What happens when a kid with a dream steps onto a Broadway stage for the first time? It’s pure magic. Wesley Wray is a an actor, musical artist, and BFA student at the University of Michigan, who is making his broadway debut this season in the Tony award winning show Buena Vista Social Club, and he joined the studio this month!

His career path has already spanned ballet, Afro-Caribbean movement, modern dance, music, theatre, film, and beyond. He shared his experiences in Buena Vista Social Club, backstage stories, and the audition process! And in a beautiful full circle moment, he talked about the Broadway dance workshop he recently taught at Ailey Extension, which invited dancers of all ages and levels to learn choreography from the show and experience the power of dance as community.

Wesley has roots with Alvin Ailey, studying at The Ailey School’s professional division summer intensives and AileyCamp Miami. He shared what his time studying at Alvin Ailey taught him about establishing safe dance spaces to explore multi-disciplinary training, and how that can shape you as an artist.

We also talked about his experience working with Tony winning choreographers Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck on Buena Vista Social Club and how ballet technique supports hybrid movement styles in the show. And he gives his best advice for adult dancers, emerging artists, and anyone who has the courage to try something new. Check it out!

• Follow Wesley on Instagram: @wesleywwray
• Learn more about Buena Vista Social Club: buenavistamusical.com
• Learn about Alvin Ailey: ailey.org
• Subscribe to The Adult Ballet Studio on YouTube: @adultballetstudio

Music in this episode:

Waltz of the Flowers - Tchaikovsky

Barroom Ballet - Silent Film Light - Kevin MacLeod

Barroom Ballet - Silent Film Light by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100310

Artist: http://incompetech.com/

@eblosfield  | [email protected]

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