We recently connected with Terence Beckles and have shared our conversation below.
Terence, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.
I have taken so many risks.
I mean just fighting to make my dreams come true is a risk in itself right? I was a manager at a serving job in Norfolk, VA and had my own two bedroom apartment near the university I attended. I was making good money, maintaining a balanced life, but I knew that wasn’t what I wanted. I worked my regular job, taught at a dance studio, choreographed for local artists, recorded my own music, and performed from time to time. I even got the opportunity to be the opening act for Brandy and Bobby Valentino when they had a concert in VA. Shortly after doing that, I felt like it was time to dive head first into my career path. My lease was ending soon, I was graduating college, and I felt like this was the perfect time. Everything was shifting. I decided when my lease was up I wouldn’t renew it. Instead, I’d spend a year working and saving my money by living in my car. How crazy is that? I laugh just thinking about it. I wanted to save up enough to move to LA at that time. I got a membership at a 24hr gym so I could take showers and I would sleep in my car. I kept all of my things in my trunk. A lot of people had no clue. I still looked nice, kept my hygiene up to par, worked, made money, and even partied sometimes. A few months into my homelessness I found out I had a baby on the way. Perfect timing right? I always call my babygirl my beautiful surprise!! That changed my plans. Even though my child’s mother encouraged me to still move to LA I began to think it’d be best for me to stay in Virginia with my child. During that time I heard about an audition for a musical called “Holla If You Hear Me” coming to broadway. It was a musical using 2Pacs music. I remember I had to rap and sing so I wrote and memorized a little rap on the bus ride. I went to the audition, then the callback, and they asked if I’d be able to move to NY. They literally said “we have to have you apart of this”. I went back to VA , put in my resignation, made arrangements to sell my car, and with the blessing of my child’s mother planned my move to NY. Literally the week I was supposed to move they emailed me saying they were going in a different direction. I was crushed. I was too embarrassed to tell my job that things didn’t workout. They threw this big going away party for me and everything. I cried so hard in the bathroom. After that I still took the money I saved and moved to NY. New York was a better choice because it was closer to my child in VA than LA and it still offered a lot of opportunities in my career field. I’m thankful I took those risks because it all ended up working out. I’ve been able to do so much! I’m now a working singer-songwriter who has opened for artists in New York, I was an associate choreographer of the live theater show in Hollywood called “Battete Follies of 1939”, and I am currently on tour with a production called “Empire Strips Back”. I also have the biggest job of all which is being a father to a beautiful young lady. Great risks lead to greater rewards!!!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Since I was a child I knew I wanted to be a performer. I immersed myself in the arts. Any type of art! I would sing, dance, act, rap, and sometimes even draw. I even taught myself how to harmonize using a karaoke I got for Christmas one year. I wanted to be apart of anything that had to do with the arts. In elementary school I’d do talent shows and show and tell. In middle school I was in the drama club. High School was different though. I ended up auditioning and getting in to Henrico High Schools Center For the Arts program in Richmond, VA. That’s where I practiced vocal musical theater. It was a program where all of your courses were geared towards training you in voice, dance, and acting. We had to participate in showcases, plays, and talent shows as part of our curriculum. I also participated in the SPARC production of Cats sponsored by Jason Mraz. I had the biggest vocal part of Bustopher Jones at sixteen years old. They also made an entirely new character for me so I could be in the big dance scenes. My senior year was the year that made me realize how multifaceted and talented I was. My teacher, Ms. Karen Moody, allowed me to choreograph and direct an entire senior showcase per the students request. She usually did the directing, choreographing, and teaching. She believed in me enough that she let me do it! After impressing Ms. Moody and Ms. Lee Hanchey, our music and voice teacher, with the finished product the school awarded me with a CFA award and a monetary gift to go towards college. I ended up getting a full scholarship to Norfolk State University to sing in the concert choir directed by Dr. Carl Haywood and Mr. Terri Butler. Of course I could never do one thing so I also was on the hip hop college dance team named Xclusive under the honorary alumni Quinton Nelson. Doing all these things trained and prepared me for what I do now. When it comes to dance I am an NYU adjunct professor at the Tisch School of performing Arts. I teach private and group hip hop dance lessons to children and adults. I’ve danced for Rihanna, Deborah Cox, Alex Newell, and starred in Amanda Seales web-series “Get Your Life”. I am also the founder of a small dance company called Squad 6. I am also currently on tour with a fun burlesque parody dance show called Empire Strips Back. On the music side of things; I sang background for Alessia Cara, Khalid, Macklemore at the Grammys, and opened for Eric Bellinger with my original music. I’ve released music that is available on all streaming services under my alias Six4. My most recent release is a single called “Take it Off” and there is a phenomenal visual that goes with it on YouTube. I am currently working on new music that will be dropping some time in 2025. I am most proud of the fact that I never give up. So many people tell me I do too much or try to get me to choose one area to focus on. They make me feel as if it’s a crime to want to do it all but if you work hard you truly can do it all. I will dance, I will sing, I will act, I will song-write, and I will do it simultaneously and I will do it well!! Why would God bless me with all these talents and then make me choose one? I think what sets me apart is my willingness to make mistakes and my openness to learn. A lot of people accomplish great things and then are incapable of receiving advice, criticism, or feedback. I’m always trying to grow.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
The move to NY started out great. I got signed to Bloc Agency the second month of being in NY. Living in New York has never been easy though. I saved money to come to New York but it wasn’t enough to sustain me. Especially because I didn’t have any income for a while. I went from choosing to be homeless in Virginia to save money to being homeless in New York because I had no choice. I was staying in run down hostel’s, sleeping on couches, and getting my personal items stolen. I even had times where I couldn’t eat. I had a job but the cost of living was just too high for me at that moment. I was making money but not enough to get my name on a lease. I remember my mom telling me maybe I should just come home. I was strongly considering it. I thought maybe I should go home, get a regular job, live with my parents, and give up on this crazy dream. Then I received a call asking if I wanted to be apart of Rihanna’s VMA vanguard performance. That was the opportunity I needed to stop me from giving up. I met somebody who had an available room and I moved in. That somebody’s name was Keenan Cook. He really helped me get on feet and we’ve been great friends ever since.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
A lesson I had to unlearn was saying yes to any and every opportunity. Some people have under lying intentions. I had just released my music. My first single was called “B4” and I started performing at venues in New York. My name, Six4, was starting to buzz. The dance community supported me heavily. They loved seeing me in full artist form. A couple of my friends from the dance community got booked on a gig to dance for and choreograph for a female singer based in Barbados. The artists manager reached out to me after somebody I thought was a friend referred me. He wanted to know if I’d be interested in being one of his artists. He promised to manage me along side the Basian female singer. It sounded promising and I trusted it because my friends were working with the manager as well. He flew me to Barbados and shortly after landing it was clear what his intentions were. He offered to manage me if in return I was to fulfill his sexual desires. I refused but he spent a couple of days trying to punish me and showing me what I’d be missing out on by saying no. He took me to meet a celebrity model, rehearsals, and recording studios with his female artist. I felt trapped. I’m in a country I’ve never been to. Who do I call? How will I get back to NY? What do I do if he attacks me? What will he do if I defend myself? After three days of me refusing to adhere to his requests in the midst of him holding me hostage he sent me back on a flight. It was a scary situation even for me at the height of 6’4. Do not say yes to just any opportunity even if it’s through a friend. Do your best to make sure it’s legit and safe.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/Six4_
- Instagram: Six4__
- Youtube: @six4244
- Other: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/six4/1307368759
https://open.spotify.com/user/22j6syjwhu3lfopwpqt7xyxxi?si=d1PXFNCKRbG6TvZxPUAWRQ
