a certified EMT. I also love to cook and play music -- I am currently working on getting better at playing the guitar and piano. I’m also a pretty voracious news reader. And, I love baseball, golf, and football.

Q: How can we keep producing journalism at a time when it's not at all profitable but maybe more important than ever?

Wow, good question. I’m not sure, exactly -- that’s a question a lot of people are asking right now. I think it involves people realizing that the small asks that come in the name of subscriptions for an outlet or journalist is something that is worthwhile. That said, I think EVERYONE should have access to balanced, unbiased, and fact-based news, but, at some point, for those who can afford to help, people need to realize journalists are people too; people with bills and families. So, for those who are able to pay a little more for it, I think they should be encouraged to do so.

I’m also very interested to see how the news agencies and platforms that are going non-profit fare moving ahead -- it could be an interesting way forward. Additionally, I’m interested to see if more platforms and news agencies become affiliated with larger online streaming services and cable companies. In that, for instance, along with your Netflix subscription, you also got access to certain newspapers, magazines, or pay-wall subsidized online platforms. Pie in the sky? Maybe. I wish I knew the answer.

Q: From what I understand dance journalism is a relatively small field. What have been some challenges in dance journalism specifically?

Dance journalism is a niche market, and the way to overcome that and expand viewership (and bring them back) is to tell good stories. One of the best ways I've seen people find success with that is by finding ways to increase the dance demographic. You’d be surprised how many people are interested in dance -- they just don’t realize it. I’ve worked hard to cultivate my reporting around the major NYC dance companies, but working to include Broadway in my reporting opened up a much larger demo, and continues to provide unique content for dance lovers. It also gets readers to engage and come back for more. If you want to see the best of the best though, my friend and former Dance Network colleague, Kristyn Burtt, has been very successful at harnessing the television market for dance and welcoming that demo of viewers into the rest of her top-notch reporting. Dance journalism is a hard market to corner but giving people good content brings them back.

Q: What kind of platforms do you think we should be creating to help broaden the dance audience both physically and virtually? Can we do this through journalism?

Oh yes! Journalism and media are the key factors in broadening the audience. Through getting the word out about interactive outreach programs from major dance companies and Broadway, producing scripted and unscripted programming about dance, and reporting on the industry itself, reporters and media outlets ARE the path forward to a wider and more diverse audience. The more people engage virtually, the more likely they are to show up and buy a ticket. I wish my former network was still accessible because it was a huge plus for the dance world in all of those aspects. We told stories about the interactive programs, we produced content about dancers and choreographers, and we told the stories of the artists. I also think if the more established outlets continue to create more video and audio content alongside their traditional reporting it will help, too -- dancers and dance lovers seem to vibe well and appreciate video and audio content.

How can dance journalism writing be a platform for social justice issues?

Dance itself has for decades been a huge platform for social justice, so for dance journalists, covering those stories is essential. The ongoing fight for racial equality and representation is at the forefront of the news, as are stories about the LGBTQ community, gender inequities, the handling of sexual harassment and sexual abuse within the industry -- these are all stories dance journalists are working tirelessly to cover right now. Two of the most important stories I’ve worked on this year are how the gender gap in Broadway choreography is beginning to close, and the complete and utter failure of Broadway to acknowledge and fix the lack of representation for female BIPOC choreographers.

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

Significantly. All of my income went away in a matter of weeks. My show, (Rock Of Ages), is currently shut down. The platform for which I hosted and wrote (Dance Network) has closed its doors. It was a shock, and as things worsened in March and April and the longevity of this thing set in, it became very, very hard. The arts will come back, no doubt, but it will be different -- and for many in the arts community there is a ton of uncertainty. It’s worrisome, but I try to focus on the positive things. I will say, the shutdowns have inspired me to create my own blog -- NYC Dance News & Culture -- of which I’m very proud. And, as much as it sucks that Broadway has to be shut down, the inspiration coming out of the performing arts community is very inspiring.

Q: What were your Initial reactions to the mass cancellations and the shutdown of the US?

It was very fast and I had a lot of questions -- but I also felt I had a duty to cover the breaking news and how it affected the dance and theatre communities. At Rock Of Ages, we did a show on March 11th, a Wednesday, and I remember feeling weird. I kept thinking this was becoming more and more of a matter of “when” Broadway shutdown, rather than “if”. So, when the news broke across New York City on the 12th, I went into reporter mode -- but, while I was trying to cover the story, I was simultaneously wondering what would happen with my show and my own future.

Q: What does a daily routine or week look like for you? What have you been working on digitally?

Since my wife and I are in LA for now, I wake up pretty early here. I’ve been working out very regularly on a specific regimented program. And, like I mentioned before, I am studying to become a firefighter, so, I’m taking a community college course online. I try to write late in the mornings and afternoons. My wife and I are also lucky enough to have a car to take a drive and look at something else. We are also fortunate to have sunshine and space here. Also, I have been working on my own blog and using it as an opportunity to continue the reporting I was doing at Dance Network.

Q: How do you see people continuing to create and build community during this time?

The Broadway and dance communities are doing a really good job of this. Rock Of Ages put out a video of us singing a song from the show, theater companies and theatre news platforms are hosting live shows and interviews, and so many members of the dance community are using their social platforms to teach and connect. And, while there’s still much work to be done, many dance companies are addressing the injustices within their ranks, which will ultimately help build wider and more diverse communities around the dance world.

Q: What social changes and responsibilities have you seen the performing arts community make during the pandemic?

Early on, it was staying in. Especially for those who were still in New York. Now, it’s wearing masks. Most folks in the arts and performance communities understand that, until there’s a vaccine or solid treatment, it won’t be possible to return to work, so there’s a big push to get others to wear masks to keep the virus from spreading.

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

I do. I think it is bringing a focus back to family, friends and people that you don't reach out to often enough because you are too busy. Once we get back to some sense of normal, I think that sense of family and friends outside our immediate circle is going to stay with us. People will be more eager and willing to take time to reach out to extended family and friends on a more regular basis.

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.)

I, like most people, long for a sense of normalcy that involves being around people again. I’m so excited to return to that. I want, however, for this new version of normalcy to be more equitable and more representative. The movements that have become even more prominent during this time are going to continue to influence how we move forward, and addressing the communities that haven’t been equally represented is something I know we’re, rightfully, going to see more of, and is something I want to see.