Dancer Recovered from Addiction

This story is presented not as a promotion for drug addiction but as an example of pushing through the recovery process to regain life and career opportunities. 

FAMILY BACKGROUND

JL was born to parents who never married. Never knowing his father, he was raised by his strong-willed, always supportive mother in the notorious Southwark public housing projects in South Philadelphia.

CHILDHOOD

As early as age 6, dance was everything to JL. He used to break-dance on the sidewalks of his South Philadelphia neighborhood streets and was so enthralled in his first dance class at elementary school, he forgot to take a bathroom break – and ended up needing an extra pair of pants as a result.

“Dance was my first language,” said JL, who went on to study jazz and ballet. “I could express myself as a little Black gay boy, and I had a talent that kept the bullies away. I knew I could have feelings, be emotional and ride the rhythm of the music. That was very attractive to me, and it was a bright light in a very dark world.”

CAREER CHOICE MOTIVATED BY SEEING SUCCESS BY OTHERS

After seeing Robert Guillaume become the first Black actor to play the title role in The Phantom of the Opera, JL knew his dreams of reaching the Broadway stage were possible. 

FORMAL EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES

During JL’s years attending elementary school and Philadelphia’s Girard Academic Music Program (GAMP), his dancing talent was obvious. He was offered – but declined – full theater scholarships at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh – a 6-hour car drive from Philadelphia – and at Pennsylvania State University in State College – a 4 hour drive from home. 

DANCING CAREER – PART ONE

JL’s early dancing career led to acclaimed reviews on local performing arts stages, which in turn led to dance and ballet touring abroad, in Switzerland as a 19-year-old. So, it is somewhat understandable that JL had not wanted to pause his career to attend college. Instead, he moved to New York City, where he quickly earned a starring role in the Broadway show Fame.

Unfortunately, JL’s blossoming dance career was interrupted by tearing an Achilles tendon, which required surgery and several months of rest and physical therapy. 

DRUG ADDICTED

Editor – It is well documented that treatment for serious injuries may involve use of drugs to relieve pain. It is the responsibility of both the patient and the prescribing physician to closely monitor the use of any potentially addictive drugs during the rehabilitation process. The patient’s use of such drugs should be the least amount to reduce – but not completely eliminate – any pain. Any inclination to continue the use of harsh drugs must be met by strong resistance by the patient, assisted by continuous support by others emotionally close to the patient. 

Following surgery to repair his tendon – required to regain his dancing ability – JL’s mother and his attending medical and therapy providers did their best to assist JL’s recovery. But JL lacked the self-discipline to avoid becoming addicted to the pain killers.

At the time, JL self-described himself as “a garbage head,” dabbling in any drug he could get his hands on, including ecstasy and crack cocaine. 

“It was a far fall from grace,” recalled JL. I went from a 19-year-old traveling the world to not being able to get out of my mother’s neighborhood because I had a drug and alcohol problem. My world got very, very small.”

DRUG RECOVERY

JL’s move back to his mother’s home was his first step toward recovery from addiction. 

“I begged him to change,” his mother said. “I didn’t know the man he had become. When he tore his Achilles, he was sad because it stopped him from performing and that was what he lived for – the stage. When he couldn’t do it, one drug led to another, and it just got out of control.”

After entering a local outpatient center, JL vowed to refrain from drugs and to work his way back up the theater ranks. But first, he needed to tighten his frame, regain his confidence, and fully acknowledge his past missteps. 

“I could always dance and act, but back then, I just couldn’t do it anymore,” JL said. “I just couldn’t muster up the conviction. I didn’t have any connections and the talent wasn’t showing up anymore. I couldn’t keep rhythm or keep timing, so I decided to get my act together and started talking about being Black, gay and being an addict. I started to really give voice to that shame, and interestingly enough, I was able to breathe a little easier and walk a little lighter.”

Along with his mother’s support and guidance, JL leaned on his faith to blaze a path toward personal and artistic salvation. 

DANCING CAREER – PART TWO

Before moving back to New York City, JL took a job at a Philadelphia theater and began stringing together local performances. After resharpening his skills in a production of Aida, JL’s name began to circulate again in the theater world.

Eventually, JL landed a Broadway role in the Tony-nominated musical A Chorus Line. 

Since then, JL has become a notable name in New York City theater and has even transitioned to the silver screen as a recurring character in NBC’s The Amber Ruffin Show. 

Recently, instead of being a vessel for others’ stories, JL said he’s ready to share a deeply personal story of his own and show audiences the failures, tragedies and triumphs that shaped his identity and ultimately saved his life – JL has created a one-man-show Triple Threat, which chronicles his life growing up and how his love for the stage led to his Broadway stardom and helped him overcome the darkness and isolation of drug and alcohol addiction. JL will play a total of 20 characters in a solo production – embodying the spirit of his mother, police officers, teachers, fellow drug addicts and other loved ones he encountered during the different periods of his life.

CAREER SATISFACTION

As JL’s mother said, “He can talk the talk but he can walk the walk. I don’t see him ever stopping and I think the show about overcoming of his troubles will be such an inspiration to others.”

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This career story is primarily based on an article written by Earl Hopkins, published within The Philadelphia Inquirer on April 29, 2023, plus internet research including Wikipedia.