Won over by ‘Zumanity,’ now here to stay

Sam Morris

Bernard Gaddis founded the Las Vegas Contemporary Dance Theater and serves as its artistic director. When he first came to Las Vegas, Gaddis didn’t think he could live here, but now he plans on staying and growing his company in the valley.

By Kristen Peterson (contact)

Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009 | 2 a.m.

Name: Bernard Gaddis, dancer, choreographer

Age: 38

Education: Trained at Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Princeton Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and The Governors School for the Performing Arts

Positions: “Mystere” dancer, founder and artistic director of Las Vegas Contemporary Dance Theater

His company: Las Vegas Contemporary Dance Theater has just moved into a studio in Holsum Lofts. On a recent morning the company is prepping for a photo session for its fall season. Jason Skinner, director of photography, is milling about. Gaddis is applying makeup to dancer Heather Farrell while a Pilates class takes place in the main room.

The company’s third season begins in November at the West Las Vegas Library Theater, but getting the 12-member group together for rehearsals, photo sessions and traveling is not so easy given that most of the dancers are rarely paid and, like Gaddis, are working other jobs.

But here they are anyway, merging ballet and modern dance to present pieces that reflect social and historical issues, passion and sexuality.

Next fall it premieres a series on women rulers — Cleopatra, Queen Elizabeth and Tomoe Gozen, a female Samurai warrior. “In a world dominated by men they had to be very strong and intelligent. I admire their trials and tribulations and what they overcame,” Gaddis says.

Career in dance: Gaddis never considered dance until he attended the High School for the Creative and Performing Arts in Philadelphia (to avoid traditional high school). He was hooked after his first dance class.

He spent a summer training at Alvin Ailey and then joined Philadanco, the Philadelphia Dance Co. Six years later he joined the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, fulfilling his dream.

He left the company after eight years to pursue other dance interests, eventually joining the cast of “The Lion King” in Los Angeles.

Getting to Vegas: Gaddis had just finished a guest artist spot with Oakland Ballet when he got a call from Cirque du Soleil about a job in Las Vegas. “First time I came here was with Alvin Ailey. The Wynns brought us here. We performed at Ham Hall. I did not like Vegas at all. I thought, ‘I could not live here.’ I saw slot machines in the supermarket and everybody smoked and I thought, ‘OK, I cannot do this town.’ ” But the job changed his mind and he moved here in 2004 as a dancer in “Zumanity.”

On forming a dance company: Like many performers working nightly in Strip productions, Gaddis was looking for another creative outlet. He didn’t see much in terms of contemporary dance here and saw the need. He also saw it as his duty to continue the work of Alvin Ailey, Ulysses Dove, Katherine Dunham and Martha Graham. “It’s up to the next generation to keep it alive.”

Grass-roots company: “I lose a lot of dancers because I can’t pay them. That’s understandable because people do need to work to eat and to pay their bills. It’s not too different from when I was young and had three jobs — working a bodega in the morning, teaching dance during the day, rehearsing with the company in the evening and even telemarketing twice a week. I think I get that from my mom. I had to keep moving, keep creating. Living your life in other ways helps in dance. I can’t work with anyone who doesn’t have extreme talent and have the same drive as me.

“Eventually I want to just run my company. I want the company to be a national and international company based in Vegas.”

Other interests? Owned a business called “Be Organized” and dabbled in interior design. He gains much of his inspiration from reading and watching movies.

Sticking around? “Oh, yes. I believe that as a young company we can grow into something big as opposed to another city where there are mounds and mounds of companies. I hope that Las Vegas embraces and understands us as their company and that they can support more than one company.”