Jade Whitney on Dance, Finding Her Voice, and Making a Difference
- Jasmine Melrose
- Sep 1, 2021
- 16 min read
Updated: Jul 5, 2022
DECO interviews artists in an effort to explore personal stories, dive into the workings of the creative process, raise awareness about important topics, and to advocate for change. In our interview with Jade Whitney, Jade talks openly about the dance industry, overcoming trauma, and her own personal style and creative process.
Jade Whitney, is a Toronto based artist, dancer and choreographer. She has danced for artists such as FKA twigs, Nick Jonas, Tate McRae, and has worked on film and television productions such as Schitt's Creek, Suicide Squad, Disney’s Zombies 1 and 2, and is currently in rehearsal for the third film of the Zombies series.
Photo: Aidan Tooth
DECO: Jade, who are your biggest role models? And why do you look up to them?
So as far as in dance, I would say that, one of my biggest inspirations for the past couple of years in general has been FKA twigs. I just love her music. I think that her music is really what started to help me find myself as an artist. Also just her as a person, everything that she stands for, I just love her.
But as far as choreographers, I would say that one of my biggest inspirations right now is one of my best friends, Akira Uchida, who is currently living in New York and choreographing. I just think his style is very unique and different, and because I know him on a personal level, too. I think for me, it's like the art yes, but it's also about the human. Knowing what that person stands for and how they are as a human also affects my view on their art.
I am also super inspired by Wade Robson. I’ve been working with him one on one for the past 6 months, as a mentorship. And he has really helped me to stay grounded during this time, he's a huge inspiration for me.
I've also been really into Willow, Willow Smith. I've been really into her music and watching her interviews and stuff. So those would be my inspirations at the moment, but it changes every second.
So how a person is in, let’s call it “real life” really affects how you feel about their work. Would you say that you are unable to respect and/or work with someone artistically if you don't appreciate them as a person?
Oh, yeah, for sure. It's just always so unfortunate to me, because I'm like, oh, you're so talented, you're so innovative, but if you're not, in my eyes, trying to become a more conscious human, it's hard for me to really separate the things, I can look at your art and say, that's fantastic, but I'm not going to be as inspired by this person, so yeah, absolutely.
It is a heartbreaking moment, knowing that the person who made the art you are witnessing is doing bad things in their personal life. The art is no longer valid. People must be held accountable.
Oh, yeah, that for sure! But you can even feel when someone's art is more ego driven. Art and people like that don't inspire me.
What does your creative process look like? Do you use a lot of improvisation or specific imagery? We did talk a bit about music that moves you. Where do you draw your inspirations from normally when creating, especially choreographing?
So definitely, I would say for me personally, it is the music first. And in the past year, I started to choreograph differently, I've been using more of an improv base, so i’ll improv a lot to a song, because I just love it so much, and once I look at the videos, I'll kind of choose the parts that I like and then fill the rest in.
But in the past, before COVID, I would say that my process was really different. I wasn't really improving as much, I was going more off of the movement, and then fitting it to the music. But I like where I am now, just because it makes me feel really good in my body in a different way.
Yeah, so that's where I'm at right now, maybe it also comes out a bit more naturally, because the movements are being inspired in the moment by the music, and then you're tweaking them afterwards. Rather than maybe knowing in the back of your mind, there's this cool step I want to do, does it fit with the music? I think it becomes more natural this way.
And I just think that improv is so magical. To me, it's the most connected that I feel to the source. I want the choreography to eventually feel as magical and I think that it's a combination of the two, because when you're leading from your body you can use your mind to help fill in moments.
Photo: Aidan Tooth
Absolutely. I think improv is so important.
Right, but it's a skill in itself. You know, there are so many tools that you can use to work on your improvisation skills, and staying open, because it can actually be the hardest thing for a dancer to do.
Right, you have no outside stimulus, everything's coming from you, and it's easy to get into your head, especially on those days when you are hating everything you create or you have a sort of "writer's block". In those moments, or on those days, when you need to produce work, what tools do you use to keep your mind free?
Well, I think that's why improv does help me because I'm making a decision in the moment as opposed to letting myself overthink, but just in general, I'm a lot less hard on myself than I used to be. If I'm having a bad dance day, it's like, I'm having a bad dance day, that doesn't mean that I suck.
I'm very aware that there's gonna be days like that, and I'll just do my best for where I'm at that day. You know, it always helps me to have someone in the room. That way it's like, okay, they're waiting for me, let's go, let's just make something. If it's a first draft, if I end up changing a lot of it after, that's totally fine. I just try to get it out so that I have something at least.
Have you experienced any big shifts or changes regarding your style and embracing your individuality as an artist?
Yeah, I mean, I'm definitely really inspired by other people's choreography. And because I still dance a lot, and I'm constantly taking class and learning from different people. I think that, I’m just taking what I love from different styles and kind of combining it into my own thing.
Photo: Christine Do
I've always just loved to be versatile. And even just in the past year, I started to learn some tutting and waving and I'm like, oh, this is inspiring me in a new way. But then I also love to dance in heels and be more feminine. So yeah, it's a mix of everything that I've been learning.
What has been the hardest dance style for you to work in?
Oh, definitely hip hop just because I end up doing hip hop a lot for different jobs. Obviously, it's just a really popular style right now. And because I didn't grow up training heavily in hip hop, I always kind of feel like that contemporary dancer, trying to do hip hop.
[laughs] It’s a forever feeling
It’s getting better, but especially when you're around hip hop dancers. It's hard for me not to feel like I'm the one that doesn't belong here. You know? But at the same time, I love doing it. I think it's really fun. And it definitely influences my movement and contemporary as well. So I would say hip hop for sure, because even when I was learning tutting, because it's all pictures, I found it so much easier, and so much of hip hop is you know, culturally driven and there's so much more to it.
Yeah, hip hop is sort of limitless, it's a technique, yes, but it's emotion, it's culture, it's not about going to the best school, it's not about how much money you have. It's really a feeling of community and teaching each other things.
Totally agree, 100%.
Speaking of trying new styles, when was the last time you tried something that was totally out of your comfort zone? What does artistic risk taking look like for you?
I mean, when I was learning tutting with Pyro, he's a dancer and choreographer here in Toronto. He also was teaching me a little bit of popping. And even the waving I found, super challenging. It's just a totally different way of using your muscles.
With popping, there's obviously the pop and then there's also the groove and everything. That was probably the last job that I did even in rehearsals for zombies. We've been doing a little bit of that. So I would say that's probably the hardest thing I've done lately.
Versatility and the ability to adapt, are some of the most important qualities you can have as a dancer.
Yeah. I often feel a little bit out of my comfort zone because I think for me, the only time I'm in my comfort zone is when I'm doing my own choreography. I guess with versatility, I agree, I think that it's beneficial, like this, you are able to work more, because even if I'm not the best at every style, I'm able to be there in the group. So in the past year, the jobs I did, I was on pointe for one job, then I was in heels, I was doing hip hop, jazz, and then my stuff is, I guess I would call it more contemporary.
Do you think that dance being so prevalent on TV and on social media is helping or hurting the dance industry?
I mean, I think it's definitely helping, because now dance is more popular. I mean, at least, for me working in TV and film, I feel like there's so much more dancing in movies and on TV shows, at least in Toronto, which is good for us, obviously.
So I think the more aware people are, the more work there's going to be for all the dancers here, and I've worked on projects recently, where there were 50 dancers. So it's just so great to have so many people who are employed, making great money off of what they love to do, which I think in the past, and still, for a lot of people is tough.
Obviously there are always pros and cons to everything, I think that dance being more popular amongst non dancers is going to help dancers to work.
On the topic of industry, is there anything that you believe needs to change?
It's hard for me to speak on the dance industry as a whole because I've been pretty heavy in Toronto, and I'm not really sure what it is like elsewhere, but in Toronto, specifically in the film industry, the dancers are being paid well, which is nice, because I think that when I've been doing projects that are a little bit more contemporary, concert or on stage, it's rare that I'm able to do just that job and not have to do something else on the side.
Absolutely.
I do it because I love it. I mean, it would just be nice if one day, it could be possible for us to be able to do those projects, and to be able to make more money so that it's not just a side job. Because in Toronto specifically, there's not as much funding for the arts as there is in a lot of other cities around the world.
The main focus here is TV and film, which is super fun. But it is also a very specific type of dancing. So for someone like myself, I don't get to do my style. Sometimes if I'm dancing in a music video, but again, the pay is not always great in Toronto, specifically for videos. I know that in LA, they have higher rates for all of that kind of stuff, for music industry work.
So yeah, that's the one thing I wish that we had in Toronto, because there are so many talented dancers here, I wish that there could be more money in the music industry for dancers to be able to do that type of work. Because right now, everybody wants to go to LA to do that stuff. Because you really can't make a living doing it here.
Also in Toronto, we don't really have a studio here right now, for people and professionals to train. I know that COVID obviously, is a big part of that. But I think that having a home for dancers to be able to train would also make the industry feel like there's so much more of a community.
There's nothing like being in a room full of people and having that inspiration around you. I think that makes such a huge difference.
It does really make the difference, yeah.
But also back to your question about the industry, I think that the other thing that I've started to see a big change in this past year is having a more diverse cast. Because in the past, and I mean, even now, I feel like some choreographers aren't valuing or making sure that you have, you know, an equal amount of different ethnicities, or different gender expressions, or just having the dancers be more diverse.
Like this, other people who are watching are able to say, oh, that person looks like me, it makes them feel more connected to the performance, or in TV and film, or whatever it is, being able to see people that look like you is going to draw you in more, and make you feel included, which is something so important.
Photo: Felice Trinidad
Absolutely, and people are demanding that change. If the system won't allow for organic change and evolution, the push needs to come from the people.
Yeah, for sure, I think, even for me being asian, when I was first starting in the industry, because there's always that token asian, I felt like it was helping me. But at the same time, I was thinking, only one asian girl can be on the job, and as a non- white person, you start to feel like there's only space for one of you, but then there's space for five white girls or five white guys, and it almost creates this feeling of, the people that look like you, you're against them.
And I hate having that feeling. Because there should be space for all of us here. If there's space for all of them, there should be for us too, but unfortunately it's not quite there yet. I've seen it happen though. I did a Disney movie in the fall. And it was the most diverse cast I've ever seen. I was like, Whoa! And this is actually after everything happened with BLM last year.
So it was a huge change and seeing that has made me realise how much it wasn't like that before. I didn't even think about that before, because you're just trying to, like we said, survive, and get that job.
But other than that, it's just your fight or flight response. I have to get the job, it doesn't matter what I look like. But until you get that cast, that you go holy, there are so many people in this room that I've never seen before. I think that's a prime example.
It takes a lot of courage to show up knowing those odds, and fight to change that reality.
100%, because especially as a kid watching these movies and TV shows and performances, you don't see anybody that looks like you, and it makes you feel like you're not okay, not normal or likeable and that, maybe I'm never gonna be there. It's hard to imagine yourself doing something that you haven't seen someone like you doing before, no one's paved the way for you.
You feel alone.
Exactly, exactly. And I definitely had that experience when I was a teenager where I was wishing that I wasn't asian for so long. And now looking back, because it definitely switched for me once I started working, now I love being asian, but I do remember as a kid having that feeling of, I wish I was white, and I'm half white. So if I had that feeling, I can't imagine what a lot of other kids are dealing with, you know?
Representation matters so much.
100%.
Recently, in the Toronto dance scene, many female, male, and queer artists have come forward with their stories about sexual abuse and harassment, you have also come forward with your personal story, which holds so much power as you are giving others the space to do the same.
Yes.
What has been the response, and what actions do you believe can be taken to put a stop to this? Why do you think that so much of this goes on without consequence?
Well, I think especially or specifically with dance, and dance teachers, or even choreographers, for example, you build this closer relationship than you would with your teachers at school for example. And sometimes the boundaries can get a little bit blurred for that reason. And I think that because, in the past, even just the last 10 years, none of this stuff was talked about and it was really normalised. Even just dance teachers making sexual comments to the students, it's been very normalised and people are just like, oh, haha, it's a joke, you know.
But the thing is, because we brush off a lot of things like that, it opens the door for something worse to happen. Because we're not taking it seriously when it's in a mild form.
Right.
And with kids specifically, like with what happened to me, I had so much love for my dance teacher. I thought she was the coolest person on the planet, you know. So there was no part of me that thought, this is bad for me. I never thought that she would have done something that wasn't good for me. And I never wanted her to get in trouble. So when you're a kid and you're manipulated by a person, you're just, you don't want to speak up or tell anybody.
But at the same time, the parents have to be more vigilant on seeing the signs and not just believing everything your child says because, kids can lie if they feel like they need to protect somebody that they love, you know.
So I think it's just about having the awareness that this is happening, it's happening a lot and you can't rely on the kids to always come to you and tell you that it's happening. So we just need to be more aware, even other teachers at the studio.
If we're noticing something that's off between, maybe a student and another teacher, we can’t just turn a blind eye to it, and assume, oh, everything's fine, because so much happens behind closed doors that you're not aware of.
And now especially with social media, and just kids being on their phones all the time, it creates even more of a ground for these types of inappropriate relationships to be happening, and the kids just want to be loved. They just want attention. They just want to feel special.
So the other issue with choreographers and dancers that are adults, is the power imbalance. If a dancer feels like, I might lose my job if I don’t comply with this person who is flirting with me, it’s not fair play, it’s not ever equal ground and when people feel like their job might be on the line now or in the future and it comes down to not having it in you sometimes to stop something or even to be able to go to someone else about it. It’s definitely a huge issue which I still think is going to take time to change, but now that people are more aware, it’s a big step.
I think it starts with speaking up, as you did, it will only change if people start demanding change. If it’s gone on this long, it will continue unless there is a push for it to stop.
Some dancers are not able to stand up for themselves because they need the validation, they need that job and that’s all they have, and especially when you are younger, it’s even harder. But we get older, we learn to establish boundaries. I don’t need to abandon myself, I don’t need to succumb to this person, and it also starts with having self worth, knowing that I don’t need this person, they are not going to destroy my career, and there is comfort now in knowing that there will be an army of other women or men who will back you up and support your honesty, you are never going to be the only one. And I hope that in the future, it won’t even have to get to this point. That these choreographers will change their actions.
Sometimes it’s about speaking your truth, about being able to finally say it. Knowing that, I’m not going to ruin her life, she knew what she was doing and what the consequences would be at the time. Despite the fact that I did feel a bit of guilt, I had to remind myself that, she ruined her own life. That’s not my doing. And I wanted to inspire other people, to know that, they could do the same.
And thank you so much for sharing your story.
Then we need to stop discrediting women and people who come forward with their stories because this won’t help the situation.
If you could give your younger self one piece of advice about growing up in dance, what would it be?
If there was one thing I really wish I had understood when I was a kid, is that you are connected to something so much greater than just yourself, and that you have these gifts. You might not truly understand the meaning of life or your purpose at the moment but things are far bigger than what society has been feeding you.
I know that I suffered so much from eating disorders and wanting to be this perfect person, and feeling that I wanted to be the best and that I was never good enough. And now I see myself as just a piece of this mysterious puzzle. I have my body for a reason and it’s a gift.
Photo: Christine Do
I used to be so lost, and not that I have necessarily found my way now, but I think that I am ok with being lost, and I trust the universe and that connection I have with it, which is something I never felt back then. We all have our journeys, they are all different and there is no, one path.
What are your hopes for the future of art and activism?
I hope that we can create more art that will help people to feel the love that is blocked inside of them. I think the world needs more love, the love is always there but there is just so much stuff in the way. People are so full of hurt and pain that they are afraid to feel.
Sometimes that pain feels like it’s going to kill you, but it’s not, it won't. If we can allow ourselves to feel all of the emotions that are there and then, release them, we can find more of the connection that we are not feeling most of the time.
Art can sometimes be so ego driven, but when you are collaborating, it’s not just about you anymore. And I think that art shouldn’t really be, just about you anyway.
Photo: Mike Seagar
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Jasmine Melrose
Director & Founder of DECO the Blog
Jasmine Melrose is a Toronto native living in Amsterdam. Once a professional dancer, her passions include movement, fitness, yoga, healing, and all things vegan. Jasmine is a 500-hour trained yoga teacher, who loves to get you deeper into your practice. She is also a certified barre teacher who loves making raw vegan, guilt-free and good-for-you treats. Check out her recipes and articles on everything from fitness to yoga, to notes on a journey towards healing.
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