At 12, Jakob Karr was fascinated in his first jazz dance class while the teacher demonstrated the mechanics of a ball change and a kick. He temporarily imitated the sole before letting his long leg ford fly over his head. “Oh! I have to do it again,” he said, smiling, feeling a freedom that corresponded to the height of his leg.
Now, 22 years later, Karr presents not only his flexibility and his performance skills, but also his choreography to challenge the traditional role of dance in the theater. He pleads for a new era of Broadway, where dancers are highlighted as artists capable of telling stories without words.
Originally from Orlando, Florida, Karr grew up as a competition dancer at the Stars Dance School shooting. In 2008, as a high school student, he won the national title in New York City Dance Alliance, opening a wide range of opportunities in the dance industry. After graduating, Karr moved to New York to attend Fordham University.
“I was so impatient to play at a professional level,” he says. So, after his first year at university, Karr auditioned for season 6 of “So You Think you can dance”. He almost won the whole competition, but received the finalist in the final episode. “In many ways, I feel like I have won because I won the start of a career.”
His “Sytycd” links have catapulted him into the professional world. Karr spent three years dancing for the XIV company of Austin McCormick, which takes fairy tales and classic ballets and returns them upside down in a baroque style. He learned a lot from McCormick and recognizes him as one of his most influential mentors. In 2016, Karr started working with Andy Blankenbuehler in the process of pre-production of the revival of Broadway of Cats.
During the pandemic, Karr saw the opportunity to create something entirely his. Bringing together his closest friends – all exceptional dancers – he created and played in his program Is not well done. The production was created at the Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival in 2021 and has just finished a successful out -of -Broadway race at Pershing Square Signature Center.
Dance teacher Caught up with Karr to discover how his professional experiences helped shape his artistic journey.
On Is not well done And his future:
“The best dancers, in my opinion, are my closest friends … They are phenomenal, and we exist in the same boat where we are often overlooked because we are not musical theater graduates. We have no incredible voice. I wanted to make a show where we could come together as a power Is not well done on Broadway.
On his greatest influence:
“(Austin McCormick) is a genius, and looking at how he developed his scenes breathtaking me. I have always admired this, and as I become more in creator, I channel it. I think of the way everyone respects it and I wonder: “How is it going?” These experiences are with me as a fundamental part of my career. »»
On Cats journey:
“I worked with Andy Blankenbuehler for a year to develop a language of movement before they even held auditions. But once we had auditions, it has become clear that I was not good for the role.
“I was brought in six months to the race when someone injured it. There was another series of hearing that I lived and I was really exhausted. I remember having the impression of being at the end of my mind. Then, two days later, my agent called to tell me that I reserved the show.
“The casting is a puzzle, and it is Davant Cats The experience was good for me because it taught me that the best dancer is rarely what a spectacle needs. This is the reality of Broadway.
“I looked at too many musicals of several million dollars with incredible dancers who move accessories in the background while the star singer stands at the center of the stage. It is not that the singers are not talented, but I believe that there is room to widen this projector and use the dance to its greatest potential.”
Advice for other creatives:
“If you have an idea for a show, a film or something creative, don't wait to start – write it. Do not be afraid to ask for the comments of mentors and friends. Developing your community around your work is so crucial for this purpose. If you came to me and said, `Jakob, I think I mean this short circuit.
