Speaking with Al Blackstone was a delight! Many of you know Al from So You Think You Can Dance, but his credits show that he has long been in the game. Thank you Al for sharing your time and knowledge with all of us!
AL BLACKSTONE (short for Albert) is an Emmy-winning director, choreographer, and educator based in New York City. He loves to tell stories and believes deeply in the power of dance, community, and kindness.
Born and raised in a dance studio, his passion for bringing people together to experience something meaningful has driven him to create work for concert, film, television, theater, ships, basements, parks, and many many stages. This includes original dance narratives such as Freddie Falls in Love (Joyce Theater), Happy We’ll Be (Roseland Ballroom), Elephant in the Room (Arts on Site), NORMA (Steps on Broadway) and Brown Eyed Girl (2011 Capezio A.C.E. Award for Choreographic Excellence). Al has directed/choreographed reinventions of classic musicals such as An American in Paris (Cape Playhouse), Pippin (Music Theater Wichita) and Annie (Axelrod Performing Arts Center) and has choreographed dozens more around the coun- try and Off-Broadway.
In 2020 Al won an Emmy for his work on the iconic television show So You Think You Can Dance where he has been making dances since 2016. Additional network television credits include Good Morning America and The Macy!s Thanksgiving Day Parade. He continues to create self-produced short films including La Vista, The Suburbs, and A Good Thought (up- coming with playwright Rachel Bonds). In 2019 he choreographed the film Double Exposure (On the Rocks Films) and the next year he was chosen by the Irving Berlin Estate to direct and choreograph Isn’t It A Lovely Day to commemorate the 85th Anniversary of the classic musical Top Hat. Most recently, in 2023 he assisted choreographer Mandy Moore (La La Land) on the dance sequences for the upcoming film IF directed by John Krasinksi and starring Ryan Reynolds. He also danced in the film.
As an educator Al is deeply indebted to the many brilliant teachers he has encountered throughout his life including his parents Richard and Denise Blackstone, Doug Caldwell, Frank Hatchett, Sheila Barker, and Andy Blankenbuehler. Their wisdom inform and inspire his own classes which have been shared with dancers all over the world for more than two decades. He has been on faculty at Steps on Broadway, Broadway Dance Center, and JUMP Dance Convention and in 2019 he was featured in the documentary film Uprooted which sheds light on the African roots of jazz dance in America. He has been a guest artist at many universities including The University of the Arts, Pace University, Point Park University., and Marymount Manhattan. Al is proud to be a part of the New York dance community including being a board member at Arts On Site a woman-owned arts organization dedicated to providing artists with opportunities to create and perform new work. In 2020 collaborated with his husband designer Abraham Lule on MOMEN NYC, a project that highlights and celebrates the power of dance through live events, workshops, and virtual offerings for adult dancers. Their weekend work- shop MOMEN&FRIENDS has brought hundreds of dancers together from around the world to form deep and lasting dance memories. He lives in Queens and
Thank you for listening Jam Fam! Make sure you follow us across social media and don't forget to like and subscribe anywhere you listen to your favorite podcasts!
Facebook: JAM Joe and Michelle's Dance Podcast
Instagram: jam_dance_podcast
Twitter: @jamdancepodcast
Email: jamdancepodcast@gmail.com
