BWW Interviews: Jon Upleger, This Dancer's Life

In his tenth season with Nashville ballet, Jon Upleger is the very epitome of grace, class and talent, thrilling audiences with his artistry and complete devotion to his craft.

"I can't play a musical instrument so dance is my way to visually express music," he says.

And clearly, Jon Upleger is one of the most expressive men to have ever danced on a Nashville stage, paired with the leading ladies of Nashville Ballet, while taking on some of the most challenging roles during his decade with the company and, in the process, inspiring countless young boys who someday hope to dance "just like Jon Upleger."

This is what I had to say about his recent performance in Salvatore Aiello's Satto, part of February's Directors Choice repertory: "With the North American premiere of Twyla Tharp's The Story Teller generating most of the buzz prior to opening night, Nashville Ballet's Director's Choice winter series provided a much-needed jolt of electricity to the city's midwinter arts calendar. But it was the exquisite pairing of Molly Sansone and Jon Upleger in Aiello's completely sensual and mildly erotic Satto that truly turned up the heat in the company's annual salute to contemporary dance...

"The reaction to the program's second offering, Aiello's Satto, was much more satisfying and the resulting performance much more in keeping with what is expected from the talented artists who are Nashville Ballet. Described as 'an adaptation of an Asian legend about an encounter between a wind god and a leaf,' the very emotion of such an encounter is felt throughout the beautiful, lyrical and sensual piece, danced so beautifully by Upleger and Sansone. Sansone's rhythmic and undulating movements so ideally capture the movement of a leaf in motion, while Upleger's athleticism and awe-inspiring skill and strength is exquisitely expressed through his thoroughly significant performance...

"The pairing of Sansone and Upleger is sheer perfection, their obvious trust of each other coupled with their impressive artistry, thereby creating a work that is memorably romantic and extremely sexy. (Okay, they were hot - very hot, in fact - and intermission gave audience members a chance to catch their breath and, well, cool off.)" And any perceived resemblance to Josh Groban notwithstanding.

"Dance is a one-of-a-kind art form and it needs continued support," he muses. "So go out and view as many live performances as possible."

Sounds like good advice to me. Now, get to know more about Jon Upleger, who recently took the time to answer our questions and to afford us some insight into "This Dancer's Life" - read and enjoy...

 

 

What was your first introduction to dance as an art form? When I was 11 I would go to a latch key after-school program. One day a local dance school owner came and taught a class to encourage kids to join her school. She explained that ballet would help to make you a better athlete. So I tried the class. I liked it and stuck with it.

 

 

What was your first real job as a dancer? My first paid job was when I joined Nashville Ballet.

When did you know you wanted to pursue a career in dance? When I was 15 I went to a boarding school - Virginia School of the Arts. While there I saw what it would take to become a professional dancer. During my junior year I really made up my mind that I wanted to pursue that line of work.

Who is your dancing idol? This is a good question. I always likEd Carlos Acosta. He performs with such energy. But I think my idols would have to be the dancers that I looked up to here at Nashville Ballet when I first joined. I loved the passion and work ethic of Scott Brown, Alex Srb and Alexi.

Why do you pursue your art in Nashville? What are the best parts of working here? I ended up in Nashville sort of by chance. I was going to go to Houston, but a dancer left Nashville and a paid spot opened up so I took it. I really think it was a great decision. I've had great teachers and coaches here. And I got more opportunities sooner. Plus I love the city as well.

What is your dream role as a dancer? If you could dance any role...what would it be and why? My dream role would probably be Romeo from Romeo and Juliet. The role really runs the gambit of emotions. There are such highs and then dramatic lows. Plus the choreography and music are so beautiful. I consider myself very lucky to have danced the role with Sadie Bo Harris four years ago. It's one that I hope to have another shot at doing before I retire.

What is the brightest spot on your resume...what role/work is your most favorite? Romeo is at the top of the list along with Albrecht from Giselle and Satto. Another favorite would be the father from Paul Vasterling's version of Lizzie Borden. I don't often get to portray the evil character so that one was fun.

What's the biggest misconception people have about dancers? I was watching the movie BLACK SWAN and afterwards was a little disappointed at the characterization of the company as a whole. Now some companies might be more hostile than Nashville Ballet, but I wouldn't want audiences thinking that was the norm for dancers. It really is great here. We all get along quite well. Whether we go out or are hanging out at someone's home there is a lot of camaraderie amongst the dancers.

Who would play you in the film version of your life story? Well at the ballet the running joke is my resemblance to Josh Groban. So I guess he's my pick.

What's your favorite work created for dancers to perform? My favorite work has always been Salvatore Aiello's Rite of Spring. The music and movement are so powerful. When performing it you get to dance with controlled abandon. It's one that I'd love to step back from and really get to take in as part of the audience.

If you could have dinner with any three figures (living or dead, real or fictional) who are a part of the world of dance, who would you choose and why? I'm sure I'll look back at this answer and have overlooked someone. I'd go with the late Sir Frederick Ashton of the Royal Ballet, Salvatore Aiello, another incredible choreographer, and Sergei Prokofiev, the famed Russian composer who composed the scores for Romeo and Juliet and Cinderella. I think I would just sit at the table and listen to what they would talk about.

Imagine a young person seeing you onstage or seeing a production in which you played a major role coming up to you and asking you for advice in pursuing their own dream...what would you say? I think you can accomplish anything you put your mind to, as long as you're willing to dedicate yourself and put in the work to reach your goal. It became apparent to me, as I was pursuing my dream to become a professional dancer, that I did not have the prototypical legs and feet associated with a ballet dancer. I worked and continue to work very hard to shape and sculpt my line. One of my favorite movies is Rudy, the story of an undersized Notre Dame football player. I think as long as you have that mentality of never giving up then anything is possible.

SATTO photograph by Heather Thorne

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