JAMES DEFORTE

Boston native, James DeForte, started dancing at the age of 13 and went on to choreograph the Off-Broadway productions of Joy and Look Ma No Ears as well as Beautiful Girls directed by Lonny Price, starring Donna Mckechnie and Snoopy The Musical starring Sutton and Hunter Foster. He has also worked under John Carrafa on the Broadway production of Dance Of The Vampire and spent many years competing and teaching within the world of ballroom dance. Canvas producer, Justin Boccitto, had a chance to ask James a few questions about his journey to choreography and his recent piece that premiered at the Connelly, Bouncing Off The Walls.

JB: Where are you from originally?

JD: Boston. My freshman year of high school my family moved to Connecticut where I started dancing and learning about the industry. Right after high school I moved back to Boston to continue my training and go to college.

JB: How old were you when you began dancing?

JD: I started dancing and performing at the age of 13 when I moved to Connecticut. There was not much to do there and I did not really have any hobbies as a kid. I liked to try a lot of things and when I decided to try dancing it just sort of stuck.

JB: Who do you consider your mentor or significant teacher?

JD: My two biggest mentors who started me choreographing were Leo Nicole and Marlena Yannetti. After them I studied and got to know a lot of people who have influenced my work. Each person I encounter, whether a part of the industry or not, I am able to take something away from and it becomes part of my work. Sometimes it is just someone I have a chance encounter with and something in the conversation sparks a thought that inspires me. I consider what I do to be mostly storytelling and it is the average person I interact with that has the real life story to tell. Those people are my biggest influences today.

JB: What made you begin choreographing?

JD: When I was a sophomore or junior in college my professor Leo took me into his office and told me the school was doing a production of Once On This Island. He didn't have anyone with a background in Haitian African American Dance to choreograph it. Knowing I went to a performing arts high school where I studied this form of dance, he asked me to do it. I was rather hesitant at first not knowing anything about choreography or what it took to choreograph a show. Leo assured me that his door was open and he would help guide me through the experience. I figured, ok, I will give it a shot. After the show opened I began to get offers to choreograph other shows. Through this first experience I learned this industry was really about storytelling. I fell in love with the storytelling and realized it was what I wanted to do with my life.

JB: What was your favorite experience in theater or dance and why?

JD: I try once a year to get a couple of dancers in a room and put something together. Either I film it or I get a chance to showcase it like I was able to at the Choreographer's Canvas. My two favorite experiences I had doing this were with Bouncing off the Walls, my piece in the Canvas, and El Tango De Roxanne. These are the times when there are no limits on my work. I don't bother with sets or any other elements. I like it to be raw and real, I use just movement to say something and tell a story. I can go as crazy, edgy and hard hitting as I want.

JB: What are your upcoming projects?

JD: I am directing and choreographing a workshop production of Rugrats for Nickelodeon up at Helen Hays in Nyack and Choreographing a production of Barnum at Surflight in Beach Haven, NJ. You can see more of my work on my website at www.jamesdeforte.com. Hopefully in the next couple of days you will be able to see the number I did at the Choreographer's Canvas for the Group Theatre Too.

JAMES DEFORTE's choreography credits include the Off Broadway productions of Joy (HX Nomination Best Musical) and Look Ma No Ears. Other selected choreography credits include Beautiful Girls directed by Lonny Price, starring Zoe Caldwell, Donna Mckechnie, Marin Mazzie and Jen Colella, Snoopy The Musical (Playbill Top 10 Amazing Musical Moments of 2004, "The Great Writer") starring Christian Borle, Sutton Foster, Hunter Foster and Ann Harada, The Woman Up Stairs (Premier) starring Allison Fraser and Kate Shindle, It's A Wonderful Life, Fame (Boston Premier), Insomnia (Premier), Carnival (Choreographer / Illusionist), Once on this Island, Company, Chicago, Tarnish (Premier). He has also worked under John Carrafa on the Broadway production of Dance Of The Vampire and spent many years competing and teaching within the world of ballroom dance. James is currently directing and choreographing the workshop and premier of Rugrats for Nickelodeon at the Helen Hays Youth Theater and Choreographing a reconstruction of the musical Barnum at Surflight.

Visit www.jamesdeforte.com

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THE GROUP THEATRE TOO, LLC
Celebrating Artists & the Art of Entertainment
JUSTIN BOCCITTO, Executive Producer
MICHAEL BLEVINS, Artistic Director