Today we’d like to introduce you to Mary Kate Chapman.
Mary Kate, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I am a dancer, choreographer, & creative currently based in LA and a recent honors graduate from the American Musical & Dramatic Academy College and Conservatory of the Performing Arts (AMDA) in both New York City and Los Angeles, receiving my BFA in Dance Theatre during February 2023. Enriching my education for years in cities notorious for the entertainment industry helped shape, nourish and prepare me to join and thrive within the current workforce. Continuing training and auditioning in all realms and styles, upon graduation I have had the great pleasure of working on Ragtime as the Assistant Choreographer/Assistant Stage Manager (5-Star Theatricals), Broadway @ The x Rock My Soul as a Dancer/Assistant Choreographer (Bourbon Room), and Footloose as the Assistant Choreographer/Dance Captain/Cover Urleen/Ensemble (Panic! & BarCinBoo). Michelle Elkin has provided me the great opportunity and privilege of becoming one of her current assistants and her mentorship is unmatched. I am grateful to be under her wing.
I began my dance career at the youthful age of two years old in St. Louis, MO. Sporting my princess apparel stylishly to class, my dance roots were first planted in the realm of ballet. From there, I branched out to other styles, such as tap and jazz to then on to joining competition teams and dance teams in the STL area, also becoming a teacher assistant in my off hours. This expanded more intel such as contemporary, hip-hop, musical theatre, jazz funk, pom, heels, lyrical, theatre jazz, kick, pointe, and modern. Before attending college to study dance, I had become widely recognized for outstanding artistic abilities as well as a very decorated athlete within the state of Missouri. Recently, I have booked my next contract, Cinderella (5-Star Theatricals), and I’m yearning to begin rehearsals with such a stellar cast and creative team. It’s a full-circle type of nostalgic moment I’m looking forward to.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Smooth… more like stop and start. It feels like at times taking a giant leap forward and a small step back along a path that is never a straight route forward. As soon as I feel like I’ve gotten through a door, it’s almost as if the road I took to get there diverges into numerous directions as I’m simultaneously figuring out how best to acclimate into a new environment surrounded by different creatives with contrasting mindsets. It’s extremely challenging, however this is a barrier all creatives accept and adapt to.
Within the fast-paced performing arts industry, the biggest obstacle by far I’m learning to navigate is the aspect of pressure. The weight of pressure is something I believe all artists feel the gravity of. On one side of the coin, as a performer, I constantly feel the pressure of yes or no, is my talent, technique, and hard work enough, on the other side of the coin as a choreographer and creative, comes the pressure of my own ideas being “correct” and handling positions of power and leadership. These twists and turns of a creative’s career is what defines us. All doors that have opened for me have been unlocked because I’m ready for what lies behind it. Throwing my doubt out the window and allowing trust to take the wheel is what has allowed me to handle the immense intensity of the arts & entertainment industry in front of and behind the table within recent job experiences.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I have many tools in my toolbox, jack of all trades, a woman who wears many hats, I’m a chameleon, a mutt. As a dancer, I am an expansive and explosive performer, a true powerhouse. I love captivating an audience and feeling in control of their reactions as well as their current experience. I don’t believe in boxes or boundaries and love coloring outside the lines as well as blurring them. This also translates into my choreography and creative projects, which aren’t focused in a particular style and blend together the massive amount of dance history I’ve gathered thus far. I also share a passion for education and teach frequent master classes to the next and current generation believing everyone is a student for life. I specialize in conceptualizing the physical and mental complexities of surrealism within the movement. I am known for never holding back and surpassing exceptions, including my own ambitions.
There are quite a few accomplishments I am more than proud of. A few childhood achievements I cherish would be performing in The Joffrey Ballet Nutcracker as a Party Boy at the Fabulous Fox Theater in Downtown St. Louis as well as performing alongside company members on pointe with the Missouri Ballet Theatre for the Waltz of the Snow Flakes, receiving VIP Dance “Best of the Best” Solo as a dancer in the teen category being the highest scoring soloist of the entire competition, and the acknowledgment of having “The Ability to Silence A Room” from Onstage New York. Other achievements worth mentioning would be a recipient of Rockwood School District “Board of Education Award” for outstanding athletic achievement as well as being a Missouri State Champion and NDTC National Champion at ESPN. I was fortunate enough to take home a Bronze Globe from The Dance Worlds at ESPN for Senior Co-Ed Large Hip-Hop as a choreographer and coach. I am proud to have attended college for dance on a partial scholarship to further the continuation of my studies and to have had the great privilege of being the opening soloist of AMDA’s summer 2022 production of Old Wine; New Skin. In the new era of my career, I am elated to be living the life I had dreamed of having as a kid. What I could only imagine is now encompassing my everyday reality. I am proud of the person and artist I am becoming and look forward to all future endeavors.
What sets me apart from others is my obsession. I am entirely entranced by this art form. Discipline, dedication, and determination prioritize my end goals. My infatuation in developing my most honest release of energy through passionate expression resonates by translating vulnerability into communication. My work ethic and hustle mentality allow me to uncontrollably surpass my ambitions and rise to the next level or expectations asked and expected of me.
What are your plans for the future?
Having no fear, I am entering the abyss of the future with my arms wide open, ready to embrace anything that comes my way. Putting in the work, training consistently, challenging my own mindset, and pushing the envelope are agendas that will not cease from my capabilities. I will only stretch these further and I am eager to keep building upon my current solid foundation.
The big change I’m currently strategizing is expansion. To grow my mental and physical states as well as my creative intuition eclipsing what is current. I am a firm believer in manifestation to further carve my path in this crazy thing called life. My next personal project is to create and choreograph a new film. An experimental art film I recently directed, edited, and conceptualized choreography for entitled “Chrysalis”, has reached an audience number larger than anticipated and I’m impatient to get back in the lab to create my next piece of work. I hope to continue working and performing in the theatrical field as well as expanding into TV/film and the commercial platforms within the industry. I look forward to breaking molds and being unpredictable throughout my journey within this quick-paced lifestyle. Let’s Dance! and Sign me up! are my current mottos. I look forward to working with you 😉
Contact Info:
- Website: www.marykatechapman.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marykate.chapman/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@marykatechapman
Image Credits
Alissa Roseborough, Lindsay Rosenberg, & Winnie Mu
