We recently connected with Leonard Crofoot and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Leonard, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

Nijinsky Speaks – A one person show that I wrote and performed in.

Work had been slow and I needed to jumpstart my career.. I had just completed a job portraying Vaslav Nijinsky for the opening of an art exhibition entitled “Vaslav Nijinsky: Art of the World’s Greatest Dancer” at the Severin Wunderman Cocteau Museum in Irvine, California. My friend visual artist Robin Palanker knew I was looking for a project that would display my acting and dance abilities in order to get work. But it never occurred to me that Nijinsky Speaks would become my bread and butter for ten years.

It started in a workshop production at Tuacahn Center for the Arts in St. George, Utah, where I did my first two performances. I was recreating a role for their summer theater that I had done the previous year, I mentioned that I had a show and asked if they might let me perform it in one of their smaller theaters. They agreed, The workshop went well, I did some rewriting. Then, back in Los Angeles I scheduled showcase performances at Glaxa Studios in Silver Lake. It was supposed to be four performances but due to popular demand the show kept extending. The show closed after a seven-month residency. The reviews in LA where very positive and I wanted to take the show on the road. Fellow dancer Stan Mazin approached me, he wanted to take the show off-Broadway. We had performed together in “Once Upon a Mattress” with Carol Burnett. Thanks to Stan, “Nijinsky Speaks” played for seven weeks at the Harold Clurman Theater in New York. Several university gigs followed, made possible by word of mouth and numerous friends recommendations. I was approached by David Lieberman Artist’s Representatives. Bookings continued at theaters and universities around the country, The university residencies included master classes and lectures, along with performances. Some highlights were performances at the Kravis Center in Palm Beach, Florida and the Getty Center in Malibu, California.

Nijinsky Speaks lasted ten years from 1996-2006. It began with an attempt to get work and it became the work itself.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

As a young boy I was crippled. After I recovered and got out of my wheelchair, I began taking ballet classes to strengthen my legs. I’ve been dancing ever since.

I’ve made a living as a performer: dancing, acting and singing. I’ve performed on Broadway, in national tours, overseas, on stage, television and in movies. Performing has been a lifetime career.

I’ve worked with many luminaries, stars, producers, directors, choreographers, writers and composers who included me into their lives. My focus has been to make their dreams come to fruition. With pride and thanks, I have offered my skills, contributing to the completion of their projects.

Websites:
www.leonardcrofoot.com

www.Nijinskyspeaks.com

www.instagram.com/leonardcrofoot

Also see Leonard Crofoot videos on IMDb, YouTube and Vimeo

IBDB – Broadway

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

The social media is booming, and I want to be more connected.

Instagram, Facebook, Websites all offer independence. They allow a person to build, share and promote, they offer independence.

I am fortunate and thankful to the wonderful Brian Kreutz and associates at “A Captain’s Log” for my two interviews. Bryan introduce me to the fabulous Sarah Garcia at Canvas Rebel. In addition a shout out and many thanks to the masterful Ryan T. Husk and associates for my interview at “The 7th Rule.” These saints are integral in promoting a creative goal. I am most grateful.

YouTube and Vimeo provide a chance to display a unique voice, to grow a brand, they permit a person to build videos that can grow a following, to build their following. Among other, check out “School Day” it’s an autobiographical story.

I am grateful to TuneCore, an excellent and caring distributor. My relationship with them allows me to share my current project, which is stories with music and songs. I now have three albums and five singles now available on iTunes, Apple Music, Pandora, YouTube Music, Deezer, TIDAL, Napster, Spotify, iHeart, Amazon. “Showbiz Stories” – 15 stories fiction and non-fiction, “Heartfelt Tales”- 20 stories mostly fiction, “Rarities” – 36 stories, fiction, two Singles “School Day” about my first day in school and “To the Underground” -fiction. My three song are: “The Lady in the Harbor,” “The Stars are out Tonight,” and “Only the Truth Matters.”

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I’ve had the pleasure of working in show business all my life, made a living thanks to so many generous employers. I love to perform. Dancing, Singing, Acting, that’s my gig. I’ve learned to juggle, walk a tightrope, ride a unicycle, play a guitar. I love show business. Creativity is joy for me. I’ve worked with so many artists, played for audiences at home and abroad. I love to entertain and meet people.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.leonardcrofoot.com and https://www.nijinskyspeaks.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leonardcrofoot/?ref=9472
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leonardcrofoot/
• Youtube: youtube.com@leonardcrofoot7584
• Other: https://vimeo.com/user55766654https://vimeo.com/559977641

  https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0188447/

  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWpXkVw27qmP6R7lcvnjkuA

  https://m.imdb.com/title/tt32809232/?ref_=tt_mv

Image Credits

Personal photo – Painting and Photo by Robin Palanker
Nijinsky Speaks – Photo by Robin Palanker