In Conversation With...
In order to feel better equipped to go out into the dance industry upon graduation I conducted two interviews with dance artists in different parts of the industry. The first is with Jamaal Bowman, who is a UArts Alum and currently dances with the contemporary dance company, A.I.M by Kyle Abraham. The second interview is with Samuel Gaines Jr. who just finished a run of Broadway in the Canyon and is now working with Philly-based dance company Dance Iquail.
Jamaal Bowman
How did you find AIM and what was the audition process like? How did the audition process contrast with company life? What is the culture of the company?
"I've been obsessed with AIM since seeing them at ADF after my freshman year at Uarts. I knew then that I HAD to be in the company. The audition process was actually crazy but kinda magical. So, AIM had auditions in May 2022 and I sent in all my info and even got a callback to the second round. After sending in my second round information, I got nothing back. I was truly devastated, but still had a glimmer of hope for some reason. A few weeks later, Kyle calls me himself and basically tells me that they had accidentally forgotten to send my final callback and he invited me in to do a private audition. So of course, I went in and slayed that audition like my life depended on it. And a few days later I got the job!"
Samuel Gaines Jr.
Explain how you got involved with Broadway in the Canyon and describe what the experience was like.
"I got involved with Broadway in the Canyon at Tuacahn Amphitheater after seeing their Broadway production of Annie in the summer of 2019 while I was performing with a dance company in Las Vegas. I fell in love with the performance quality and the Red Rock Canyon that surrounded the huge amphitheater stage. Performing Broadway musicals had always been a huge dream of mine and I loved to dance, sing, and act so I decided to audition for the following season despite never having had experience in musical theatre.
...Performing 3 Broadway shows in the Canyon for an audience of 3,000 in 100-degree outdoor heat 6 nights a week for 7 months certainly pushed me to my limits, but it is one of the highlights of my career thus far. It was a thrill to challenge myself to push past my exhaustion and give my all to each performance. Transitioning from Las Vegas to St.George, Utah was surprisingly easy. Having a change in my environment, lifestyle, and professional arena resulted in personal growth and a greater feeling of accomplishment."
