#FFB: Nico DeJesus
NOTE FROM NICO: Hello! My name is Nico DeJesus and I’m currently a swing and the Assistant Dance Captain for Pretty Woman the Musical. Previously, I was Romeo in the Newsies movie and the National Tour. I’ve been living in New York for almost 2 years with my beautiful fiancé Paige Sealey and our mischievous cat, Macavity.
On Growing up…
I was born and raised in San Diego, California. I’m an only child and I always try my best to not act like one. My Mom and Dad put me in everything as a child, from karate to soccer, but the two things that I was actually good at were Roller Hockey and dance. I chose dance and went to a performing arts high school in San Diego and then went to UCLA where I graduated with a degree in World Arts and Cultures with a concentration in Dance. Throughout middle school, high school, college and post-college years, I was working professionally in Los Angeles. Most notably, I was the kid in the Jay-Z video “H to the Izzo,” a dancer on Disney’s “That’s So Raven” and “Shake it Up,” and Henry in MTV’s “Awkward.”
On Broadway…
One day, sitting in my living room in Brentwood, California, after just getting off an International tour where we traveled through Spain, Italy, and Turkey, I came across a posting on “answers4dancers” for Newsies. After a couple hours of dancing and singing, I left that audition still without a job! However, 2 years later I got an email for an appointment for the National Tour. So I flew to New York, slept on a friends couch for a week, and the rest is history! Now I’m here, sitting at my dressing station at the Nederlander Theater waiting for half hour to get called. Grateful. That’s the word I say to myself everyday. That’s how I describe Broadway. I’m so grateful to have a job. Millions of people want to be on Broadway. I will never take it for granted. I seriously love what I do. I love being a swing. I’m not going to lie, it’s hard not being onstage sometimes. And then, there are those shows where you’re doing a split-track, dancing one guy’s track, singing another person’s track, wearing someone else’s costume, but then you bow at the end and the sense of accomplishment you feel is so gratifying. I’ll never forget all the years of preparation it took to get to that moment.
On Wellness…
Before I got that call from my agent/friend Greg Uliasz over at MSA that I’d be opening a new show on Broadway, I put my body through hell. In a good way! Maybe. I was working at Rumble Boxing as a coordinator. Whenever you walked in, I would be at the front desk checking you in and asking if you needed anything. And recommending water, because you were going to need it. Since I was there everyday, I figured I might as well take class everyday too. At first, I just wanted to get ripped and be sexy like all the trainers there. I’ve always been pretty disciplined in my life. But I quickly noticed, I was gaining a new sense of discipline.
In order to be on Broadway, or do any high level job for that matter, you must be disciplined in all facets of your life. I was working out everyday, eating healthy, dancing every other day, and singing everyday as well before my final audition for Pretty Woman. I figured, if Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson can get up at 4 in the morning to work-out and eat a hundred million calories to maintain his God-like stature, I can wake up at 9 am, do my 45 minute HIIT workout of the day and eat one big meal with an Almond Milk Tea with boba for dessert everyday too. Point is, I am “The Rock.” No. If you want something, you have to work for it. I wanted to work really hard for it because I was going to do everything possible to get on Broadway. I always wanted to be the hardest working person in the room. Or at least the 2nd or 3rd hardest working person.
Something else I learned throughout this process was I really needed to focus on my mental health. New York is rough and you can easily get really down on yourself. However, cue my fiancé, she has become an advocate for mental health and how important it is to maintain a healthy one. She was diagnosed with depression last year, but seeing how she lives and overcomes it everyday not only inspires me, but everyone else that knows her. You can have everything in the world, a nice apartment, cute puppy, in-unit washer and dryer, but if you’re struggling mentally, it can ruin everything. If you don’t take the proper care needed you can really suffer. And seeing my Superwoman fiancé work her 3 jobs, run to multiple auditions, fit in a voice lesson, deal with me everyday on top of beating depression, let’s just say I found a keeper.
On Inspiration…
So my fiancé is my inspiration. She’s the person in the room that works harder than me. And that’s totally cool with me. I also wish I had her technique. And her feet. If I could point my feet like her...she’s just pretty amazing. Something else we have in common that helps us in our daily life is our faith. It’s something that’s very important to the both of us.
On Spirituality…
I believe that there is something bigger than me. I’m a practicing Catholic. Never miss mass, go to confession at least once every 2 weeks. I’m even friends with some priests. Shout out to Father Dat and Father Andrew.
When I perform, yes I do it for myself, but I know there’s more to it. I believe, every smile I put on someone’s face through my performance, that’s God’s love pouring out through me. God blessed me with these abilities, so it’s my duty to share it. I’m no Saint, but I will always try my best to be a good person and treat you the way I would love to be treated. With that being said, I hope when you come watch me perform one day, you walk away with 2 things: a smile, and an understanding, that I am indeed, “The Rock.”
Connect with Nico: Instagram: @nicoofjesus | Twitter: @nicodj3
Nico is wearing “Training for Broadway” Pullover by Fit for Broadway Apparel currently being sold on Playbill Store.
Photos & Interview by Jane Jourdan.