Interview: Jeremy Price on What It Takes to be a Stomper

For over 25 years, Stomp's unique blend of percussion, dance, and theatricality has been thrilling audiences around the world. After launching in the UK in 1991, Stomp has been playing Off-Broadway since 1994 and touring across the globe ever since. A cultural phenomenon, Stomp has performed at the Lincoln Memorial, in the West End, at the Olympic Closing Ceremonies, and in their own IMAX movie.

Tonight, their North American tour stops at Orlando's Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts for a two-night event. Recently, I spoke with veteran "Stomper" Jeremy Price about this one-of-a-kind experience.

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BWW: You've been with Stomp on and off for 13 years. Other than it being a pretty good gig, what is it about this show, and this company, that keeps you coming back for so many years?

Price: There are a bunch of reasons, but first and foremost, I love it. It's unlike anything else I've done, and there's something very real and organic about the show, so that's why I believe performers stick with it for so long. You're allowed to be yourself; there are eight characters in the show, and you're definitely allowed to apply your own personalities to the characters. So, you can have five people who do one role, and they each do it a little differently.

It's extremely organic, and really, really fun, and as long as your body holds up, people like to do it for a really long time.

I know that the correct answer is probably "All of the Above," but if you had to pick one, is Stomp more percussion, is it more dance, or is it more theatre?

That's a really difficult question to answer, because it is a mix. It is rhythm. I will say it is more percussion than anything, especially to the layman, as they're watching the show that's what they're going to remember. But, rhythm is the groundwork for everything else we do.

For the dancers that get hired, they have to learn to be the rhythm that they move to simultaneously. For drummers and percussionists that get hired, they have to learn to move, they have to have some innate sense of movement; not necessarily be a dancer, but be able to move well.

It really is right down the middle, I could say it's 60/40, but rhythm really is the groundwork for everything.

I know that you have experience as both a dancer and a percussionist, is that unusual for Stompers? You mentioned that usually the people who are hired are either dancers or percussionists, but is it normal for new performers to have experience in both disciplines before they join the show?

It's not unusual at all. In fact, I feel like, there are less standouts from each individual field. Now, that said, there are some people that have accomplished great things in the field of dance, in the field of music, and in the field of percussion that come into Stomp, but, by in large, they're people that are pretty good at one thing or two things; not necessarily a standout, but pretty good. Therefore, they become sort of a maverick performer in Stomp, and they really thrive in this environment.

Why is that? Why do people who are obviously talented, but might not be the best in their field, find a place to be special in Stomp?

It affords the opportunity to explore it. I was a break-dancer when I was a young kid, that's when break-dancing was flourishing for the first time, so I just learned to do that, I learned from other people. But, I would never go into a dance studio and say, "I'm a dancer."

I found music later on, and really explored that and took a lot of lessons. So, when I got into Stomp, it afforded me the opportunity to move my body again and reacquaint myself with the reason that I fell in love with music in the first place, which was that it made me move. So, (STOMP) allowed me to do both, and be myself as I did it.

There are a lot of people (who join the show) that played music... in high school, and then they become dancers. They get in this show, and they can play a little music again as they move. It really speaks to everybody, and it speaks to the audience as well. You can tell, we may or may not be the best dancers, but it doesn't matter.

You mentioned how difficult it is for Stompers to keep their bodies in shape. What do you need to do to be able to do this show on a nightly basis, and then to travel across the country. I'm sure traveling so much doesn't necessarily help the healing process.

Doesn't help it at all, as far as I'm concerned. It varies from performer to performer. There are a lot of young folks doing the show, and it takes them a year or so to realize that they should be taking care of their bodies.

If you're older and you get hired in the show, chances are you're already taking care of your body anyway. For me personally, I used to lift weights, I used to try to counterbalance (injuries) by staying strong and keeping my joints stabilized, and the older I got, the more impact I was actually putting on my joints, so I started studying yoga. Now, that's what I do. Drink a lot of water, and do a lot of yoga, but I'm the oldest guy in the show, so it sort of makes sense.

How many injuries have you had to deal with over the course of your various runs that are likely Stomp related?

I herniated a disk nine or 10 months into the show 13 years ago. Anyone will tell you... with herniated disks, if you're not careful, there's a very good possibility that you'll herniate another one. So, over the course of time, I've herniated three, and only one was directly Stomp related, so they say.

That's one reason why I found yoga, and started straightening myself up. I've never had surgery. I guess that's something else I've learned, it's amazing what the body can accomplish if your mind is in the right place. I was told to have surgery, and I just didn't do it, and here I am 13 years later, still doing the show.

In addition to being the show's elder statesman, you are also the rehearsal director. What goes into keeping the show tight on the road? How much do you rehearse, especially keeping in mind the physical demands of the show?

It's not easy. We get on stage for an hour every day before the show. It's just to block, and to make sure that we're in the right spots. We've got people that swing roles, and they have to bounce into another spot for the evening. So, we go on stage and we don't go as hard in rehearsal as you do in a show, and I just try to map out that time. If things need to be fixed, if people are learning new roles, if you've got people coming into sub.

If need be, we'll call a company rehearsal, or a swing rehearsal, and that's a four-hour block; but typically, we don't have to do that.

To finish up, what can audiences expect when they come to see Stomp here in Orlando?

It's fun, and it's funny, and I think that's the most overlooked part of the show; that's why the show's been around for so long. The reason people come to the show is because they relate to it. They're going to see a lot of movement, a lot of music, and have a lot of fun.

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To purchase tickets to see Stomp in Orlando, visit the Dr. Phillips website or call 844-513-2014. Are you excited for this show to Stomp into town? Let me know what you thought in the comments below, or by "Liking" and following BWW Orlando on Facebook and Twitter by using the buttons below. You can also chat with me about the show on Twitter @BWWMatt.

Banner Image: Stomp Cast. Photo Credit: Stomp

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