Today we’d like to introduce you to Sean Viator.
Sean, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and started dancing at the age of nine. I would watch my sister in her dance recitals and learn her dances from the recital VHS. I begged my parents for many years to put me in dance and finally they agreed. Growing up in the south and attending a private, catholic school (while being a male dancer) wasn’t always the most pleasant experience. I was bullied a lot.
Luckily, I found a good group of friends to help and I also knew I had dance. Something clicked inside of me my freshman year of high school and I knew dance was what I wanted to pursue professionally. It was from then on that I knew I was destined for something bigger…bigger than Baton Rouge, bigger than the small minds of those who made fun of me. During those high school years, I competed with my studio where I won a lot of regional and national awards. I had the honor of performing in two original Debbie Allen productions, which is still a highlight moment for me…I mean Debbie Allen is a legend! College was the route I knew I wanted to go down, which is a controversial topic in the dance world. I received my BFA in dance, with a minor in Business Administration from the University of Arizona. I graduated early in May of 2013 – Summa Cum Laude – and was awarded the universities top dance award – The Triple Threat Award. I then moved to Salt Lake City where I danced with Odyssey Dance Theater. We got to travel throughout Europe while performing beautiful dance pieces including one choreographed by Mia Michaels.
After a season with ODT, I moved to Las Vegas, where I danced in shows including Donn Arden’s JUBILEE, Cirque Du Soleil’s One Night for One Drop and Steve Wynn’s ShowStoppers. After almost four years in Vegas, I moved to Los Angeles where I signed with Bloc Talent Agency. Since living in LA I have had the pleasure of dancing in jobs like: Billboard Music Awards with Christina Aguilera & Demi Lovato, “I’m Ready” music video for Sam Smith and Demi Lovato, featured dancer for a movie promo of ‘Isn’t It Romantic” starring the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Eurovision Skeleton crew for Nappytabs, Before the Wedding Pilot (ABC), Universal Studios Japan commercial, Mikes Hard Lemonade commercial, “Black and White” music video for Todrick Hall & Pentatonix, “Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels” music video for Todrick Hall, the Latin GRAMMYS for Alessia Cara & Logic, & Dance Captain for “Hansel and Gretel” with the LA Opera. I most recently had the joy of performing in the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall with the legendary Rockettes!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Hahaha…not at all! Has anyone had a smooth road? I think the biggest struggle has been dealing with rejection. As a dancer, you face more rejection in one week than most people do in a lifetime. It’s tough because no one can teach you how to handle rejection. Imagine working so hard your entire life for something and someone simply saying “NO”. With auditions, you rarely ever get feedback. You dance for the choreographer and/or casting director and most of the time, it’s either a yes or no…you don’t get any explanation of why you are getting cut or getting kept. As dancers, I feel we are very connected with our emotions, so when you get cut it’s hard to not take it personally. Sadly, I know many talented friends who have stopped dancing because of this, everyone handles this part of the process differently. I’ve learned over the years, and many NOs later, that it’s vital to develop a tough backbone. I realized that separating your emotions from yourself at that point can help when you are in tough situations. Some NOs are easier than others…but at the end of the day the most important part is getting back up and trying again. Being tenacious is one of the most important qualities a dancer can have. I was cut many times from several jobs I dreamed of having…instead of giving up, I was determined to go back to them again and again until I booked the job. There are many DREAM jobs I’ve gotten to do because I showed up to multiple auditions and proved myself over and over..
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
As a professional dancer, I am my business. My body, my movement, is how I make my money. Dancers aren’t just artists but we are also business people. How I handle my social media, how I present myself to the world…all of that is also important…because it can get me more work. As a dancer, I try to be versatile and do multiple dance styles. The more styles you can dance in, the work you get…it’s as simple as that. I am lucky to have had a pretty well-rounded career because I’ve gotten to experience many different sides of the dance industry. I started professionally in a dance company then went into production shows on the Las Vegas strip, then went commercial route in Los Angeles, back to Production shows in NYC.
Teaching is also another side of the dance business. I have been lucky enough teach at several studios including the iconic Millennium Dance Complex and even at the college level for the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. Teaching has always been a passion of mine. I see it as the next step in my career, but you also run it like a business. The more you promote yourself, the more you will work. Social Media is great in that aspect because I can post a dance video from my class and maybe someone will see it and want to bring me in to teach their students. I have gotten a lot of teaching stuff from doing that!
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
After living in Los Angeles for two years and most recently dancing in New York…I love the idea of being bicoastal! I have been lucky to dance professionally in some of the most iconic cities in the world and I want to keep doing that! Los Angeles is my permanent home but I would love to keep working in New York as well. As for the future, I want to dance for as long as I can. Like I previously stated, I love teaching and will continue to teach until I can’t anymore. I am so passionate about dance and getting to share that passion with others is so fulfilling to me. Ultimately, I would love to be a creative director. A creative director wears many hats, but being behind the scenes…coming up with the concepts, sets, and other various things for performances and then seeing it all come to life…is a very appealing dream to me. It also feels like the natural progression that my career will go in.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @SeanViator
Image Credit:
Wes Klain and Ed Flores
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