We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Chaz Sanders a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Chaz , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. The first dollar you earn is always exciting – it’s like the start of a new chapter and so we’d love to hear about the first time you sold or generated revenue from your creative work?

The first dollar or paycheck I earned was from Abby Crabtree at the Cumberland County Playhouse, Summer 2007. It was for an internship for a production of Guys and Dolls – It was my first paid as a Actor. I had never had a named-paid-role in a show and I was over the moon. I was contracted to make a certain amount and Abby came by after rehearsal one afternoon and said how proud of me she was and ended up giving me $50 raise.

It was beautiful to feel like I was good at my dream, you can say it was the push I needed to continue growing and auditioning for more and more things.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I got into my industry at a young age…7 years-old I believe – I began taking Hip Hop classes in Detroit. I stayed in that lane until my Mother and I moved to Tennessee and I began training in voice with Annie Crabtree – it was there I found my love for Theatre Arts – she pushed me into my first production Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat where I played Benjamin at may first professional theater The Cumberland County Playhouse. From there I began technical dance and theatre classes, it was 2005.

I stayed and volunteered in a few productions from there until the summer of 2007 where I received my first *paid* internship. I interned until the summer of 2009 and I left for college: Shenandoah University/Conservatory to major in Dance/Musical Theatre. When I finished college I went back to CCP to a contract as a Young Professional and it felt like it had all came full circle. I eventually left you “Young Professional” and became a Resident Company Member as a Professional Actor/Dance Captain and a teacher in the same Musical Theater & Dance program that I grew up in.

In 2015 it was time to try my hand at being a freelance Actor so I auditioned at SETC and began working in states such and Michigan, Georgia, and even California – I had started choreographing professionally and it was time for the Big Apple. So I went to NYC, which brought on so many opportunities including Atlanta where I performed in a production of Mamma Mia and then everything stopped due to the Corona Virus.

Covid brought a lot of new realizations and changes and no one knew if theater would ever come back and what it would look like – so I moved to Nashville hoping to find my nitch. Here I began teaching at a Gymnastics gym and later we added a dance studio that I would become the Director of.

Finding out that I still have more of my life to live I stepped down from the Dance Director role. I am located in East Nashville (proudly) and work, perform, and choreograph with Goodneighbor Festivals, Nashville, Kentuckiana, and Louisville PRIDE. I proudly work with many studios and organizations choreographing and performing in the Tennessee and Kentucky areas.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Sharing others work will ALWAYS help boast. Sharing venues you like working with and visiting new places – introducing yourself, showing up isn’t enough. Meet people, smile, and show people your light, that has helped me more than anything on social media. Also, pay attention to quality content over quantity content.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Covid-19, I had to pivot to being a Barista in a local coffee shop in Crossville, Tn. LOVED IT! Very humbling and loved learning the new skill.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: heychazzy_
• Facebook: Chaz Sanders

Image Credits

Cody Stallings