By Eric George Tauber
SAN DIEGO — When I covered San Diego Civic Dance Arts, I took notice of Aaron Schueler, a young hoofer with “very busy feet” who reminded me of “a little Fred Astaire.” (https://www.sdjewishworld.com/2016/02/17/67511/)
Aaron is twelve years old and a sixth grader attending Albert Einstein Academy, taking classes at SDCDA after school. His ambition is to join the Metropolitan Ballet in NYC. His parents met doing Evita at Starlight. A Juliard graduate, Andrea Schueler submitted a video of herself dancing in Central Park and was hired. At the time, she was the only dancer hired by video audition.
It turns out that Aaron is Jewish. In fact, his grandfather was saved from the Holocaust by the Kindertransport and his grandmother is a product of the Lower East Side. So, for an MOT (Member of the Tribe) Profile, I arranged to meet Aaron and his dad at the Japanese Tea Pavilion in Balboa Park.
EGT: How long have you been dancing?
AS: I’ve been dancing with SDCDA for six years.
EGT: How did you get into it? Who said, “Put that kid in dance class”?
AS: Well, my sister had been dancing for years before me and I was dragged to all of her dance classes. And so it was kind of like, “I need to do something,” so I started dance.
EGT: Now was it one of those things that you wanted to dive in, or you were dragged?
AS: In the beginning, I was dragged.
EGT: And then what sparked it for you? What was the spark?
AS: I was watching my sister in one of her shows and I saw all the dancers. And they were smiling like they were having the best time ever. And I was like, “I want that.” And I went home and looked up videos of ballet dancers and I thought, “I want to do that. I want to be that good.” Then I was enrolled in more dance classes. And that’s when the spark grew into a fire.
EGT: Nice. So what happens to you up there?
AS: At first, I’m nervous and I’m like, “Oh my God! I’m going to mess up. But as soon as the music starts, something inside me just says, “Okay. This is how it goes.” And then it’s all muscle memory from there.
EGT: I think every performer has had that disaster where something just gets bolloxed on stage and you just have to roll with it. I was in Children’s theatre for years. Trust me. I’ve had my own. So, do you have any stories?
AS: When I was doing December Nights, my teacher was sick or something. So we didn’t do the dance for a couple of weeks until the day of the performance … until about five minutes before we came onstage. So when I got onstage, I was doing the wrong step. I didn’t know what I was doing. I was on the ground when everyone else was in the air. And I was like, “That’s it. I’m going to move on.”
EGT: So you weren’t able to play it off, but life goes on. That’s actually something I don’t like about those reality talent shows. You blow something and then it’s over. And that’s not how the business actually works. Everyone has that disaster and they’re able to move on. It doesn’t end your career. In your testimonial in the program, you said that dance made you more confident. But you’ve been doing this since you were six. So what has this given you the confidence to do besides dance?
AS: Dance has just given me the confidence to be more social with people. At first, people were like, “Oh, you dance. That’s so weird.” And I was like, “Well, what do you do?” And they were like, “I don’t do anything, really.” So I said, “Well, is that any better than dancing?”
EGT: Dancing is certainly more than nothing. I like your answer. But what about the jocks who say, “Well, I do football.”
AS: I think football is nothing in comparison to dance.
EGT: Why?
AS: Because football is about everyone yelling at each other and trying to go up against their opponents. No one’s really pushing each other up. They’re just fighting each other. They’re trying to win something, whereas in dance, you’re trying to get better than yourself.
EGT: But if the San Diego Ballet left, there wouldn’t be massive protests like there have been for the Chargers.
AS: Yeah. That’s true.
EGT: Would you like to see more boys in dance?
AS: Yes, I would like to see more boys in dance.
EGT: Why? Don’t you like being the cock of the walk?
AS: Yeah, but the girls have their own dressing room and it’s me and another boy. And if that other boy isn’t there, then I’m alone. And I would like to see other boys because you get closer to them because you’re experiencing what they’re experiencing. Whereas the girls, they’re girls. It’s not weird for them to be dancing.
EGT: True. I remember with I love a Piano, there you were on top of the piano with all of these girls around you. Who wouldn’t love that?
AS: Yeah. That’s fun.
EGT: Is there a little something to being “The Prince”?
AS: It’s fun because all the girls are nice to you. If they’re in competition, they’re not in competition with you because you’re a boy. So, yeah.
EGT: So how do you think we could get more boys in dance?
AS: I think boys are just intimidated by everyone. But if they came and saw us all messing up, making mistakes and having fun, then they would be encouraged to come join us in dance.
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And that’s the word from San Diego’s own Billy Elliot. His father joined us and kvelled about his son and the program at Civic Dance Arts. Keep an eye on young Aaron Schueler. He has a gift worth paying attention to.
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Tauber is a freelance writer who specializes in coverage of the arts. He may be contacted via eric.tauber@sdjewishworld.com Comments intended for publication in the space below must be accompanied by the letter writer’s first and last name and by his/ her city and state of residence (city and country for those outside the U.S.)