NDI Alumni News: Jamal Wyse ('07)
May 2010
At our 2010 Annual Gala, NDI was proud to honor alumnus Jamal Wyse (’07) as our Mascot of the Year. A dance major at LaGuardia High School for Music & Art & Performing Arts, Jamal plans to study biology while continuing to pursue his love of dance after graduating this June. Earlier in the spring, we caught up with Jamal to talk with him about his NDI experience and his plans after graduation.
NDI: How long have you been involved with NDI?
Jamal: I started NDI in the 4th grade (age 10) at P.S. 235 in Brooklyn. One of my teachers was NDI Alum Bianca. After about 2 weeks of classes Bianca came to me and asked me to join NDI's S.W.A.T. Team for more advanced training. From there my journey started. Now I'm 18 and in the 12th grade at LaGuardia High School.
NDI: What was your favorite NDI piece and/or show?
Jamal: All of NDI's pieces are great, but I have three dances that are my favorite: “Appalachian Clog,” “When the Saints Go Marchin' In” and “Other Side of My World.”
“Clog” was my first real solo during my NDI experience. I learned it in my first year of Celebration Team, and I didn't stop performing it until after my second year as an alumnus.
“Saints” will also never leave my memory because of the high energy movement. “Other Side of My World” is another favorite dance because of the history I experienced with it. Starting in my S.W.A.T. year, I was the little boy soloist. Then during my second year of Celebration Team, I was the middle boy soloist. Finally, during my senior year of the program, I was the adult boy soloist, so in this dance I was able to perform every solo that exists. “Other Side of My World” also became a reality to me on two different occasions, when I traveled to China and Indonesia.
NDI: Tell us about your travels as an NDI dancer.
Jamal: In 2004, I traveled to Shanghai, China for a month with 36 other Celebration Team/alumni dancers. This experience was definitely a highlight of my 18 years living on this earth. To this day, I constantly think about that experience, and am very thankful for it. In 2007 I also traveled to Bali, Indonesia with NDI teacher Mary Kennedy. This experience expanded my knowledge about the world and allowed me to grow up mentally and physically.
NDI: How did NDI prepare you as a dancer and as a student for your time at LaGuardia High School for Music & Art & Performing Arts?
Jamal: To start, NDI's training prepared me for acceptance to Mark Twain JHS for the Gifted and Talented. I continued at Mark Twain and then auditioned for LaGuardia. At my callback audition I danced “The Other Side of My World” and was accepted into the dance department. NDI trained me not only to be a dancer but also a performer.
NDI: Do you think you would have found dance without NDI?
Jamal: Absolutely NOT!
NDI: What are your dreams and aspirations?
Jamal: My dream is to become a pediatrician.
NDI: What are you doing after graduation?
Jamal: This fall I’m attending Adelphi University to study Biology.
NDI: Have you maintained friendships that you made during your time with NDI?
Jamal: Yes I have, I try to keep in contact with most of them, and we see each other at NDI alumni gatherings.
NDI: Why do you think people should support NDI?
Jamal: People should support NDI so that others can have the same experiences that I did. NDI is a non-profit organization, which means that the dancers don't pay a cent. This also means that they need the support of other people to keep NDI programs going. In 2007, the entire graduating class, including myself, donated $2007 to NDI as a token of our appreciation. Any and everything counts!
Alumni Association of National Dance Institute
