We were lucky to catch up with Stemarciae Bain recently and have shared our conversation below.

Stemarciae, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

As a born and bred Bahamian native, I, in the position I’m in right now, can speak endlessly on risk and how important it is to take risks. My entire journey to where I am now, wouldn’t have been possible without the risk I took of coming to America to study Dance, a field in which success is not guaranteed and talent can only take you so far. An even bigger risk is choosing to pursue my professional performance career in America. America was the first place I’ve lived on my own (without family), America (New York specifically) being the heart of my career, America the place I knew I needed to be, but I also knew I would be put on a timer to achieve success.
I continue to take risks every day, whether it’s taking a new dance class, auditioning, etc. My field and life are driven by the risks I take. Nothing is ever certain; however, it is the risks that land me right where I need to be.

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?

When I was younger, I remember there was an elegant ballerina on the TV and I remember telling my mum over and over, “I want to do that, I want to be a ballerina.” After acknowledging my desire to dance, my mum began her search for the right school for me. Conveniently enough, a family friend’s granddaughters had just started at a new dance school, and my mum enrolled me in the same school, “Live2Dance”, which is now “Just Dance Bahamas”, operated by Nonny Price.
Consequently, seven-year-old Stemarciae, who only started with ballet, jazz, and tap, discovered her passion at an early age and the desire to pursue that passion hasn’t faded since.

I feel as an artist, my job provides such a rare service to people. We as performers get to convey stories through movement, acting, song, etc to audiences that can pull them out of their own realities for the duration of the show. During that time, people have the opportunity to escape whatever they have going on in their lives and are able to be immersed in an experience that can sometimes change lives and perspectives. Additionally, sometimes seeing one’s self accurately represented and portrayed on stage can provide that realistic relation between an audience member and a character, which can make a show that much more impactful for an audience member.

As a performer in such a competitive industry, I think my ability to story tell despite the genre of dance sets me apart from others. I try to bring genuine motivation to my movement because it doesn’t feel right if it isn’t coming from an honest place. I also think the joy and love I have for my art shines through my performance when I dance.

I am currently most proud of the start of my career. It was recent, but I was blessed enough to book my first regional show, “In the Heights” at The Gateway Playhouse, which I began right after I graduated college. I took a great risk in leaving The Bahamas, my home, to pursue my studies and career in Dance in New York. Adding singing and acting to my repertoire at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) was a challenge in itself, as I considered myself a strong dancer.
I am proud of myself for being open and willing to embrace new career possibilities. I now know within myself that I’m not “just a dancer”, but I’m capable of being a triple threat as long as I continue to put in the work to achieve that goal.
I am proud that at the beginning of my career, I have such hope and bright expectations for the rest of my journey as a performer. Broadway is my biggest goal at the moment, and I know if I remain diligent and consistent, it will be within my reach, with God’s help.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

It’s difficult to just pick one particular story that shows my resilience as an artist, as I feel the entire journey of any performing artist requires resilience. The simple art of auditioning requires resilience. There’s an infamous saying that “auditioning is a skill…you only get good at it the more you do it”. We, artists, do our best to present ourselves in the best package possible. We wear our best outfits to help us stand out, we make specific choices to set us apart, we dance, sing and act in the audition room to the best of our abilities, we spend the money on classes, headshots and resumes, and so much more. All for the people behind the table to decide whether we’re what they’re looking for or not. A lot of the time the deciding factors are beyond our control, but we just either get a “yes” or are left with nothing but the mindset of “on to the next”. Then the saying, “There’s a thousand ‘no’s’ to one ‘yes’” comes into play. Continuing to do what we love, going through this process daily, enduring a thousand “no’s” to get that one “yes” is the definition of resilience in my opinion. Personally, being satisfied with the work I do and knowing my worth despite the “no’s” has been my largest test of resilience as a performer.

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

At this moment in time, my specific goal is to be in a Broadway show. However, the mission driving my creative journey is to allow myself to always find joy, depth and an outlet in my art, no matter how long I’m doing it. Between the age of seven and now, I haven’t lost that indescribable feeling of “nothing else matters right now”, when I dance. My mission in this creative journey is to never allow that feeling to leave me and to never allow my passion for my art to diminish. I know the industry isn’t always cherries and rainbows, but if I can still determine at the end of the day, I wouldn’t rather do anything else, especially in the toughest moments, it will reassure me that this is what I’m meant to do.

Contact Info:

• Website: stemarciaebain.com
• Instagram: @2suggz
• Youtube: Stemarciae B.

Image Credits
Jaqlin Medlock Raquel Clarke