ENJOY THESE GROOVES AS YOU SCROLL THROUGH
It is with great pleasure that I present the last feature of the year and of it’s kind to you WERKing dancers! This story comes in perfect timing and alignment with the growth of tWd. “Why?”, you ask. Well, this is the sophomore appearance for WERKing dancer Jonathan Bryant. We first met Jonathan as a commercial dancer and choreographer. We now get reacquainted with him as a dancer blazing trails in the musical theatre world! Just like Jonathan, the WERKing dancer is on the brink of some pretty major transitions and we are excited about the great things in store!
Jonathan is a 28 year old Tampa, Florida native and if you know him you can hear the ring of his unique way of saying “Flor-duh” as I type. Jonathan was drawn to his professional dance career at the age of 16 as a way to express himself through music. “I have always been a lover of music and how it makes people feel, so why couldn’t I do the same thing through dance?”, Jonathan recounts his approach to dance in the early years.
I wanted to talk to Jonathan about his passage from the commercial/hip hop dance world to musical theatre. A lot of artists worry about making a transition in their artistic career. For some reason we are made to believe that we have to pursue the same thing desperately because we are artists. We don’t really accept an actor trying to become a singer or a background dancer trying to make their way to centerstage with a mic in hand. Our supporters sometimes make us feel that because we are passionate about something we have to stick with that thing whether or not it is still rewarding. So, we’re stuck thinking: “Is this the right thing to do? What if it doesn’t work? Do I really want to start over?” Questions cloud our minds about whether or not this is the right choice.
Truth is…you won’t know until you try! I’ve been dealing with this a lot in my personal career. When I started the WERKing dancer I was a working dancer!! I’ve now made the hard, but gratifying decision to pursue other passions and they have done nothing but feed me in the best ways possible!!! So, if you’re looking to do something more artistically challenging, explore your creativity in new ways, or you want more financial stability out of life just know it really is ok! Artists have seasons…..just like one hopes for a promotion in the corporate world, you should always be seeking growth and exploration on your artistic journey.
INTERVIEW WITH JONATHAN BRYANT
When did you start wanting something different out of your career? What inspired the transition? Why musical theatre?
“I don’t think I wanted something new out of my career, I just wanted to work consistently so, I was open to other fields of dancing other than commercial work. I always had an interest in musical theatre. I grew up singing in the school chorus from elementary to high school, but in high school I started to focus on dance. I found that as a dancer and choreographer in the commercial world my experience was good, but not what I thought it would be.
“I have always been a person who has paved new lanes for myself in order to still do what I love–and still make money. Musical theatre was yet another lane to follow. What opened this lane was an audition for Dream Girls with the Atlanta Lyric Theatre. I thought to myself , Why not? I was familiar with the production, I could dance and I could sing…well enough.”, he laughs.
“Once I went through the initial audition and two callbacks I thought Ok, I got this but then never heard anything. I then auditioned for In the Heights with Aurora Theatre and was cast. A week later, I got a casting email from the production team of Dream Girls! All within two weeks, I had been cast in two musicals with prominent Atlanta theatres. Musical theatre allows me to be the upbeat, showy performer I naturally am. I am no longer told that it’s too much and I don’t have to hide my abilities in order to dance behind an artist. Musical theatre allows me to be me!”
What are some of the pros and cons to making a change in your career?
“I think one pros is the work! In commercial dance, you just have to know your steps, hit your mark and your job is pretty much done. In musical theatre, you are not only dancing, you are singing and telling a story. I have been blessed because the shows I’ve done so far aren’t a far stretch from who I am, yet they weren’t easy shows to do. As I think, a con out of what I just said is that the commercial and theatrical worlds are similar yet completely different. There are tons of people, pieces of work, and theatres that I didn’t know existed or were paramount. I would hear my peers talking about this show or working with this theatre and what this person is doing now and I would be standing there like a deer in headlights!
It can be a little discouraging when you feel like you know nothing. Then I had to realize I’m here for a reason and it’s okay if it takes me some time to learn everything I need to know.
“One major change that I wouldn’t name a pro or con is realizing that I have made a career change! I had not realized that made a 180 until doing this interview. What I have realized is that if I want more challenging roles I have to put my time, energy, and money into training and learning other disciplines because I feel like I’m playing catch up. I’ve gone from concept videos to songbooks and that is a big change for me!”
Looking back, what would you change about your career and how have your grown on your artistic journey?
“Looking back, I think I would have looked at other alternatives in schooling. I think receiving that knowledge would have helped me in making me a more well–rounded artist. Artistically, I feel renewed and lucky. I feel renewed because there is a whole new world that I know very little about. I am being introduced to things that inspire me creatively and make me want to be more than only a dancer which, in retrospect, I guess I never was. I am lucky because I have the ability to work in both the commercial and theatrical worlds which I don’t take for granted.
“I will always be a commercial dancer, that was my entrance into this career but, I now know there is more for me out there and that I can do more to show my ability as a performer and as an artist.”
In Theatres Now!!
Look for Jonathan as a principal dancer in the newly released Billy Lynn Long Halftime Walk directed by Ang Lee in theatres now.
