We recently connected with Jalen Rose and have shared our conversation below.

Jalen, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

Being a professional dancer was always the dream. Of course, as I got older there was a pressure from others to “be serious” about what I wanted to do professionally. Often getting puzzled looks when I proudly state I want to be a dancer and then met with questions: “What can you do in that field?”, “So, how will you support yourself?” and “What’s your back-up plan?”

My freshman year of high school I went without dance/the arts in my life. I was determined to take the advice from those around me and choose a career path that was more “serious”. It was a terrible year, to say the least. Finally, I went to a Modern dance class for the first time after a year. When it was over I felt a sense of tranquility throughout my body. Dance was the way I connected to the world around me. It was my therapy and means of expressing myself. It brings me immense joy, like I’m flying. I couldn’t imagine my life without the arts and it saddened me that some are deprived of experiencing the arts. This is how I became interested in Dance therapy and arts education. Now, working with youth through the arts, I am reminded every day of my purpose; confirming that I made the right decision.

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.

My arts career has been an array of web connections that magically converge at the perfect time to create new opportunities. The arts have been very prevalent in my life including choir, theater arts, and playing musical instruments. But, dance has been a constant in my life in which I can always find comfort. I received my degree in Dance from Drexel University as well as where I began my lateral career as a Pilates Instructor. Drexel was not a performance based program but rather an opportunity for dancers to process dance through a cognitive lens. This is very influential on my work as an artist.

While at Drexel, I discovered the vital work of Arts Education. Two outreach programs were prominent parts of my college career: Drexel Touring Ensemble and the Drexel Wheelchair Dance Ensemble. In the Drexel Touring Ensemble we did weekly interactive performances at Philadelphia Public Schools while the Drexel Wheelchair Dance Ensemble was a weekly dance class with the students at the HMS School for Children with Cerebral Palsy. It would be easy to make assumptions about these two populations but those assumptions would be inaccurate. Each week served as a lesson in connection and the power of the arts. I was able to witness the identity of these students shift as they opened themselves up to speaking through movement. These experiences sparked my interest in Dance/Movement Therapy (d/mt). Throughout this time I was performing with Danse4Nia, a Philadelphia dance company.

Most notably during my college career I interned with PHILADANCO, also known as the Philadelphia Dance Company, under the directions of Joan Myers Brown. So many great artists have come through that building. It is truly an organization focused on serving its community through as many avenues as possible. This internship afforded me the opportunity to not only connect with people who have made strides in the field but also introduced me to the inner workings of a nonprofit. After graduating college, rather than taking the traditional performance route I decided to go into teaching dance at a predominantly Black studio, The Maryland Academy of Dance, located in Baltimore, MD. Here I gained more experience as an Arts Educator as well as operating as an Administrative Director. Since then I have been working as an arts educator, recently doing some contract work in DC public schools. I’ve always seen my life as a traveling professional who makes does cross-cultural research through the arts but was having a difficult time putting together all of my different interests in the field. How do I structure this research in a way that satisfies my need to be an arts educator, a performer, and include aspects of d/mt.

In December 2022, I was blessed with the opportunity to perform with the organization B4 Youth Theatre in Liberia. “200 Years of Returns” was a production to commemorate the return of Black Americans to Africa which resulted in the founding of Liberia, as well as demonstrate the enduring connection between Black Americans and Liberians. Before this trip Africa was elusive. This was my first time learning any African history and my brain imagined that I would be out of place or worse, unwanted. I learned quickly that there were misconceptions on both sides. West Africans also share this feeling of being other when compared to Black Americans. Moreover, I learned that Liberia lacks Arts education similar to the Black and brown communities within the United States. The “200 Years Production” brought out the sensitive conversation of Black settlers vs. Indigenous Africans. A conversation that is often ignored, with some animosity existing in the background, was met with curiosity and open dialogue. My return to Africa taught me that it only takes one willing teacher and another open to learning with sincerity in order to create a chain reaction; the student becomes the teacher, who then pours into another. But above all, this trip demonstrated how art connects across cultures, generations, and experiences. It can be healing not only to the individual but to the community. Immediately I felt the need to help bridge the gap between Black youth and their counterparts across the water, allowing youth of the African Diaspora to see each other’s stories. I want to create dance/arts programs where they do not exist.

The proudest moment of my career, thus far, was the announcement I would be joining the B4 Youth Theatre Team as their Director of African Diaspora Initiatives! B4YT, or Burning Barriers Building Bridges Youth Theatre, empowers youth to become educated citizens through the arts. This new learning model blends arts education with public achievement to achieve a unique synthesis of creative community change through live performances and student-led projects. Finally, all of my interests have come together in one place. Originally founded by Dr. Jasmine Blanks Jones in Liberia, this program has already served thousands of students between Liberia and the United States. My role is to facilitate the spread of these student-led programs not only in the United States but internationally, across the African Diaspora. Recently we are working on a project in Philadelphia that will travel to different public schools to discuss prevention of sexual assault, using puppetry as the medium. We are also making some connections to partner with a program in Haiti.

Starting August ’23 I will begin pursuing my MFA in Dance at a researched based University to explore the intersections that exist between dance pedagogy and d/mt. My view on pedagogy from a d/mt lens will allow me to write culture based curriculums that better serve our Black and Brown communities in an academic setting. The arts should be interwoven into the academic environment.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

For many years the arts have only been seen as entertainment. Even with research showing the value of the arts beyond just entertainment, there is still this idea of an artist career being less than. In order to best support artists and creatives society must shift how they view the arts. Art illuminates new perspectives and frames them in a way that is palatable to a wide range of audiences. The availability to think creatively brings increased problem solving skills as well as improving empathy. One person’s view can be understood by another even if still not agreed upon, the perspective shifts. Simply put, the world would be a better place if there was more emphasis put on a thriving creative eco system.

This would include arts education in our school systems and adequate funding for artists, especially those who are looking to better the community. Too many times are projects derailed or slowed down due to lack of funding. In addition, every community should have an arts center which offers opportunities to see live performances and galleries as well as the ability to develop arts skills through programming.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is getting to witness the evolution of a project. Like all things the project starts with an idea. There is a topic or goal for the project you are looking to satisfy. Specific details frame the project in order to satisfy your vision. But, once you put that project in motion you must surrender to all of the details your brain did not foresee. There is beauty in that flexibility. Projects develop a living energy that is constantly shifting. Especially when you begin to add collaboration and research, the project evolves beyond expectation. They never turn out exactly how you envision but always seem to give you more than what you asked for. Though my work is in the performative arts, where usually the result can only be seen in the final performance, I find that the project finds a new life as inspiration for others.

Contact Info:

• Website: b4youththeatre.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/b4youththeatre/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jalen-rose-ab4172147/

Image Credits
Markya Reed, Silas Juaquellie, Hannah Nentakpeh Mckay