Dance Mogul Magazine Exclusive…
Dance Mogul: When did you develop a love for dance?
Erin Gray: I developed a love for dance when I was just 3 years old. My mom put me in ballet classes to see if I liked it, and from that moment, I fell in love with dance.
Dance Mogul: How did you develop a work ethic to be progressive and successful?
Erin Gray: Once I knew that I wanted to be a professional dancer, I never stopped working towards my dream. I consider myself a hard worker; I train consistently, and I’m good at meeting people. I knew what it would take to become a pro dancer, so every day I worked toward fulfilling all my dreams as a dancer, especially when it came to moving to Hollywood to pursue this dream.
Dance Mogul: Did you have family support?
Erin Gray: Yes, my parents always supported me. They worked hard to pay for my dance classes as a kid and were always there to watch my end-of-year concerts, eisteddfods, and performances. I know it was difficult for them when I moved away and told them I wanted to keep living overseas, but they still supported me nonetheless. My dad passed away while I was working in Singapore in 2011, which was a very difficult time, but I knew he always wanted me to pursue what I loved. I moved to Los Angeles in 2012 to continue my dreams as a dancer.
Dance Mogul: When did you realize you could be a professional?
Erin Gray: I realized after high school when I did my full-time course at Brent Street and we got to perform in some shows, one of which was with Kelly Clarkson. I knew I had to continue this as a career—I just loved performing so much. Hollywood was always my end goal since the age of 7 when I would watch Shirley Temple videos. I was obsessed with the idea of living in Hollywood, and once the timing was right, I was able to make it my reality.
Dance Mogul: What have been some of your most memorable dance moments?
Erin Gray: My first overseas contract when I was 19 was at Hong Kong Disneyland in a show called The Golden Mickeys. It was a stunt/dance show, and I played The Little Mermaid. I then moved from Hong Kong to Singapore to perform in an all-girls pop group called The Maxim Dolls and then to Universal Studios in a show called The Mel’s Dinettes. In Los Angeles, I recently danced in a new feature film that is still in pre-production called Quasi and I will be dancing in another upcoming feature film called 1932.
I got to dance with actor Sung Kang from Fast & Furious in a TV show pitch called High & Tight, written by Alex Tse. I have performed at the Latin American Music Awards with Daddy Yankee and Natalie La Rose, and I went on tour to Shanghai with artist Dawn Richard from the pop group Danity Kane. I recently toured for 2 years with artist Maria Brink and the rock/metal band In This Moment as one of her lead dancers and choreographer’s assistant; I did three U.S. tours and a music video with them. I danced in the TV show Howard High, directed by Chris Stokes, and I got to work with Ariana Grande as one of her dancers on her music video Bang Bang.
I have had the opportunity to work with other artists such as Peso Pluma, The Beach Boys, Redfoo, Lexy Panterra, Mila J, Marques Houston, Chromeo, Nothing More, Patrick Star, and Lacy Kay. I dance for the LA synchronized swimming team Aqualillies. I have performed in many music videos, live shows, skeleton crews, corporate shows, film premieres, movies such as Reboot Camp, Quasi, and 1932, and TV shows including The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and Jimmy Kimmel Live. I have traveled to many cities throughout the USA and overseas, such as Atlanta, Indiana, New Orleans, St. Louis, Toronto, St. Maarten Island, Lake Tahoe, and Dallas, to name a few, performing for corporate shows such as Beachbody and Monat. I have also judged many dance competitions around the U.S. with Starbound and Revolution Dance.
Dance Mogul: How did you survive the pandemic and overall day-to-day of 2020?
Erin Gray: I had saved some money from previous dance work, so I was able to get through. I cannot say it was easy, but occasionally a dance job wearing masks outside would come up, and I was able to make a bit of income from that. Eventually, more jobs started coming through as time went on. I used the pandemic as time to keep training at home too. Nothing stopped me from dancing.
Dance Mogul: How has 2020 affected your artistic decisions and progress?
Erin Gray: The pandemic only made me more selective about the types of jobs I want to focus on, which is a good thing. Instead of saying yes to everything, I am now more selective and happy working on jobs that are fulfilling and that treat me respectfully as a dancer.
Dance Mogul: What advice do you have for all artists as everyone works their way back to some form of normalcy?
Erin Gray: If this is a career you want to pursue, then you must go for it 100%. Being a professional dancer is not always going to be easy, especially when things aren’t completely back to normal. But if it’s something that makes your soul come alive and it is what you truly want, then keep training, networking, and don’t give up on it. Push through the ebbs and flows that we have been experiencing since the pandemic. There is still work, and if you want it badly enough, you will get those opportunities!
Dance Mogul: What would you like your legacy in dance to look like 20 years from now?
Erin Gray: I would like to be remembered as an inspiring, hardworking, and humble dancer. I hope that I can show others the ropes of the industry and give younger dancers advice and guidance as they rise up to pursue this as a career. I also hope my résumé inspires others so they know they can go for what they want too.
Dance Mogul: Is there anyone you’d like to thank for helping you on your journey?
Erin Gray: Yes, I would like to thank my parents, who both worked really hard to put me in dance classes and allowed me to go off and live overseas when I was just 19. I want to thank my friends who have supported me, my dance teachers who trained me, and all the choreographers, agents, entertainment company directors, and casting directors who have believed in me and hired me for all the amazing jobs and opportunities I have had the privilege of experiencing so far.
