Jesse Obremski: Creating Dance Spaces and Living the Ailey Legacy

In this episode of the SLANT podcast, Dana Tai Soon Burgess interviews Jesse Obremski, a dancer with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Jesse reflects on his unique upbringing in an artistic family in New York City, where his love for dance began after a vivid moment at an Alvin Ailey performance. He shares his journey from student to company member at the Ailey School, the mentors who shaped his path, and how his Japanese-American heritage influences his artistry. Jesse also offers insightful advice for young dancers navigating the New York dance scene and discusses his multifaceted approach to teaching and choreographing, rooted in action and collaboration. This episode is a celebration of growth, mentorship, and the power of dance to shape a life.

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Transcript

Dana 0:26

Welcome to Slant Podcast. This is your host, Dana Tassoon Burgess. This podcast is an ongoing conversation around the Asian American experience through the lens of artists and luminaries. Thank you for tuning in. Today's guest is Japanese American modern dancer and dance educator, Jesse Obremski. He was born and raised in New York City. Jesse began his dance studies at the Alvin Ailey School and is a graduate of the Juilliard School. He joined the Lar Lubovich Dance Company at the age of 19 and has since worked with Jacob's Pillow Men's Dancers, the Limon Dance Company, Gibney Dance Company, and is currently with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Jesse is a recipient of the Asian American Arts Alliance 2016 J. Dean Wong Award. In 2018, he founded Obrimsky Works, a nonprofit AAPI equity minded organization dedicated to AAPI representation. His choreography has been presented in the United States, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Germany, Japan, China, and Malaysia, to name a few. Welcome, Jesse. It's so great to have you on Slant Podcast today.

Jesse 1:47

Thank you so much for having me. I appreciate the invitation.

Dana 1:50

I always like to start at the beginning. Where did you grow up in New York City and what was that experience like?

Jesse 1:58

I feel very privileged and lucky to be Growing up with a artist family. my mother was a member of Tokyo Kid Brothers, which is an experimental theater group in Japan that had toured Australia and toward New York and Europe. And that's where actually my dad saw her at La Mama Theater in New York. And my father as a photographer. And so when they were married and they came to New York to live together they have a loft a little bit South of K Town, 29th street and Broadway. So I really felt in the heart of New York city. And I feel like that upbringing within the arts culture and with an arts family really supported me. To be a part of New York City and support my upbringing,

Dana 2:46

Oh, neat. And so your parents, the way they reacted to your interest in dance was very supportive then.

Jesse 2:54

Very supportive. I remember seeing the Alvin Airey American Dance Theater perform at their annual city center. And my mom had tickets to support me and go see the show. And it was, I would say mezzanine level house left. I remember it so vividly. And I remember seeing Sinner Man. And then after, right before the yellow section, I turned to my mom and said, that's what I want to do. And I knew that my mom was supportive of me. I was singing at the time also. I'm a professional singer. And so I had maybe one year of singing before I had seen dance and I wanted to go. Become a dancer. And my dad is also very supportive as a photographer. He actually did some photo shoots with me so that I had material to send to colleges.

Dana 3:40

Amazing. So your aha moment when you just knew that this was your calling occurred very young and it happened in the middle of a theater. How old were you when you started training at the Alvin Ailey School?

Jesse 3:54

I believe that I was nine years older than, I think I started dancing when I was seven with Ted Paulin in my fourth and fifth grade. Where I would do tap and Horton after school. And then on graduation from elementary school, he suggested that I continue my training at the Ailey school. And that was when I think it was nine. So I was there for eight years

Dana 4:19

you recently joined the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater as a company member. So what does coming full circle feel like?

Jesse 4:28

Coming full circle to be with the Ailey organization as a company member now really feels like I'm returning to familiarity while in the sense of newness as a student at the Ailey school, I was there for eight years in the bounding boys program. And then the co ed classes and the junior division. And then I had some time away to have different aspirations and different careers and companies. And then coming back. really felt the sense where I can feel and see the same building and the security guards the same. And there are teachers there that are the same, but all the while going up to the sixth floor where the company rehearses, I'm in a new atmosphere. I'm in a new space where I professionally and personally in my life. And I feel like that supports my energy and how I approach this familiarity while all in all still newness.

Dana 5:23

you have a mentor growing up?

Jesse 5:26

had many mentors. I have many mentors. I feel that I will have many mentors my whole life. I feel that mentors come in and out of my life in various ways. And I reach out to them and they connect with me in various ways. I feel one mentor who has been really instrumental, and that's actually who I met at the Ailey School, I think, when I was 15. His name is Frederick Earl Mosley, who is the Artistic Director and Founder Diversity of Dance. He really supported me in Being an educator and choreographer and an arts administrator. I was also the associate executive director for his organization, all while still supporting me as an artist in our society and how I can support and connect with other people. He has a heart of gold, silver, platinum, but he has so many different aspects to who he is. I really feel supported by him. Another mentor that I would name is Risa Steinberg at the Juilliard School who had worked with the Limon company and many other companies as well. Because I feel like when I arrived at Juilliard, I did feel a little bit different. I personally didn't feel as strong in my balletic language, but I felt more like a mover because I was connected to the modern aesthetic. And I felt that in my class at Juilliard, I could bring a sense of modern physicality that supported the ethos of my class, and I was able to really connect with Risa because of her upbringing and her approach to movement, and I just remember, maybe like my senior year. Where there's so many different emotions and thoughts going on your senior year of school where I then I had just lots of conversations with her. But there is a time where I was sitting in her office and we talked for 2 to 3 hours just about life and practice and post college. And I really felt. The support from her. There are so many others like Amy Miller and Nigel Campbell. There are so many others that it would need a whole other podcast. Me to be able to name all of the mentors in my life and I also feel that mentors don't necessarily need to be with you your entire life. I feel that mentors can be really specific to a certain moment and that could be the most impactful part of that time of your life.

Dana 7:48

It definitely takes a whole community to build a dancer, doesn't it?

Jesse 7:53

absolutely. Yeah.

Dana 7:55

How does your Japanese American heritage influence your dancing and your artistry?

Jesse 8:01

I feel that my Japanese heritage is something that I have a desire to connect with further. My mom started to teach Japanese to me when I was younger and the speech therapist was saying that my brain wasn't computing or understanding both English and Japanese. So at a younger age, there was a decision to just concentrate English. So that I can be more confident in speaking in New York City and America and the world. So I grew up not necessarily speaking fluent Japanese and there was a desire. To continue to learn. So in high school I took Japanese as a choice in the language. And then I try to continue to practice. I've only been to Japan once for two weeks when I was 15 years old. And so even as an American being born and raised in New York city, I actually feel a lot of desire To connect with my Asian heritage, because that's something that I know feeds me. Seeing my mom and her journey to America getting her citizenship and seeing the process from all different Asian and diaspora going through their visa processes and really any international artists in America. I feel. That I want to learn more. And I feel that the Japanese practice really does allow me to feel rooted in something that is more than American. I feel like it's more me. I feel like it's more. Of who I am. And I'm really interested in my whole life to continually uncover and discover how that shows up in my artistry.

Dana 9:40

What is the New York scene like for a dancer starting out these days? Do you have any words of advice for a young dancer just making their way on the field in New York City?

Jesse 9:52

That is a great question. And another topic for a whole podcast. I would share that as I've shared with different people in different universities or people who are interested in coming to New York city. I feel that the freelance scene here is. a large hub of what makes New York City thrive. And I feel that with that, it takes a bit of a snowballing effect, where if you roll a snowball, it gets larger and larger. And so I invite dancers to come to New York and experience it while also not necessarily putting all that pressure into those three months that you have here in New York City. I feel that it takes lots of time to. Be in the scene and stay connected and network with folks and to meet new people and to collaborate with peers. It takes time because there are so many fabulous artists in New York City. But I invite artists to live in the time and share empathy with yourself that it can build and that it can grow and may not happen right away in a month or two or three that I think it really does take time to really find deep roots in the New York City community.

Dana 11:04

I think that sometimes there's this myth for the young dancer that they're just going to show up in an audition and they'll get in a full time dance company and that'll be their career for the rest of their life, right? But the reality is that they're going to have to do some pickup work. There might have to do another job to sustain their rent. It really is a life process, isn't it?

Jesse 11:28

Absolutely and I personally don't feel like that is a negative aspect of a career. I absolutely appreciated all the various experiences that I've had because that supports me. My ethos as a professional it was a fabulous sharing that Amy Miller shared with me that I'm sure that she had from somebody else where instead of taking off different hats of myself, Or different aspects of like more technical work, more, more raw work, physicality, or diving into choreography or stage management, instead of taking off those hats, we have one hat and then we can just turn the hat so that the sense of being a choreographer can really still be there as I'm a dancer, as I'm in that role as a dancer, or if I'm a rehearsal director. I have the sensibility of what a choreographer might want so that I can support them in their conversations. If I'm a teacher, I then know how I can speak to a musician. And so I feel the freelance life is a fabulous way so that. As an artist, you can dive into many different facets of how you want to cultivate your professionalism.

Dana 12:32

I know that's so important. And in talking about this large hat of skills or this toolbox of skills, what are some of the skills that you've garnered along the way?

Jesse 12:44

Appreciate sharing about myself that I'm a workaholic. And so I really do appreciate being able to experience different aspects of my life. Not at only as a performer. So in New York City, I've also done lighting designing and I've also stage managed. I'm a choreographer. I'm a professional singer as well. And. I've also that's arts administration. I was the associate executive director for almost as diversity of dance for two years. So allowing those aspects to stay with me and serve me whenever I'm called to and the diversity of. me as an artist, as a person can really grow. I also feel like that this sort of ethos is a bit similar to my life as a dancer. I feel like I always want to be exploring. Further within a movement or further within a movement language, I'm always wanting to discover more about what I feel comfortable with, what is my capacity, how I can grow in capacity. and when I can call on community and other folks to support and collaborate.

Dana 13:50

I can see how gaining these skills will allow you to shift and move into different facets of dance as you evolve and as you grow older as well, so that you're always engaged in the field. You also teach, what is your approach?

Jesse 14:10

There are a few ideas that support each of the movement practices that I'll teach, like whether it's ballet or Limon or contemporary floor work, improvisation. One of the ideas is stemming from Bradley Beeks, where he had a modern ish clash at Gibney. And I really appreciate this idea of ish, where, you know, No matter if it's ballet or contemporary, whatever form that we're diving into in that class, it's an ish because I'll be sharing whatever thoughts, but allowing that dancer to have the agency to blur the lines and, Adapt what I'm sharing to support them. I love this practice and idea my movement, but also in education that movement is an action word. I love this idea of finding I N G words because rather than a balance, we're balancing. So the movement is always an action. Whether the form is not physically locomotive in space, there's still some movement. Our blood is flowing. We're able to find opposition and stretch even within a still form. And so this idea that we're always in action, what is the ING word that we're doing? Because in ballet form, the frappe, plie, all of the bend, strike, all of these are Action words. So in American English words, we could also find ING words. Another practice I love is, the idea of laughter and seeing one another because then it's more human. In the 21st century, using our voices and supporting dancers to ask questions and be bold and to pause me at certain moments so that they can really ask questions. Because this is not a solo private. experience. We're in our space together and how can you see one another? How can you use your focus to support your movement no matter what the form is? And so those are some of the approaches that I like to take into my classes. no matter what the form is.

Dana 16:03

Do you have a specific process through which you choreograph? For example, do you start with music or a theme?

Jesse 16:12

As I've been choreographing more and more, I often really go towards music working with Lar Ljubovic and his sense of musicality really embedded that into my practice, because I feel that Lar, he was my first job and I love his work so much and he's such a humble, incredible person. So I'm so inspired by him. Whether it be Legato Vivaldi a huge bass track I connect with the music and I'll sometimes just sit and I'll imagine what it could be in the space. I love using the imagination of what the dancers or what the vibe energetically can be in the studio. I often Won't have material already choreographed to share with the dancers or dancer. I will often play the music in the background and just connecting with the energy of the dancers in the space. I will then start to move and I'll see how they react to those movements, and then continue to vibe of them exploring the movement. So I want to offer movement and then see what the other dancers are being drawn to, and then move forward with that. Because they're the ones that will be experiencing the movement on stage

Dana 17:26

so agree that the confluence of music and dance is so important. And in a way it almost seems like a lost art at times within our field, and so to hear that you're so engaged with the music, I think. end movement is very exciting. How is mental health important in a city like New York and being a dancer where there's so many stressors?

Jesse 17:54

I personally can speak to this as I've continued Dancing and as I've continued living as a human in New York city, but in the, world I've personally have researched lots of mental health spaces and continually tried to find ways that I can support my own mental health. There have been moments where I have been on the brink of spiraling. And I feel that it's not just because it's a hot topic, but I personally do feel it where I do need to take care of myself in that way. As much as a dancer takes care of their body, their mind is just as valuable and so I feel that. in myself, I've needed to take time to dive into what mental health means for me and how that supports me.

Dana 18:44

Absolutely. You're also focused on giving and sharing opportunities with other dancers. Can you tell us about that?

Jesse 18:52

Yeah. I appreciate the space about that. So, I first created Osky Works in 2018. Just as a choreographic hub for my work really just as a company and a group of artists to share some choreography that would create and present. In 2021 after the resurgence of AAPI hate crimes throughout the pandemic, I found a new vision and mission for Obremski Works to be AAPI, Asian American Pacific Islander, equity minded, and I started to then build fellowships where I can then do something further than just art and creation. In 2022, we had our first vision fellow who is an AAPA artist attending a collegiate program in the United States, and we supported them with 750 reimbursements to the tickets or travel to go see shows and I felt that was important at that time, and I continue now because. Within the pandemic, times were really tough and to go see a show was not necessarily the mode at that moment. So I wanted to support artists who were developing, but to really then go see a performance and to connect with the artists, or maybe have a conversation with the director afterwards, try to find those connections and network, because I felt very privileged in New York City. That I can go to the Joyce, I can go to VAM, I can go to Nyla, I can go to LaMama, I can go to all these different venues and I wanted to support other people with that possibility, so I wanted to try and relieve some of those pressures. In 2023, Obramsky Works also founded our other, support fellowship, which is the Voyager Fellowship. And the Voyager Fellowship is a program that supports an international artist to come to New York specifically. And we support them with their visa application, primarily their O 1B artist visa. Supporting them with a plethora of different lawyers to connect with and see which one is fit. There are some free consultations with lawyers that they would receive connection to translations for their portfolio and as Obrimsky works has been developing and having our own performances, I've wanted to really incorporate that This show is not just about Obramski works, artistry, but also about the fellowships and the advocacy. So our last program in May of 2024 four, we had three works of mine, two restagings, one new work, and then we also shared tech. Video production elements and the Obremsky works Voyager fellowship to present and create their own work and that supports their portfolio building for what they submit with the lawyers to the U S agencies

Dana 21:49

that's great. What does it feel like to be an Asian American male modern dancer today?

Jesse 21:57

I say this with all the humility also within my life, but I feel like it's unique. There are fabulous Asian male artists, but within the ethos our society and of our world, we're still the minority. And work of advocacy and to support AAPI dancers and performers and choreographers and stylists and line designers, all of these artists, that work needs to continue because I do feel that me being with the Ailey Company or me dealing with Give Me Company or me being in the arts field, I feel that is a part of representation. And so there's a sense of responsibility that I feel to be active. to be a part of the field so that the future Jesse seeing the Ailey company in a performance at city center can then be inspired to join the arts community. And that's like a full circle moment for me personally, joining the Ailey company because Ailey and seeing sinner man was the reason why I wanted to dance. But overall the advocacy for Asian artists or Asian male artists, I feel is important. Very needed because we're still minorities. If you look at companies and groups, there's progress. Absolutely. There's progress, but the work is hard, we have to do the work. And we need to be out there and we need to be present. We need to be active because we're still minorities.

Dana 23:28

Envision what you'll be doing in five years from now, where do you see yourself?

Jesse 23:34

I often think about five years. I often think about 10, I think about 20. Really appreciate the thought of trying to move forward towards something and who's then that can help me with what I do with my time now, and I've had dreams and aspirations and I've written grant proposals and essays about the potential of me being a artistic leader, a director of maybe a university in the future, to support developing artists in their explorations in their fields. But also there's ideas of directing a company curation and supporting the professional life of an artist.

Dana 24:20

Should our listeners be looking out for?

Jesse 24:24

I'm excited for viewers to join me and the Ailey company the city center from December 4th to January 5th, because that will be my first city center shows with the company. There's exciting new work. That the company is presenting Oh, bremski works. We'll have an announcement of our vision and voyeur fellowship cohort for 2025 in early January. So stay tuned for that and supporting those AAPI artists in. This summer, Obremsky Works is aiming to have our annual performance in New York City where we will be restaging a work of mine called Opportunity, which was created in 2018. I will also have a world premiere I believe a solo work, with four singers and I will be one of the singers in that work. Voyager Fellowship will also present their work, and then we'll also have commissioned choreographer, our our other choreographer Jiahan Connie Shao, who's also my partner in life. She will be choreographing for the company, and that also ushers in as this new era of the company and commissioning other choreographers to come into the company. And I'm excited for. me to continually be teaching. I have weekly classes at Gibney and I feel like those are, even if it's a small moment, a one moment in a week, not a large show or something that I've been gearing up for five months in terms of the production or performance. Those small connections with artists, I feel, Are really impactful because I'm able to communicate with them. I'm able to explore movement with them. I'm able to have moments afterwards to have conversations and see how I can support them further. I think those are beautiful moments. So I invite dancers to stay tuned and look out for one and many of those other things that I've shared.

Dana 26:15

Absolutely. Thank you so much for joining us today, Jesse. It was a pleasure speaking with you, and we wish you the very best of luck.

Jesse 26:25

I appreciate it. Thank you for sharing this space with me. And I look forward to connecting with you and many other artists.

Dana 26:32

Thank you for tuning in today. Please rate the podcast on your listening platform and tell your friends. Feel free to contact me at slantpodcast. com. It's always great to hear from you, our listeners. A special thanks to our sponsors, the Dana Tassun Burgess Dance Company, the Cherry Blossom Giving Circle, and the Deddy Liam Gunawan Hickory Legacy Fund.