Jamar Roberts, Rising Star
I would like to share a story with you. A story about a young man whose life has not been easy. A story about a young dancer who has made his dreams come true despite the hardships around him. This story has its roots in humble beginnings, but the end, though unwritten, will truly inspire anyone to follow their dreams no matter how hard is the road ahead. I feel that I can tell you this story first hand because I have taught Jamar and know how truly special he is as a dancer and a person.
Jamar Roberts is every young dancer's idol. Jamar was just accepted to the first company of Alvin Ailey and he is also the youngest member, at twenty years of age. Jamar started dancing at the age of seven but only in the local public schools. He did not take a formal dance class at a studio until he was sixteen years old, when Miami's Dance Empire teacher and studio owner Angel Fraser-Logan spotted him in a dance class at Coral Reef Senior High (one of Miami's Magnet schools). It was love at first sight for Angel and she invited him to the studio, where his love of dance flourished and was nourished. After one year at Coral Reef, Jamar transferred to New World School of the Arts, an internationally known training high school for the arts. There, more dance technique was implemented in his daily routine.
By his senior year, Jamar was rapidly being shaped by the dance forces around him: Modern at New World under Peter London, and at Dance Empire, Jazz under Angel Fraser-Logan, Hip Hop under Tawanna Hall, and the Ballet that I taught him. I was always amazed at how Jamar could balance everything and put as much polish and technique into one of Angel's pieces as he could ghetto and funk into one of Tawanna's pieces. Jamar is one of those few dancers who can 'do it all.'
Despite his appearance - which is a bit intimidating - over six feet, muscles ripped and bulging and boyish good looks, Jamar is just a regular guy who loves clam chowder and listens to Alicia Keyes. It is hard to remember that he is not even old enough to do some things adults take for granted! Sitting across the table from him, watching as he can barely chew his crab cakes because of the Novocain the dentist injected into his mouth, we giggled like adolescent cheerleaders over the funny questions I asked. He cannot understand the fuss that is made about him; why when he returns to Dance Empire after a year in Alvin Ailey II, everyone treats him like a god. I gently tell him that it is because he is achieving what almost every other dancer hopes to achieve - a paycheck for doing what you love to do.
Jamar is just like any other guy: a Leo who loves the color baby blue and is really happy in his Diesel jeans with two holes in the crotch. He grew up watching dance videos and these videos have helped shape Jamar's dancing. Story ballets are his favorite. His all time favorite ballets are: the full-length version of "Le Corsaire" and Judith Jamison's "Divining." His favorite choreographer 'right now' is Alonzo King and his favorite dancers are: Patricia Barker and Jeffrey Gerodias. I also asked Jamar what his dream role is and he had a few answers: the lead in Alonzo King's "Following the Subtle Current Upstream" and Balanchine's "Theme and Variations."
Jamar is completely confidant in himself and his dancing - so much so that when I asked him if he could change something about his body, he said after a long hesitation "I'd like bigger calves, oh, and maybe better turnout." Jamar is not naïve; he knows what he wants, but he also knows his limits and understands and appreciates them. I also asked him if he feels like he has sacrificed anything for his career in the dance world. After an even longer hesitation, he mentioned that he might have been able to invest more time in his academics. Jamar was a good student, but like most dancers, after high school a choice has to be made - college life or dance life. A small part of Jamar wishes he could continue on to college and as he says it best "do the middle life part."
Jamar, at least for now, is a transplanted Floridian living in New York. He told me that it was very easy to adjust to his new schedule in New York as an Alvin Ailey second company member, but it was hard living in New York, and it was hard leaving his family and dance family in Miami. A typical day went something like this: Wake up at 7:00 a.m.; leave apartment around 8:30 for his stretching routine; class from 10:30-12:00 p.m.; 12-6 rehearsals with very few breaks, and around three to four performances a week after rehearsals. This same schedule continued even when the company was on tour.
I asked Jamar if he could sum up his experience in the second company in three phrases and this is what he had to say: "professional, invaluable experience, lots of work." Jamar was the only second company member to be picked for the first company. Out of fifty boys and two hundred girls, Jamar figures that his look fit the requirements needed to fill a spot. After some more prodding, Jamar admitted that his passion for dance combined with his artistry might have also contributed to his success. I agreed.
Jamar is very grateful to Angel Fraser-Logan, Tawanna Hall, Alison Hesh and Peter London for his technical and performance background. He considers his dancing to be a melting pot of all of their influences. He is also especially thankful of the family support of Grandmother Jeanette Roberts and Grandmother Leary Davis for helping him to achieve his goals. As the newest and youngest company member of Alvin Ailey, Jamar Roberts has a lot to prove and a lot of hard work ahead of him, but he is so eager and up to the challenge!
What is in the future for Jamar? He has many ambitious thoughts: Dance for Alonzo King, Frankfurt Ballet, Complexions and maybe do some Broadway work. Five years into the future Jamar sees himself still dancing, hopefully at Ailey. Ten years into the future Jamar sees himself as retired and choreographing ballets on companies around the globe. All of this is in the future; Jamar is still working on today.•