Rhys Carr's Motto is "We Are Humans First, Performers Afterwards" - Next on Stage: Dance Edition

We're down to our top 5 contestants in our Next on Stage: Dance Edition competition.

Contestant Rhys Carr shares more about his charity, advice from a professor, and what he's been doing during quarantine to support the BIPOC community!

Vote for Rhys HERE.

Why did you apply for Next on Stage?

I applied for Next on Stage because I felt that my skills as a dancer are unique considering how I've been trained, but I know that I want to contribute my perspective of movement to the conversation surrounding Broadway and the direction dance is going in.

What does musical theatre mean to you?

To me, musical theatre means changing artistry that strives to impact each generation. The release that comes with telling a story with your voice, body, and heart is something that is immeasurable. Spilling your guts on a stage is nothing to be taken lightly. The weight of it is heavy, but worth carrying.

What is a fond theater memory you have?

My professor, Alan Patrick Kenny, once told me that "my performance is not my self worth". That has been something that has stuck with me because as performers, we critique every single move we make, forgetting that we have to separate our work from ourselves. No matter what happens during a performance, we have to understand that it doesn't invalidate who we are as people. We are humans first, performers afterwards.

What charity did you pick and why?

I chose the Compassion Prison Project because they are combatting an incredibly large issue in this country that has been plaguing BIPOC communities for too long. Their mission: "To transform prisons and communities through compassionate action". Through conversations of childhood trauma, they are able to uncover certain connections that are drawn between themselves and their place in the prison system. Through community projects and outreach, they are taught the impact that is left behind when giving back to the community. This organization understands that in order to dismantle this toxic system, the people who are in it must be treated with the compassion and respect they didn't receive in the first place.

Share a memory from seeing a show.

I will never forget my first time watching a community theater's production of Ragtime. I was very young at the time, still in elementary school, but I vividly remember being amazed by the gravity of a musical and the way it made me feel. It's the only musical that I have cried while watching. I'm not sure if that's because I was young and it was a tragic story, or because I was so moved by their performance. Honestly I think it's a combination of both. The fact that these actors reached a young mind like mine and told an honest story with all the heart in the world shows how powerful musical theatre really is.

Who is your dream choreographer to one day work with?

Jaquel Knight

What have you been doing during quarantine?

During quarantine I was involved in the creation of a theatre collective specializing in the amplification of BIPOC voices and stories; we are called Vibrancy Theater. At the same time, I was also involved in a a socially distanced play, then turned into a feature length film of Denis O'Hair and Lisa Peterson's AN ILIAD.

Give a shout out!

I would like to thank my friends in Athens and my OU School of Theatre family. Your support means the world to me.

Dust off your dancing shoes, because Next on Stage is back with our latest competition sponsored by LaDuca. Following the immense success of our musical theatre singing competition for student performers, we're moving from the recording studio to the dance floor to shine the spotlight on talented, young musical theatre dancers.

Check out all of the contestants HERE!