April & May 2019

moving, so she thought, “This kid is going to be
a dancer. There’s nothing else he can do.” Turns
out, this IS the only thing I can do! My parents
were in theater, so I think that’s part of my draw
to performing. I think it’s in my genes.
What do you aspire to do? My teachers
joke that when they’re old and retired, I’ll be
running the studio. But when I’m out of college,
I’d like to audition for professional dance
studios and Broadway musicals before getting
into teaching. So there’s a lot of things I hope
to do.
What’s your typical dance week look like?
Mondays, I take an hour-and-a-half of ballet
and an hour-and-a-half of modern. Tuesday is
one of my teaching days at the studio, so I help
with the little kids from 3:30pm-8pm and then
from 8pm-9pm I’ll take my Broadway jazz class.
Wednesdays I teach from 4pm to 7:30pm, then
sometimes, if there are dances that need to
be finished, we’ll call rehearsal until 8 or 9pm.
Thursdays I dance from 4pm-9pm. And Saturdays
are my very long day, where I can be there
from 9am to 9pm.
That’s a lot. When do you do schoolwork?
My parents have always been strict
about homework, but they also know I’m a
hard-working student. If I don’t get it done, I
will be mad at myself. I panic more than them!
I can get very worked up over due dates, but,
fortunately, my teachers are very understanding
of my work schedule. I missed a history
assignment recently and I was so upset, but
my teacher said, “Trust me, Jackson, after what
you’ve been through recently with competitions
and musical rehearsals and the broken
ankle, I understand.” They know I will turn it in.
What is it about dance — which is so
demanding — that keeps you in it? There is the
athletic piece, and there is the self-expression
component. And I love all of that. But because
of the studio I go to, what I love so much is the
positive energy that dance gives everyone.
We’re very supportive of one another. You can
mess up, but at the end we’ll all be hugging you
and saying, “You did great! Don’t even worry
about it!” I would say the most important thing,
and the thing that appeals to me most, is that
supportive energy and connection with everyone.
Your dad Terry writes the Exit Zero weekly
Undertow column. How’s it feel to be the son
of a famous Cape May columnist? It’s very
cool! Though I don’t always acknowledge it.
exit zero 28 april-may
We’ve been hearing about the millennial
generation for so long. Focus is now starting
to shift to Gen Z in a big way. What do you
think the principal value of your generation
will be? We’re very determined. For me, it’s
getting certain steps down or learning certain
styles of dance. But all my peers are the same
way. We want to work hard, and we know if we
put our minds to it, whatever it is, we’ll be good.
Do you think there’s still a stigma around
guys in ballet. Or is that eroding? It’s still
there, but I don’t think it’s as noticeable as it
used to be. Reality TV dance competitions
have helped with that. And I’ve seen male
dancers going viral or appearing on the Ellen
DeGeneres show. I played a dancer and choreographer
in this year’s high school musical, a
murder-mystery-comedy called Curtains which
had a lot of dancing in it. My brother Owen was
in the show as well, and he said to me, “After
this, I have so much respect for what you
do.” It’s cool to see how people have a better
appreciation for guy dancers and male ballet
dancers in particular.
Who are your heroes? My parents. Also
my dance teachers. They’ve been my second
parents since I was five. I owe them all so much.