MaliQ is a professional dancer/singer living and working in NYC. He is a powerful performer with a myriad of credits on his resume. His dancing is grounded yet expansive, classical yet contemporary. He is one of those exceptional artists who can move fluidly from one style of dance to another. His superpower? Versatility.
A native of Pittsburgh, PA, MaliQ began his training when he was nine. He studied ballet, jazz, acro and tap, and at age 11 attended Rogers Middle School for the Creative and Performing Arts. There, he began to study modern and a variety of other dance styles. He continued studying ballet as well as character dance on scholarship at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. At age 12, after a move to Florida, he attended middle and high schools for the arts.
As a student, dance was just a hobby. “I never saw it as a viable option, or career,” MaliQ says. “I never saw dancers who looked like me, a black boy. It wasn’t until I saw the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater that I realized I could be a professional dancer. I decided I was going to dance in that company.”
He attended Juilliard, which is world-famous for its rich curriculum in ballet, contemporary, modern, improvisation and dance composition. At Juilliard, he felt his world expand. He understood he could dance in Ailey, but also in European companies, or even operas. He had dabbled in everything as a young student, but college was a true revelation. “I wanted to taste a little bit of everything!” he says thoughtfully. “It helped me realize that if I wanted a taste of everything at the buffet, I needed to be as well-rounded a dancer as I could.”
After graduating from Juilliard, he apprenticed at the Limón Dance Company. “It was quite a formative time for me. I had just finished at Juilliard, which left me triumphant yet broken, and in my head, this was truly the beginning for me. Little did I know it would be one of my most challenging years. I learned so much, from the continuation of my technique training to how to present myself professionally.”
At Limón, there was a large turnover of dancers. Half of the company was brand new, fresh out of school, while the other half were veterans with years of experience. The various levels of maturity, experience and talent added to the richness of his understanding. He was not asked to join the company after his apprenticeship but felt that was for the best. “I love the Limón technique and the people I danced with, but I knew I wanted more.”
He performed with the Radio City Christmas Spectacular for two seasons. He shares, “Dancing at Radio City was such fun, but almost the exact opposite of Limón. At Limón, we worked so much on dancing together, using the breath as an initiation for movement, as well as a way to help us dance together as a company. At Radio City, it was sharp, clear, and everything had a count. It was about precision while sharing the joy of Christmas.” With a smile, he adds, “I can be quite the ham and love performing, so two to four shows a day about Christmas came quite naturally for me.” He gained confidence that he could push himself and excel in different styles of dancing if he put his mind to it.
After Radio City, he danced with the Mark Morris Dance Group (MMDG) for three-and-a-half years. He joined the company in January 2020, right after Radio City finished, and felt what he describes as whiplash from the differences in the qualities of movement. He was excited to dance for Morris, but the pandemic hit, and three months into his new job, the city was in quarantine. “Learning a new company culture and way of moving while alone in your small apartment was insane, to say the least,” MaliQ reveals. “Luckily, I was one of three new hires, and with them, I was able to find some support.”
Navigating a well-established company like Morris was not an easy feat. “There was almost an unspoken hierarchy within the company, which honestly didn’t bother me too much.” A hunger to improve led him to seek out advice from the senior dancers and learn from them, including how to survive in the company. “I learned so much about my body, the textures I bring to movement, how to dance with others, and how to work with someone like Mark.” He feels that dancing in MMDG taught him he is truly a chameleon. “It was hard, but I felt I was able to blend into the ensemble even though I was new.”
It took him a long time to realize it, but he felt he had star quality and deserved to be seen. “I left MMDG because I wanted more from my career. I loved dancing with my peers, but I was not being seen by the director,” MaliQ says. “I have always had a love for musical theater and Broadway but was afraid I wouldn’t be able to make it.” It took some courage, but he dove off the deep end and ended up in an off-Broadway show called A Soulful Christmas: A Groovy Wonderland.
Rather than succumb to nervousness, he put his faith in his ability. “If I have learned anything from my career so far, it’s that if I put my mind to it, I can achieve anything.” The dancing came easily, but singing offered a completely new challenge. “It was an amazing experience because I struggled like never before, but because I persevered, I have never felt so accomplished.”
This passionate entertainer is not satisfied with just performing. “I love choreographing and creating,” he says. “I have been having those creative urges again, which has been exciting, so maybe I will get back into it.” In fact, he and fellow Juilliard alum Tatum Robertson have received a grant to create a piece of work and hope to share it with audiences soon. MaliQ’s current projects include dancing for Caitlin Trainor’s company, Trainor Dance, and vocal training. That keeps him busy, and he has his sights set on Broadway.
When asked if he could tell his younger self anything, he says, “Follow your gut.” He feels he spent a lot of time listening to what others thought was best for him. “Just because someone is older or more experienced does not mean they know what’s best for me,” MaliQ adds. “If you follow your intuition, I promise you will dodge so much heartache and wasted time.” For the young hopefuls, he advises that there is no timeline for success. He says soulfully, “The only way you won’t achieve your dream is if you give up. We are all on our own paths, so don’t allow someone else’s to convince you that you’ve failed. Keep going; I promise you will make it.”
You can follow MaliQ on Instagram: @maliqizhere.
By Mary Carpenter of Dance Informa.
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