From Spring Issue 65
Glass talks to the American dancer, actress and singer Ariana DeBose about how it all began, the importance of versatility and the sheer pleasure of performing
The curtains open, the lights dim and a striking presence makes for an intentional unmasking – a moment of brief protection surrendered before a crowd of theatre lovers ready to binge-watch and leap into a quantum realm with their radiant heroine. That’s the Ariana DeBose experience.
Photographer: Eric Chakeen
Today, however, I catch her far from the stage. She’s in her New York home, navigating the ins and outs of her next move. “I love to entertain people, so I’m adopting the title of ‘entertainer’ as a new word for myself,” she tells me as we settle into our conversation. Like a bee feeding on sticky pollen, DeBose thrives in creatively charged environments and it’s safe to say things have been this way from an early age, first surfacing in the TV reality show, So You Think You Can Dance? in 2009, appearing in Broadway hits like Motown: The Musical and Hamilton, and soon to star in the upcoming TV drama Scarpetta.
“Everything I do has been very intentional from the standpoint of wanting to challenge myself, thinking and feeling I could do more than just musicals,” she says. “But I love theatre and it’ll always be my home.”
Photographer: Eric Chakeen
Now aged 35 and of Mixed Race descent, DeBose took dance classes in North Carolina, where she grew up, before moving to New York at 19. It is here her life as a professional performer really took off. “Having had the opportunity to make a big musical, or a few actually, I wanted to strategically stretch my legs in different areas of the industry and I do feel like I’ve done that,” she tells me.
The eclectic careers of Diane Keaton, Catherine O’Hara, Helen Mirren, Viola Davis and Debbie Allen are among those she related to while growing up. “Some of those names are actresses who do many different things: they sing, they dance, they act,” she explains. “That’s what I took away from them as I believe in the power of versatility. When you’re versatile, you’ll never get bored.”
But it is her late mother, Gina, who remains her biggest inspiration. “My mum was a huge influence on me as she was a lifelong teacher. She’s very disciplined and opinionated. I am very much her daughter.”
In this current climate of uncertainty, DeBose tries to stick to a hopeful mindset: “We’ve got enough division and destruction in the world, so I don’t need to log on to any of that. I come from a female-heavy family and I grew up in my mum’s community of educators. It took a village to raise me. There were many teachers from my childhood, some of whom I’m still in touch with today, who always set beautiful examples for me, whether it’s how to battle adversity or simply not giving up.”
Photographer: Eric Chakeen
DeBose took her first steps into the performing world before she could barely walk. “I think I came out of the womb dancing,” she exclaims. “That’s what I’ve been told. I was always moving [to music] as a baby and jumping around, so I was either going to be a soccer player or a dancer. Dancing is what stuck and I continued with that as I was growing up. I was 11 when the change happened. I was a competitive dancer growing up and I was performing this lyrical solo to ‘Kissing You’ from Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet that played during the aquarium scene. As I finished the number, I’m pretty sure I was lying on the floor filled with emotion. After a short while, I looked up and there was a woman staring at me and silently crying.”
It was a light bulb moment: “I suddenly found the drive to pursue this as a career because I like entertaining people, seeing their joy and hopefully happy tears, or even tears that just act as release. I think art is healing, that it can be joyful and that it can make us think.”
Her musical and dance training not only allowed her to express emotion but also shaped her broader artistic mould. “My theatre training has grounded everything I’ve done,” she declares. “I think some of the greatest Broadway dancers are also great actors. That time when I was really training, or even looking at my work as my training in its own way, allowed me to come across some of the most disciplined dancers of the time, like Charlotte D’Amboise [the Broadway star who became her mentor]. These women were doing everything.”
Photographer: Eric Chakeen
Such artists gave DeBose an old school ideal of the work ethic. “If you have an intense work ethic and pay attention to the details, then you can do anything,” she explains. “I’ve applied that to literally everything that I’ve done since, both on screen and on stage, live or taped. To me, it doesn’t matter. That principle just works for me.”
Speaking about growth and evolution within the film industry, DeBose hasn’t always felt welcomed, despite her acclaimed career. However, she points to the power of community as a vessel for change. “I count myself very fortunate to know what it is to be celebrated,” she continues.
“During my season of celebration, it was absolutely wonderful, but it did have its moments that made it quite clear to me that as much as there were many doors open to me, there are always going to be pushbacks in different ways, whether that’s behavioural or just trying to open people’s minds as to what minorities look like, how we actually live, or the nuance of our own personal humanity. I do think the industry, for many reasons, is backsliding a bit. I also think it’s cyclical. Pendulum swings are real. I don’t think that when you see progress or forward motion, it means you’re not going to take a few steps back. It’s not always perfect.”
Photographer: Eric Chakeen
She’s proud and attached to the communities she belongs to, whether it’s the queer, the Latinx or the Black one: “The community speaks up. What heartens me the most is that when the community speaks up and uses their voice, we stand in solidarity and we do see shift and change.”
Being influential, however, has its cost, leading to moments of discomfort and self-doubt. “I’m human, just like everybody else, and even when you’re winning you’re doubtful,” she tells me. Naturally, self doubt has a habit of creeping in. “Self-doubt is a thing that I battle with every day. I think when it happens for a part that you feel very right for, that’s hard too because you’re aware you have the skills and you’re more than capable of attaining the job. Those are the moments that remind you that some doors are open for you. Others will unfold because there’s a bigger plan. I hold to that.”
DeBose’s line of thought is permeated with introspection as a woman who understands deeply, whether it be her queerness, growing up in the South, or just trying to get people to see her as more than just a dancer. “I don’t think any artist is just any one thing. I really get hit with the word ‘just’ – ‘Oh, you’re just this,’” she says.
Photographer: Eric Chakeen
Looking back at the start of her career, she feels the old version of herself latches on to who she is now. “I think I’m both very much the same person I’ve always been and also completely different,” she states. “And yet I’m in a time where I have the privilege of getting back to some of that.” She calls it “OG six-year-old Ari energy – getting back to a creative mindset of how I felt when I was six years old, when things were easier, when all I had to do was imagine and let that imagination run wild.”
DeBose is actively trying to give herself the space to be re-inspired. “Arguably, given the times we are living in, inspiration can be hard to find. Sometimes it feels heavy, but it’s good to balance that with light and joy.” It’s the difference between black-and-white film and Technicolour: “My vision has been a little black and white for a minute, but now I’m bringing it back into Technicolour, which is fun.”
by Chidozie Obasi
Photographer: Eric Chakeen
Stylist: Mimi Kim
Makeup: Keita Moore
Hair: Ursula Stephen using MOROCCANOIL
Talent: Ariana DeBose
Look 1: Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M, 30 mm in steel on steel OMEGA, All clothing and shoes DIOR
Look 2: De Ville Mini Trésor 26 mm in Moonshine™ gold on fabric strap OMEGA, Jacket and shirt DOLCE & GABBANA, Trousers CALVIN KLEIN
Look 3: De Ville Mini Trésor 26 mm in Moonshine™ gold on fabric strap OMEGA, All clothing FENDI, Ring KATKIM
Look 4: Jacket LOUIS VUITTON
Look 5: Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M, 30 mm in steel on steel OMEGA, All clothing and shoes DIOR
Look 6: De Ville Mini Trésor 26 mm in Moonshine™ gold on fabric strap OMEGA, Shirt THE ROW, Ring KATKIM