We recently connected with Evan Strand and have shared our conversation below.
Evan, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?
I have always been a very logical person. Extremely good at mathematics, and science. However, for some reason I was always drawn to the arts. I’ve never quite put my finger on why. I’ve been keenly aware that I would be quite successful in a great number of analytical environments to test and measure my logical output. The arts has just continued to win my attention. I remember one time during a ballet summer intensive audition for ABT (American Ballet Theater) the teacher came up to me and told me that I had the best technique in the room and they would not be accepting me into the program. (I later learned I did not have the “artistry” they were looking for). I was puzzled. I thought “but I’m doing everything right”. But that’s not what art is. Art is finding the expressions, all the in between a of life that allow the audience to connect and understand. Art is simple and complex all at once. Art is subjective but the most truthful expression of the world and your own personal environment. I love acting the most, especially because it is seemingly the one field that I can incorporate all of my talents, skills, interests and desires into one focused expression. I love telling the story of how I got to use my pole vaulting for a commercial once. At a track and everything! Am I happier as an artist? Maybe. What I do know is that art and its expression is so deeply entrenched in who I am that even with my dominant logical brain at the helm, a curiosity and wonder of the gentle, of the creative, fuels such a passion that I cannot fathom my life without it. I love writing poetry, I LOVE acting, I so desperately want to be a better singer; and dancing, ballet in particular, will continue to move my soul physically and emotionally, for the entirety of my life! My favorite thing is to be walking down the street and have a sudden urge to jeté across the crosswalk or throw a 540° when no one is expecting! It’s just thrilling, exuberant, joyful and whimsical all at the same time!
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?
I started my artistic endeavors in ballet when my grandmother saw me dancing around the house and thought I should get into it more! Well, actually I started with Jazz and loved it so much my studio director said I needed to start ballet so I could be in the nutcracker. I was 7. I trained at Southland Ballet Academy in Fountain Valley, CA. It was a challenge and I loved the athleticism, all while throughout my life I played baseball, soccer, wrestling, pole vaulting, long jump, swimming, surfing, horseback riding, archery, and have been doing tai chi for over 20 years and have a 4th degree black belt. Ballet just kept being what I chose to continue with the most. My favorite work has been with Marie De La Palme, and her company Motion Tribe. God rest her soul. I got to perform with her for 8 years after she and I met when she came and set Swan Lake for us, my senior year of high school. She was a brilliant choreographer and a dear friend. I encourage everyone to check out her work, particularly: The Cage, Le Couer Illumine, and immortal beloved, on YouTube. I did a small contract in Japan with Tokyo Disney, learned Japanese, ate some incredible food and travelled all over the country! It was magical! That has definitely been a huge benefit of my dancing and acting is how much I’ve gotten to travel over the years. I have been to 16+ different countries and many more than once. Shortly after I returned from Japan, I got into acting. I tried to get into the Joffery Ballet Company and long story short, realized I didn’t want to be in a company, didn’t want to teach and didn’t want to perform anything but ballet … I needed to find something more! I got myself into an acting class, pulled together my resume, had many ins and outs with agents and managers and learned all the standard industry protocols that I’m still learning new tips and tricks every day! (This could all be a whole other interview haha). One of the biggest challenges I faced was, because of my dancing, many friends and industry interests pushed me to do more musical theater … but I couldn’t sing. It was heart breaking. I love performing on stage and I would sail through the dance call and would be so ashamed of my voice, I would just leave the audition before I sang. (I don’t recommend anyone doing that). I finally found a good vocal coach and got my legs under me so to speak. It was a hard battle for me. Something that doesn’t come easy, even today. Something I really have to work at but I love singing just as much! Now, I focus primarily on television and film acting, I am still dancing for regional company performances and anytime something comes up in tv, film or commercial, and I’m still working on my singing! The sights of Broadway are more enticing, especially after I got to perform as Sven for the North American Tour of Frozen, and the Singapore engagement with the Australian National Tour Company. I finished my contract for the American Tour and Disney reached out for me to fill in the role of Sven for The Singapore contract and I couldn’t say no! I think that that is a huge aspect which has shaped my career through the arts, is saying ‘yes’ to opportunities even if you don’t know what’s going to happen. Take a chance! Try something out! Dare to fail! That’s how I learned to do upholstery. Another little fun artistic, creative venture I enjoy. I apprenticed with a gentleman for 3 months during the pandemic and learned how to make furniture that I now use to create some cool pieces. I love it because it allows me to be both creative and logical in the same expression! If nothing else, try everything you can, you may not realize what you actually like, or discover a niche side of something, until you get out of what you know and challenge your comfort zone. Be incredibly curious about everything and say ‘yes’ to new and healthy opportunities as much as you can!
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
The creative field demands a level of responsibility not shared In many other avenues. Self discipline is its core. No one forces you to be an artist. Frankly no one actually cares if you do it or not. Good or bad, it’s up to you. The beautiful part is that the more you do it, the better you can get! That being said, life still happens and if your art isn’t allowing you to live and thrive within that life you have to find other ways to make it all work. I’ve done some wild jobs, any number of interesting modeling gigs, like modeling for David Hockney, but also the “regular work”, side jobs. I’ve been a property manager, a waiter, a repair man, synchronized swimmer, pet sitter, furniture maker, and most recently I went back to school and got my bachelors in business to expand my resources. Applying for work in the regular world, while working as an artist is intimidating. You don’t want to miss an opportunity, but you also want to honor your role and duty as an employee or partner to the rest of the team and not let them down. It’s a tricky balance at times and there are going to be a lot of highs and lows throughout that balance. It’s important to keep a good and level head, not allow the weight of it all to be too overwhelming, and persevere through it all. Like Churchill said, “if you’re going through hell, keep going, that’s no place to stop!” Sometimes pivots can be good. It may show you something you love MORE! Sometimes they are a necessary means to and end. Often times, it’s the resilience in a pivot that will push us to grow for ourselves and to be better individuals for the world. To take all that we are learning and apply it to the beauty we are creating to show the rest of the world the kingtsugi of ourselves.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
I think the best thing society can do to support artist is to be the audience. Have an opinion, share what you love about something you saw or heard or learned! Yes, of course we will still paint, or sing, or dance, or be, without a canvas to put it on, but it’s so much better when the audience, regardless of the medium, is there to enjoy the work we are putting our all into to share. Creativity may not be necessary to get things done but the world sure would be a boring place without it. It brings life to life!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.evanstrand.com
- Instagram: @evan.strand
