by Joy Doss | above photo by Andrew Eccles, courtesy of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
People love to casually sling around the phrase “Do YOU, boo.” But really, it’s a little more complicated than it sounds. There is an art form to granting yourself the freedom to be who you truly are. There is a boldness in being unbound, untethered and unbothered. Think: Rihanna. #Unbotheredgoals!
Jerobaum Bozeman is one such lucky creature. He had the nerve, the stone cold…ya know…to walk around Bed- Stuy (Bedford-Stuyvesant) Brooklyn with the graceful gait of a dancer and not the boom- bip cadence of his peers. He has been shunned and even beat down on the streets for simply being himself. “This is New York,” you say. “How is this possible?” Coming from someone who lived there for quite some time, I can tell you with certainty that everybody ain’t enlightened or sophisticated. Trust me on this. Jerobaum agrees here, “I had to identify with who I was very quickly and be comfortable with that despite the perception of others. Dance is what I understood the most, body movement and body language, especially being selectively mute as a child. I found my voice through dance in junior high. Dance has been the most consistent thing in my life. It always kept me motivated. Dance found me and I’m deeply in love with it.”
Jerobaum’s journey led him to this shining moment, his dream come true – principal dancer for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. His is a story of perseverance, resilience and self-determination. He has rallied through feelings of isolation. He has overcome being selectively mute. He has pushed through a bout of homelessness.
“I grew up in a household with 6 siblings, including my twin. We didn’t have relatives [in New York] so it was just us. I knew from a young age I loved to dance despite what other people may think. My family wasn’t initially supportive because there were so many other things going on with seven children. It wasn’t until high school when I was having a conversation with my mother – dancing semi- professionally, touring. She asked me ‘How are you going to make a living?’” She wasn’t quite thrilled.
Nonetheless, he followed his passion, attending the Joffrey School on partial scholarship before training with and later joining the professional company at Creative Outlet in Brooklyn, before landing at the famed Philadanco then Donald Brown’s Spectrum Dance Theater in Seattle.
He continues, “I had to dance my way into these schools. Financially, we couldn’t afford them.” But he did what he had to do to make it happen. “I went to the dean to ask if I could wash windows or take out trash or anything to make up the difference.” Let me repeat that for the cheap seats. He did what he had to do to make it happen –not compromising himself or his values but being a go-getter. He adds, “I’m a big fan of hard work. Because everything I’ve had, I had to fight for, even my identity.“
Photo credit: Paul Kolnik
His parents eventually blessed his career choice. “Once my family finally saw me perform, they were amazed.” They told him to keep going. “I have a deep appreciation for my parents. I love them I love them I love them! They did an incredible job raising seven children in Bed-Stuy. Everyone had to figure out what extracurricular program they wanted to be in. I took acting, martial arts, stepping, cello, piano. It was my mom’s way of keeping everyone active so they wouldn’t get lost in the neighborhood. My parents didn’t lose any of their kids to gangs or gun violence or drugs.”
He’s only 27, but in the world of dance that’s a lifetime. So, to younger dancers, he offers this:
“Our careers are short and based on our physical body, what we can physically do. We are kind of time stamped. I am floored by my co-workers. Some of them are over 40 and dancing beautifully. [However] The beauty in the artistry is the ability to explore different things. If you can’t do one thing, you can do another.” Right. Adjacent wheelhouses! “Think about backup plans if something doesn’t go right or if you’re injured. How much can you put in your bag? Keep your bag full. Stay fully equipped for the world.”
He continues, “Success comes when preparation meets opportunity, not just being physically prepared. You have to – have to – educate yourself and go beyond.” He recently graduated with degree in psychology with a focus on industrial organization by the way. AND, he got said degree while touring professionally. Yessss to hard work!
Jerobaum also says he didn’t even think that, coming from Brooklyn, he would be able to dance professionally. But here he is. On the world stage dancing with Ailey. Right where he always wanted to be. And doing him.
