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.”
Jaren Nathan with fellow alumni at the 2023 UNCSA Alumni event in Los Angeles, California
/ Photo: Roxanna Peykamian.
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.
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.
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