Dancing Across America 

Reese Spencer started dancing at five years old and hasn’t stopped since. But now, rather than joining her flfiEdmond North pom team on the floor, or taking first in the Oklahoma State Pom Solo competition, she joins the cast of “Jesus Christ Superstar” each night as part of the show’s North American tour. 

This break came after two years of New York living, where Reese was on scholarship at NYC’s Pace University as part of their commercial dance program. “Attending fiPace felt like a huge first step,” Reese explained. “It was so exciting living in the city, having access to all of the auditions, and constantly learning and meeting new people.” 

Regularly responding to casting calls was part of Reese’s pursuit of experience and exposure. “There are even online submissions, which is what I did for this role,” she said. “I sent my information, and some dance and singing footage.” Shortly after, she was on to the next phase – an in-person audition. And then, Reese landed her role as the youngest dancer in the cast. 

ffiff“I got the official offer in July of 2023, rehearsals started in September, and the tour began in October.” Reese pulled from her long dance history to pick up the choreography at such a fast pace, but submersion into the new schedule and culture still came as a slight shock. 

“I am used to picking up choreography pretty quickly,” she said. “But with this being such a huge production, I was sort of shocked at the rehearsal process being only one month. But when you are working with professionals with this much talent, it makes sense that they move quickly.” 

Reese calls the experience exhilarating. “Every week is different. There are some performance schedules where we are staying in one city for a week or two, and then some like this week, when we travel to a new city each day and perform every night.” 

The show itself is high-energy, and the show’s choreographer, Drew McOnie says it was “made to exhaust.” Reese described the importance of staying fueled and fit for the tour. “It is one and a half hours straight of singing and dancing. Considering how physically demanding it is, I make sure that I am eating enough, getting enough sleep, and really stretching and preparing my body before each show to exude as much energy as I can while also staying safe.”

Reese credits her castmates for making the experience as exciting as it is. “It is really inspiring to be around this group of people. I remember when I first got to rehearsals, I was blown away by the talent. They are just a really fun group to be around and learn from.” 

Now making a living as a professional dancer, Reese is living the dream many dancers share, but fewer pursue. To those aspiring artists, Reese says to take the first step. “A lot of people say, ‘Oh yeah, I’d love to do that.’ But they think it seems too far-fetched and get scared away from pursuing it. Just take the first step – whether it be moving to NYC or submitting your first audition. Once you move out of your comfort zone, that automatically puts you ahead of everyone else who is scared to do it.”

See Reese in action and follow her journey on Instagram at @ReeseSpencer_.