We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Eric Bean, Jr. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Eric below.

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.

Eric Bean Jr. officially began his training at the age of 15 under the tutelage of Suzette Harvey (founder of the Bermuda Dance Company & United Dance Productions Studio). Through her guidance and unwillingness to settle for anything less than the very best, Eric found a love for the art form of dance and a passion for sharing it with others. Following in her footsteps, he went on to attended University of the Arts in Philadelphia (PA), where he was eventually invited to become a member of Eleone Dance Theater. Under the direction of Shawn-Lamere Williams, he continued to grow as an artist and performer; working his way through the ranks to a position of principle dancer. Immediately after completion of his undergraduate program, he was invited to join the renowned Koresh Dance Company under the direction of Artistic Director/Choreographer/Founder Ronen Koresh. Here he received opportunities to work with and perform works by pioneers in the dance community including: Donald Byrd (Spectrum Dance Theatre, Color Purple Musical), Robert Battle ( Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre) and Ohad Naharin (Batshava Dance Company) to name a few.

Choreographically, Eric has been given the opportunity to create work for several companies that include Missouri Contemporary Ballet, Brandywine Ballet, and Eleone Dance Theater as well as hold faculty positions in various national and international dance programs including University of the Arts, University of Nevada Las Vegas and ‘Dance Bermuda’; American Ballet Theatre’s only international dance program. In 2014 he was also given the opportunity to work with the legendary Frank Gatson, Jr. and his creative team on their revamping of the Las Vegas classic Production Show, “Jubilee! The Showgirl Reborn” and served as a member of its illustrious final cast. In 2016, he severed as a member of the inaugural cast of the Viking Sea; the second ship in the new Viking Ocean Fleet. A true ‘triple threat’, in 2017 Mr. Bean became a member of the North American touring company of Disney’s The Lion King and continues to bring the magic of this beautiful show to countless audiences around the country. Eric’s passion for performance, creation, and education led to the creation of his annual OFF STRIP event: an adults only costume party and cabaret performance benefiting arts education scholarships for underprivileged youth in the Las Vegas area; as well as the continuation of his education through the Disney Aspire program. Allowing Eric to receive his Masters Degree in Arts and Cultural Management for The University of Denver, CO (2023).

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

As is the case which much of the live arts and entertainment industry, my ability to work was greatly affected by the sudden outbreak of the Covid-19 virus and subsequent industry wide shut down. At the time of the shutdown, the Lion King North American Tour (of which I am a member of) was in South Bend, Indiana and had begun to hear stirrings that the shows in NYC were shutting down and we followed soon after. Initially, we were informed that we would be going to our respective homes for two weeks and would receive further information as it became available. It was not long after that we began to realize that things were not going to go back to ‘life as usual’ and that a return to work date was likely going to be unknown for the foreseeable future. Like many performers, after a few weeks of solitude and lack of regular connection and interaction with the arts community, I began to feel both helpless and depressed. But then a few of friends and I decided to start do a weekly zoom chat which eventually became a weekly class where we would alternate teach different warm-ups to stay active and engaged. This practice did wonders for my mental health and ultimately inspired me to begin offering a weekly free jazz dance class via instagram to anyone who wanted to move, groove, and connect. The class became a huge hit and had several lasting impacts on my personal and professional life including new friends, teaching and choreographic opportunities, and a large increase in my social media following. It also encouraged me to explore other artistic offerings that I would typically not have much time for in my hectic tour schedule. This included taking virtual workshops and intensives in: The art of Choreography, Videography for dance, Voice Over Acting, and Vocal coaching. I even decided to further my education and began work on my Masters degree in Arts and Cultural management, which I completed just a few short weeks ago in August of 2023!

Thanks to both my friends and my art, I was able to turn a moment of hardship into one of resilience and growth!

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Throughout my creative journey, I have found that my biggest passions are show creation, dance education, and artists cultivation. It is therefore my goal to one day transition from my performance career to a more ‘behind the table’ position in the areas of artistic direction, entertainment management, and show creation and development. As I am a resident of Las Vegas, the entertainment capital of the world, I would love to find opportunities to utilize my gained knowledge and skills working with one of the many resorts to help add new and exciting offerings to the legacy of entertainment offered by the city!

Also, as a proud Bermudian, I would love the opportunity to bring more attention to the vast amount of talent found in my island home through the creation of internationally recognized arts education and performance programming based on the island. This is a life long dream and I believe my recent studies in the area of Arts and Cultural Management will serve me well in making this dream a reality.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ebjdance.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/ebjdance
• Facebook: facebook.com/ebjdance
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/ebjdance
• Twitter: twitter.com/ebjdance1
• Youtube: youtube.com/bermudadanceboy
• Other: instagram.com/offstriplv – this is my fundraising events’ IG

Image Credits
Daniel Woods Todd Rosenberg Jerry Metellus Shai Yammanee Koresh Dance Company