Dance alumnus Jared Nathan turns a love of hip hop into an expansive career

Jared Nathan’s career has been steadily on the rise since his 2016 graduation from the School of Dance’s contemporary dance program. He has toured in the United States and Europe with some of pop’s biggest names (Hailee Steinfeld, Justin Bieber), performed on a cruise line at sea, danced in the desert at Coachella and taken the field at Raymond James Stadium for The Weeknd’s Super Bowl LV halftime show. But his path nearly took a different direction in pursuit of his first love: basketball.

The Winston-Salem native grew up playing basketball and describes dance as a fun side activity he embraced on a whim when he and a friend discovered some Michael Jackson VHS tapes. “I remember thinking he looked pretty cool moonwalking,” says Nathan, “and we made it our thing to try to imitate what he did.” They regularly watched the tapes after school, carefully copying Jackson’s moves. Over time, his friend grew tired of watching the tapes. But Nathan didn’t. “I was infatuated,” he remembers. “That’s where the bug bit me.”

As he grew older, influential performers like Justin Timberlake and Chris Brown inspired Nathan’s movement. “I realized I could impress the girls,” he recalls, laughing. He danced in church, knew every ‘social dance’ (i.e. the Dougie) the DJ played at his middle school dances and won a National Black Theatre Festival competition performing hip hop dance.

Flipping the switch

But Nathan’s focus remained on basketball until he dislocated his shoulder and couldn’t play during his senior year of high school. His mother suggested this might be a time to take dance seriously, but he wasn’t sold. Then he signed up to dance in a schoolwide talent show and received a standing ovation. “It was a good feeling,” he remembers, “and the confirmation I needed.”

After the talent show, a guidance counselor found Nathan and his mother in the crowd and introduced himself. Impressed with the performance, the counselor vowed to help Nathan pursue formal dance training. To prepare for an audition at UNCSA, which required ballet, contemporary and a dance solo, Natahn enrolled in classes at a local dance studio. “I had never taken a ballet class in my life,” he says.

“I looked like a hot mess,” says Nathan of the audition led by Associate Dean of Dance Brenda Daniels and alumni Helen Simoneau and Juel D. Lane. “But they saw something in me. They recognized my athletic ability and that I was a fast learner.” He was invited to join the school, and Lane would go on to be a mentor and “big brother” to him as he found his footing in the unfamiliar world of conservatory training.

Strength

“It was a rough transition from basketball to ballet,” recalls Nathan. “I had never worn tights before!” Classes and rehearsals were rigorous. “Having to dance to slow music was difficult for me,” says Nathan. “Ballet was very soft, very clean. It taught me how to slow down my movements and it made me a stronger dancer — specifically with my alignment and balance.” In between classes or during lunch he often found spaces to dance on his own and practice hip hop dance.

During Nathan’s third year, guest artist and alumna Camille D. Brown visited campus and invited him to train over the summer at famed dance mecca Jacob’s Pillow, where she would be teaching. He jumped at the opportunity to study social dance, African dance, drums and the history of hip hop. “Working with Camille was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had,” says Nathan. “It helped me so much leading into my senior year and knowing myself better as a hip hop dancer.”

A few months later, Nathan featured as a soloist in Juel D. Lane’s “When the Beat Drops,” first performed during Fall Dance and later released as a dance film. “Juel gave me the space to play,” he remembers. “It was his choreography, but he would ask how I felt and encourage me to add my two cents… to put my sauce on it.” 

Persistence

Nathan approached graduation as a stronger, more confident dancer. Shortly after receiving his diploma, he boarded Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas for a nine-month tour performing in Rhythm Nation — a new hip hop show inspired by Janet Jackson. Upon his return, he visited New York and took a class with dance instructor and choreographer Antoine Troupe who encouraged him to move to Los Angeles to pursue opportunities that matched his interests.

“I moved immediately,” says Nathan, who began training with Troupe in Los Angeles. “I had a job working at Buffalo Wild Wings… I would work 11–4 and then train from 5–11 three days a week for a year,” he recalls. He was making connections and networking, using his extrovertedness to his advantage. In 2017, Nathan auditioned to tour with Hailee Steinfeld who was opening for Katy Perry on tour in Europe and Charlie Puth on tour in the United States. 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Jared Nathan (@jay.nate)

He nabbed a spot, and the tour — spread across 2018 and 2019 — was a whirlwind. “Everything was moving so fast,” Nathan remembers. The tour brought him home to North Carolina with a stop in Charlotte on his mother’s birthday. It’s a special memory for Nathan, who recalls Steinfeld bringing him out on stage to wish his mom a happy birthday in front of the crowd. 

Justice

After the tour, Nathan returned to Los Angeles and took on local work leading up to and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Though it’s one small line on a robust résumé, in 2021 he performed in the iconic Super Bowl Halftime show alongside The Weeknd. But despite the grandeur of performing in Raymond James Stadium, he had his eye on something bigger.

“I knew Justin Bieber would go on tour again,” says Nathan, “and I already had my eye on that.” As 2021 drew to a close, auditions for Bieber’s 2022 Justice World Tour opened. Nathan had connections to the tour’s creative team through his training in Los Angeles, but knew he’d have to earn his spot on the crew. He was on the road for eight months before Bieber postponed the remaining dates indefinitely due to health concerns. Nathan wasn’t fazed, and turned to a new interest that had been brewing: acting. 

Acting runs parallel with dance. And I’m taking that transition seriously. I’ve been more selective about dance projects and have intentionally made room for acting opportunities that may arise.

Jared Nathan

“Acting runs parallel with dance,” he explains. “And I’m taking that transition seriously. I’ve been more selective about dance projects and have intentionally made room for acting opportunities that may arise.” Nathan, who is signed with United Talent Agency, recently wrapped filming on his first feature — an untitled musical project based on the childhood of producer, singer and songwriter Pharrell Williams. 

As he looks ahead after nearly a decade of dance, Nathan says it’s time for him to consider some new and sustainable career options. “It’s important to be a chameleon in the arts and entertainment industry,” he says, when asked what advice he would share with students who hope to follow in his footsteps. “Developing the skills to make you a multi-faceted artist will always serve you well.” And always make connections — with your faculty and staff, with alumni, and with anyone you meet in the industry. You never know where they will lead you.

by Hannah Callaway

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