Listen: Al Blackstone Opens Up About Career-Threatening Injury On WHY I'LL NEVER MAKE IT Podcast

In the latest episode, Emmy-winning director and choreographer Al Blackstone (So You Think You Can Dance) talks with host Patrick Oliver Jones about some of the doubt, uncertainty, and aloneness he's faced in this industry. It's an honest conversation on how labels can limit an artist's potential and why the idea of "making it" comes more from a strong sense of self than from the acceptance or validation of others.

Listen below:

Through questions and shared experience, Jones and Blackstone discuss three challenging moments In particular. The first is an injury that has kept Blackstone from dancing for months. It has completely disrupted his flow of practice, impacting his daily routine and putting his future capabilities into question. Secondly, Blackstone reveals the ostracizing experience of his freshman year as a dance major at NYU. Even though it was a wonderfully inspiring and formative time in his development as a dancer, he still felt completely out of place as a jazz dancer in a very modern program. While teachers remained supportive, some fellow students made him feel like everything he had valued up until that point was suddenly something to be embarrassed about.

Lastly, they broaden the conversation to the idea of needing to ask permission to create and collaborate. "For choreographers, we have to wait around for someone to say 'we want you to work on this musical' or 'we want you to work on this movie.'" This is why Blackstone has spent recent years learning how to make his own work. "But even that, I have to come up with everything." Still, he finds great joy in bringing together a creative team of dancers, actors, and designers to produce his own ideas on the stage. One of his personal highlights was the 2019 production of FREDDIE FALLS IN LOVE at the infamous Joyce Theater. Although the show was not received well by the NY Times, Blackstone is immensely proud of his work and felt it embodied who he is as a dancer and choreographer.

Throughout the episode, Blackstone is honest about his shortcomings but confident in his ability to adapt and keep going. He showcases a deep belief in the power of dance to foster community and kindness among all artists.

Al Blackstone is an Emmy-winning director, choreographer, and educator. His passion for bringing people together to experience something meaningful drives him to make dances, tell stories, and encourage joyful connection. Born in New Jersey and raised in a dance studio, he has called New York City home for more than a decade. In that time he has created emotional work for the stage and screen, thrown dance parties for charity, and introduced hundreds of people to one another.

Blackstone is also the co-founder of MOMEN NYC, an organization focused on bringing adult dancers together to focus on their craft and make lasting connections.

WHY I'LL NEVER MAKE IT is one of Feedspot's Top 25 Theater Podcasts and is hosted by Off-Broadway actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones. This weekly podcast features fellow creatives sharing the realities of a career in the performing arts, all while challenging the notion of what it really means to "make it" in this business. Other dancing artists featured on WINMI include Chaz Wolcott (Newsies), Tovi Wayne (Mean Girls), and Samantha Figgins (Alvin Ailey Dance Theater).