Recover and Continue

by Evelyn Rice Wells, CTFD dancer-client and Caroline H. Newhouse award recipient

During the time when I was training in dance, shows such as So You Think You Can Dance and America’s Best Dance Crew had not yet hit the screens. Dancers were not considered mainstream performing artists, unless they starred in a movie. The choreographers were just another name in the credits, and the fusion of Lyrical and Hip Hop was the anomaly. Throughout high school and in college, I danced because it was what I was good at and what I knew best. I choreographed because of how I felt naturally, when I heard the music. I wrote it all down because I wanted some day to share this knowledge in some form, through books, videos and pictures. All the while, I kept training, performing, choreographing, teaching, and documenting, but who knew it would be shaping me to be the woman I am today. I was building my portfolio, one project at a time, getting the exposure, experience, and knowledge I needed for my future endeavors. I was just a young lady who just liked moving to music. Now, I am a more mature woman who is finally learning the moves necessary to create a masterpiece.

I applied for and received the Caroline H. Newhouse Scholarship in order to move forward professionally by pursuing a Masters in Science degree for Entertainment Business. My overall career goal is to become a Creative/Artistic Director and Producer for a major production house. I strongly believe that this degree will further enhance my knowledge and experience in the industry of media and entertainment.

The field of entertainment is a competitive one, but I am up for the challenge. I know the work ethic it takes and the professionalism that is demanded, as I am living it every day. Having a Masters degree in Entertainment Business will put me in a better position to accredit the hard-working and duly trained dancers, which sometimes get overlooked because of the fame and trends of today’s mainstream television. I am in the process of finding my niche within the world of dance and film, and I am eager to be one of the many that can re-establish the proper standards for performing artists.

I’ve always loved dance in film, and I’ve always wanted to be part of the creation of classics, such as The Wiz, West Side Story, Singing in the Rain, and Mary Poppins, to name a few. The process has always fascinated me, and I especially enjoyed learning about the behind-the-scenes work. Earlier in my dance career, I started with the Chicago Honey Bears and the UIC Dancing Flames, and I would also teach at a local studio, YMCA, or school nearby. Along the way, I was fortunate to have met the right people, and I was a quick-learner, but more importantly I was focused. From there, I went on to venture both on-scene and behind-the-scenes of some of great performers, including Jennifer Holiday, Janet Jackson, and Oprah. I was getting opportunities that I could only dream about, performing at venues nationwide, getting invitations to private celebrity auditions, casting in a music video, featuring in magazines, and even going on tour.

On top of that, I never took for granted the responsibility we have as professionals in the field. Learning how to quickly adapt to different situations helped strengthen my skill set, which could only be taught through experience. Always smile. Presentation is everything. Make eye contact. Be ready and able to step up and fill-in. It was a fast- growing industry, even before social networking, and I had to be a performer, choreographer, instructor, and music editor for the total package. If only someone could have told me and showed me the right pathway when I was younger, then I could have arrived here sooner. Even so, I have no regrets. I’ve had many successes, and I’ve had many failures. The mistakes are what made me stronger. I’ve learned that it’s not about the failure, but it’s what you do after that ultimate moment. It’s about the recovery, and even when I educate at both pre-professional and professional levels, I am reminding them of this: It’s not about the mistake you make on that stage, but instead it is about what you commit to doing right after that moment. Recover and continue to tell your story.  With that, I strongly believe it is my duty to keep growing and learning in different platforms, and practicing what I preach, which is what Full Sail University is providing for me. One of my goals, alongside being a Creative Director/Producer is to have a well-established company that can educate and train artists, in etiquette and industry standards (both in front of the camera and behind the camera), and then have this company feed into the major production house projects.

In 2002, I remember when I interned for WGN-TV, during the initial interview, Charlie Schumacher, news director, asked me what I could bring to the table that was different [while I attended UIC, I was developing my writing skills in media and entertainment, and seemingly I was also shaping my communication skills and business plans]. I looked at him, and at the same moment I was figuring out what script to use for my answer. I knew that one day somehow, dance, media, editing, and entertainment could be fused together and would create something amazing. 
He believed in my response, and wanted to see what I could do. Honestly, although I’ve accomplished quite a bit, I know that I still have so much more to attain, and I am determined to do so. I am looking forward to graduating with an MS degree at the end of the term next year.

I feel blessed to have had all my experiences that I have had to this day. I am appreciative and grateful for the many people I know and have worked with, as well as shared and learned from them. My goal is to share the knowledge and help both professionals and aspiring professionals learn and get hands-on experience, and opportunity to strengthen and use their crafts. From music-editing, working behind-the-scenes, choreographing, and entertaining on-stage, I consider myself a true performing artist. In this industry, people really have to wear several hats and be experienced in multimedia as well.

We are bombarded everyday with an overabundance of reality shows, contests and media frenzies, and many doors of opportunities are actually being opened for our performing artists. I want to smooth out the pathway and act as a vessel, showing the young aspiring artists how to go through these doors with the proper tools, professionally.

Alleviating Fear

By Rebecca V. Lockwood, CTFD Dancer-Client, Caroline H. Newhouse Grant Recipient

I donned my first pair of ballet slippers at the age of four.  Ballet was the focus of my life until I suffered an ankle injury at 18. The dance world (at least as I knew it) was over, so I quit dancing completely and attended the University of Michigan.  Upon college graduation, however, I decided that I still wanted to perform.  While I could no longer do ballet, I finally realized that I could still perform other types of dance.  Remembering my recent trip to Las Vegas and how captivated I was by the beauty and glamour of the production shows, I decided to audition in Las Vegas.  I was lucky enough to get offered a job in the world-renown revue show, Jubilee!.

After seven years of performing in Jubilee!, I was ready to return to academia and start a family.  Due to my undergraduate background in biological sciences, I was hired as a part-time instructor for the School of Life Sciences to teach the Human Anatomy & Physiology laboratories.  Content with my job while raising two small boys, I actually never even entertained thoughts of returning to school to begin a new career.  And then my father lost his leg.

My father’s amputation began a long series of hospitalizations, and I consistently saw him afraid, especially during the more severe visits.  I became increasingly frustrated that there was nothing I could do to lessen his anxiety.  And then I made an interesting observation: both of my parents appeared more relaxed and less fearful after visits with one of the physician assistants, rather than with the cardiologist or internist himself.  On the occasions when I visited the hospital, I witnessed the special, personal bond my parents had developed with both the cardiologist’s and the internist’s physician assistants—a bond that did not develop with either of the physicians.  I saw how both PA’s were able to alleviate my parents’ fear, not only through their medical knowledge, but also with their relaxed and comforting bedside manner.

As the generation of baby boomers continues to age, the need for quality care in many areas of medicine will increase.  Older patients, frightened by unfamiliar surroundings (and often nervous or intimidated by doctors) deserve more than just medical expertise.  I am currently attending school to become a physician assistant so that I can provide exceptional care, comfort and knowledge to these patients.

I am grateful to have received the CTFD Newhouse grant, as it will help alleviate some of the monetary stress that accompanies attending school full time while raising a family.

The Balancing Act

By Phillip Spaeth, CTFD dancer-client and Newhouse grant recipient

Ever since I was a little kid, I wanted to perform. At holiday functions, I would rally my cousins in the basement and throw together fully realized theatrical productions for the entire family. Each night, I’d stare up at the glow-in-the-dark stars stuck on my ceiling and dream of my future-life in Manhattan; as a Broadway star, the next Patrick Swayze, or Bob Fosse.

Straight from school, I ran to dance class or rehearsals at the local theater where I met other kids who accepted me and shared my passion. Performing was all I thought about and all I wanted to do. At fourteen, I landed my first big, professional opportunity to perform. I waved goodbye to my family and went on tour for a year. I did eight shows per week, bussed from city to city, and was tutored during the day. I got to follow my dreams, earn a living, and receive an education.

As I neared high school graduation, I was torn between pursuing my career or pursuing my education. I had always claimed to be the guy who didn’t believe in “back-up” plans; but since I was a good student, something told me to apply to college. Sure enough, I was accepted into an honors program at the first school to which I applied, and I started to get excited.

One week after high school graduation, I packed a bag and moved to Manhattan for the summer to hit some auditions. A month and a half later, I was cast in my first Broadway show, and I decided to put school on hold. The college allowed me to defer enrollment for a year and encouraged me to seize the opportunity. However, that year flew by, as I continued chasing my dreams and riding the wave. A decade later, I’m still riding the same wave and feel lucky to have been consistently working. However, I have to admit that each time I was sidelined by an injury, I would think back to that “back-up” plan I thought I’d never need.

So, last year I decided it was time to retrace my steps a bit and finally go to college. I’ve just completed my second semester at Hunter College, while continuing to perform on Broadway in Matilda; maintaining a schedule much like the one I had as a teenager.

I am now an adult, with a mortgage and a big life, and while I still love performing, I have new dreams and so many things I want to learn and explore. My plan is to pursue an education in mental health that will allow me to be of service to artists and creative people. I am very interested in the ways in which Buddhism and mindfulness can be integrated into contemporary perspectives of therapy.

This scholarship from Career Transition For Dancers is of great help to me as balancing life, a performing career, and school can be difficult. As tough as it sometimes is, I am determined to continue this one-man pas de trios— for as long as my body will allow. I am grateful that CTFD exists to support dancers who find themselves at this often-confusing fork in the road. As Alan Watts once said, “The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.”

Skill, Passion, and Destiny

by Jason Herbert, CTFD dancer-client and Newhouse Grant Recipient

A decade ago, I embarked on a career in dance that I couldn’t have imagined in my wildest dreams.  Traveling the country and the world, I performed for thousands of people and worked with artists that inspired me.  It was during my time with The Philadelphia Dance Company aka Philadanco! that I was introduced to Career Transition For Dancers.  CTFD explained all of the possibilities for dancers transitioning into careers and how to utilize all of the skills that dancers possess.   Because they offer entrepreneurial and educational grants to artists who have worked in the field for a number of years, I recently applied for the Newhouse grant (and was awarded!) to jump start my career in video production.

I started a company with two friends that develops, produces, and manages artists in music, theater, and film.  I dove straight in as a Project Manager and an Artistic Consultant.  Some of my duties include recording, photo shoots, video shoots, social media, and video production.  In my travels as an artist, I noticed I had an eye for video editing upon returning from a tour of Europe.  My business partner encouraged me to pursue it on a higher level.  We both enrolled in an advanced course in digital editing at the New York Film Academy where I progressed quickly but didn’t have the equipment at home to practice or perfect my craft.  One thing I learned from dance is that your tools to success is just as important as your drive and determination.  A high-powered computer and up-to-date editing software is essential to starting a career in video production, two things I didn’t possess nor could afford.

From the stage to the screen, I will transfer all my knowledge and passion as a performer into my videos with skill and education behind me.  I am at a place to carve a new destiny with my experience in dance as my foundation.

www.facebook.com/WhoIsJasonHerbert

Connecting Life Sequences

By Julio Enrique Rivera, Caroline H. Newhouse Recipient

Transitions are the soul of the dance, connecting sequences of movement that allow for flow of clear and compelling expression. Transitions must have clarity, focus, and confidence for the fluidity and effortless connections. For a dancer, it is a joyous experience that makes the dance greater than the steps alone. And so it is with any transition in life.

I learned about effortless transitions early in life. Excelling in school, I always sought enriching opportunities by way of clubs, programs, and sports. I learned that discipline is key in any commitment and that focus and perseverance lead to success. I brought these tools from academic demands to the arts of theater and dance.

My most demanding transition was leaving to the vastness of Princeton University. Attending an Ivy League institution presented the expanse of a liberal arts education with great academic focus. Advance placement allowed me access to upper level courses forging a great course to exploring new horizons. I initially diminished my participation in the arts. I discovered new sports such as squash and tennis. My body longed to move as my mind was racing. I was transitioning once again. Then the arts returned! Women were now part of the student body and modern dance classes were offered with Ze’eva Cohen. Princeton also instituted a certificate program in theater and dance, and I was one of the first to enroll.

The next year, I was enjoying graduate courses in psychology and “jete-in” about campus. My first thesis melded these two loves, and it’s success jettisoned me into expanding it for my senior thesis; the perception of expression in movement.  My field work was: more dance classes at Princeton, the Princeton Ballet Society, and a scholarship at the Ailey school. I graduated with honors in 1976, I decided to postpone my interest in the Harvard clinical program to follow the more immediate call…DANCE!!!! I returned to Ailey’s and continue to dance knowing that one day I return to my interest in helping individuals realize a better situation through some kind of support.

By 1986 I had danced with myriad companies and choreographers. Early on I decided  to focus on traveling as guest performer, master teacher and choreographer. With support from Alvin Ailey, I founded Contemporary Motions as a venue to showcase my solo, duets and trio works. Fellow choreographers donated solo works I had performed, and I created a  new repertoire of solos, duets, and trios that I would present nationally and internationally until 2006.

In 2004, cancer presented yet another opportunity for transition in life. I returned to finish my contracts, then decided to retire with an excellent record to that transition in 1976. Nine years in full remission, and full of zest, I seek to return to my love of psychology as a life coach. Lynn Goldberg, a life coach for dancers introduced me to Coaching for Wellness certification program. It was the transition I had been waiting for. I enrolled and graduated in the Associate Level certificate program. With the assistance of the CTFD Caroline H. Newhouse Scholarship, I will be able to continue my certification at the Professional level which allows me to participate with the highest credentials possible and work various niches as well as mentor and teach in life coaching programs.

The Meaning of ‘Ohana

How the Caroline H. Newhouse Scholarship will bring dancer-client and grant recipient, Noelle Naone, back home.

Growing up in Hawai’i, family or ‘ohana, was always the most important thing to me.  Factor in the amazing climate, the beautiful oceans and the colorful flora and fauna and you have the perfect equation for a happy life.  Life was made that much sweeter for me when my mother enrolled me in a hula school.  The music and movement filled me with a joy I had never felt before.  I was hooked from that very first class.  I had found something beside the magic of the islands that made me happy and that I was good at.  A few years later, I started taking ballet, jazz, and street funk.  I was as much at home in the studio or on stage as I was being at the beach and spending time with family.

Then one day something changed.  Although I loved my island home, I felt as thought I was not growing as a dancer.  I wanted to get off the “rock” and explore what the world had to offer me.  The opportunity presented itself when I was offered a contract at Disney World, Orlando Florida.  I was a part of the opening cast of Tarzan Rocks! choreographed by Jaime King.  That is where my journey began, one that would take me all over the US and the world, but would bring me back home…eventually.

Fast forward to the present.  I have been living in Las Vegas for 11 years.  In those 11 years, I have performed in numerous shows on the strip.  I have been married and divorced, and married again, happily the second time around.  I was able to finish my degree in Kinesiology.  And now, I am a certified Barre and Pilates instructor.  I have an 8 week old bundle of joy.  My Millie girl is the motivating factor behind my and my husband’s desire to move back to Hawai’i.

I cannot make a living as a dancer in the Hawai’i.   On top of the high cost of living, there are limited well-paying opportunities for performers.  My goal, with the help from the CTFD Newhouse grant, is to open a studio back home.  In the short-term, a grant will pay for a Megaformer certification.  This is a new apparatus developed by a classically trained Pilates instructor.  The certification will secure a teaching position for me at the only licensed Megaformer studio in Las Vegas.   My long-term goal is to bring the Megaformer to Hawai’i.  The first of its kind in the islands, my studio will offer dance, Barre, Pilates, and Megaformer classes

The most important thing that the Newhouse grant will allow me to do is to get one step closer to my goal of raising Millie in the paradise that I was fortunate enough to grow up in.  I have seen many places, met many different types of people, and experienced many different cultures.  But for me, nothing compares to the sights, sounds and smells of my island home.   More than ever, I long to be with my family.   I would like Millie to learn about her Hawaiian roots and to grow up with her cousins.  She may want to leave the islands one day, just as I did.  But, just as I do, I hope that Millie will always consider Hawai’i and her ‘ohana to be her home.

The Breakfast of Champions

Hi.  My name is Kevin Bernard.  I came to Career Transition For Dancers because of an epiphany.  I woke one morning and, as usual, sprinkled Advil over my Wheaties and sat down to eat my bowl of cereal with my feet in a bucket of ice.  And I thought to myself, I’m not sure this is what they meant by Breakfast of Champions.

I started performing professionally when I was 11 years old in Peter and the Wolf and I have been on stage ever since.  I’ve worked with Susan Stroman, Rob Ashford, Peter Darling…those last two guys really upped the Advil sprinkles by the way.  It was great, exciting, and thrilling to be part of Broadway.  But I decided I had to stop the pain.

That’s when I called Career Transition For Dancers.  I knew people, personally, who had discovered new careers and started businesses.  Sounded great!  So, I had a few counseling sessions, took some tests, and discovered what I was supposed to be next:  an actor or a musician.  Or a physicist.  Oh!  I was in trouble.

But then Lauren Gordon, the counselor at CTFD, came to the rescue.   She helped me understand that I am made of possibilities.  Now, I don’t see a clear path to take, but I do see opportunities.

Lauren saw my destiny as a collage.  Some acting, some music, some teaching, some stage managing.  I now finally realize that I don’t need a new label.  I just need to take a deep breath and leap.

Kirk Sprinkles: Full Circle

By Scott C. Pfeiffer

Kirk Sprinkles became a CTFD client and grant recipient after a successful career as a dancer on Broadway, national tours, cruise lines, regional theatre and dance companies. After owning and operating two performing arts schools in North and South Carolina, and managing a regional dinner theatre, he returned to NYC to further his career. He was asked to serve a two year term on the Program Development Committee for CTFD.

In the spring of 2012 CTFD’s Executive Director, Alex Dubé was contacted by Dances Patrelle regarding an immediate interim replacement for the position of managing director.

“He was calm, intelligent, energetic, and sprang into action. Shortly after, we hired Kirk as our full-time Managing Director.” –Nancy Peters, Board of Directors President

“Kirk has brought, very much needed, new energy to the company and especially our Board of Directors. We are all thrilled with the job he is doing.” –Francis Patrelle, Artistic Director of Dances Patrelle

Kirk continues to serve as a mentor to his former students, many of which are currently working as professional dancers. In his spare time he continues to teach master classes and choreograph. He is grateful for the support and opportunities that have arisen from his CTFD affiliation. He would like to encourage all dancers, even those aspiring to dance professionally, to take advantage of CTFD’s incredible services and resources.

Furthermore, I wish to encourage other CTFD alumni and former clients, such as myself, to give back to the organization that helped and supported us all during our transitional period. Aside from volunteering and donating to CTFD, I encourage you all to consider becoming a mentor to a current CTFD client and/or aspiring dancer! It’s about giving back and “paying it forward”. That is the true gift!

A Hip-Hop Perspective: The Music Video

Anthony Rue II, CTFD dancer-client

Wouldn’t it be cool if Choreographers had their names listed in music videos?

I believe music videos played a huge role in bringing hip-hop to dance studios. It was hard to find a good hip-hop dance class during the 90’s and smaller studios did not offer the style at all. The music video era of dance changed everything. It sparked the minds of dancers and gave them another goal to reach beyond performance. Fans fell in love with the dancers performing beside their favorite artists.

Aaliyah’s Rock The Boat, Choreography by Fatima Robinson

The same effect consumed the next generation of dancers.  The impact dance has on a music video will never go unnoticed. People love to watch dance. Dance helped some of the biggest music videos raise to a superstar status. Can you imagine Michael Jackson’s Thriller without dance? Choreography from that music video is still performed over two decades later but we do not see Choreographer Michael Peter’s name mentioned.

Michael Jackson’s Thriller, Choreography by Michael Peter

Perhaps in the future we will see choreographers’ names credited on music videos.  This change would help dancers research what styles they love and consider choreography as a career choice after performance. This listing would also promote the choreographer to the consumers and people could follow their work like film directors. Everyone would love to see their name attached to the work they choreographed.

When I started working with Laurie Ann Gibson I was shocked. This woman choreographed so many videos I was in love with! I was very lucky to have her as a mentor early in my career.  I learned so much from her about performing, music videos and the work that other choreographers created. I believe this was very important for me.  I think it’s really important to know who is responsible for the work you enjoyed, and Enjoy.

*NSYNC’s Choreographer Darrin Henson

by Anthony Rue II

The Triumph of Will Over Ego

Story by Michael Deane, Dancer-Client

I took my first dance class in college as a lark.  At that time I had never seen a dance performance or even a Broadway show, but from the beginning I loved the physicality of it and the music (and the girls) and soon I was spending all my time in the studio, either taking or watching class.  By the time I graduated, I was determined to give dance a try. I ended up dancing for 15 years.

I got a scholarship at the Joffrey School and made my professional debut on Broadway with the Paul Taylor Company and Rudolph Nureyev in 1974.  Over the next several years I danced in the companies of May O’Donnell, Pauline Koner, Theater Dance Collection, Utah Repertory Dance Theater and the Asolo (FL) Opera, danced the original choreography of Agnes De Mille (Oklahoma), Hanya Holmes (My Fair Lady) and Peter Martins (Carousel) and worked with William Hammerstein and James Hammerstein among others.

By the time I was 35, I knew it was time to think about the second half of my life.  I received money from what was then called the Dancers in Transition program and took courses at NYU in Construction Management, started working at a cabinet shop, and then enrolled in Columbia’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. Today, 25 years later, I am the Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer at Turner Construction Company.

During my time of transition I often struggled with feelings of failure, loss and confusion.  But over time, I used the discipline, creativity, ability to focus and persevere against long odds that I learned as a dancer and applied it to learning a new skill set. I have now spent more time in the construction business than I spent dancing but I don’t believe I could be where I am today without the training and experience I got from dance.

Today I still try to take class most Saturdays with my wife and sometimes my 3 daughters. I think of it as “the triumph of will over ego” – which might be a good way of thinking about career transition – the odds are great, the work is hard, it’s sometimes embarrassing and confusing and you don’t know if you will succeed.  But change is inevitable and the rewards are worth it.  And if you can make it as a dancer you can do anything you set your mind to.  Remember – “Just keep smiling and keep moving.”