Regardless of the medium, art evolves through exposure and experience. Actor and dancer Alexandre Deakin was already a celebrity at only fifteen-years-old following his starring role on The Next Step, a Canadian television institution and BAFTA Award-Winning series. Following his tenure on the show, he expanded his horizons while performing and accepted a position aboard Holland America Line as the associate dance captain and one of six dancers. For a young man still in his teens, it was an opportunity to avoid type casting while seeing the people and places that differed from his beloved Canada. Just a few weeks after being booked and appearing in the filmBring It On:Cheer or Die, Deakin embarked on a three-year adventure around the globe, visiting forty-five countries and performing more than three hundred shows. Mark Twain is credited with the quote, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness;” in the case of Mr., Deakin, at the same time, it also hones artistic skill to absolute mastery.
A great deal of the allure in accepting the position with the Holland America Line was Alexandre’s ability to collaborate with industry notables such as choreographer Luis Salgado (known for his work on the Tony Award winning musical In The Heights), and Choreographer Melanie Lewis (known for her work with the Backstreet Boys, Beyonce, Destiny’s Child, and Christina Aguilera). Humanity was the first production he took part in aboard the ship, also marking his first live performance after the COVID-19 pandemic ended. Opening night of this production is forever memorable to Alexandre, proof of the unique nature of performing aboard a cruise ship. He recalls, “On the opening night, we were performing Humanity. About halfway through the show I had a major trick to perform with my fellow cast member. It was just us two onstage and the trick consisted of flipping her over my head from a handstand position on the ground. Needless to say, it went very differently than when we were rehearsing in the studio. The ship rocked to the left and I threw her to my right. The movement of the ship combined with my adrenaline resulted in her landing on the bridge of my nose instead of in my arms. She was fine… my face still caught her. Immediately after being struck, blood spurted on my paint splattered costume adding red to the mix of green, purple and pink. The dance continued and my buddy Mathew whispered to me onstage: ‘Dude, you have to jump offstage, there’s blood everywhere.’ So I quickly incorporated a step, jumping offstage. I never ended up finishing the performance that night. Off to a great and memorable start (tongue in cheek!). Afterwards, we had a lot of laughs and I still remember my casts’ shocked looks when the blood was dripping onto my costume.” As they often say, great art is born from pain.
FromHumanity, In Tandem, and Off the Charts to other varied productions, Alexandre displayed the diverse skills that he’s become so widely recognized for during his three-year tenure with Holland America Line. In his estimation, this experience is one that every artist could benefit from because it provides numerous opportunities to hone your craft. If acting communicates empathy and dance celebrates the human condition, exposure to unfamiliar places and people expands these possibilities. Alexandre explains, “I repeatedly found ways to invite close friends and family members to come share the experience with me. These moments were life-changing for all of us. In Egypt, we explored the pyramids. In Rome, we toured the Colosseum. In Greece, we experienced the Parthenos. I also made sure to take advantage of different cultural styles of dancing. In Tokyo I took dance classes for two weeks straight. I even decided to go for a role in leadership and became the associate dance captain. I can confidently say if I were to do it all again, I would not have changed a thing.”
Writer : Basil Thomson
Ayushi Saini