HM #20 - Interview Kent Boyd

Retrouvez l'interview VF dans HypnoMag#20, pages 4 à 9.

You were one of the finalists for the seventh season of the dance program So You Think You Can Dance in 2010 at the age of 18. What made you want to participate in this show?
I grew up watching SYTYCD  every summer with all of my friends. College was not panning out as planned so I took a leap of faith and auditioned for the show. At the beginning, I thought it was too long a shot, I wasn’t really thinking it was going to work out. I’m so glad I took a chance and it did! 

You participated in a big tour bringing together some of the best dancers from the previous seasons. What is your favorite memory of this experience?
One of my favorite memories was dancing with some of my favorites from past seasons like Allison Holker, tWitch, and Neil Haskell. I looked up to them as iconic performers and entertainers so getting the opportunity to work alongside them and get their insight was so awesome. 

Since 2010, you have appeared in a few episodes of different TV series such as Glee, Chasing 8s, and Shake it Up as a dancer. Between 2012 and 2013, you played Jordan in four episodes of the Bunheads series broadcast on Freeform. Did you enjoy these experiences combining acting and dance?
Yes! I love musicals and I love a dance story with a plot. Musical numbers involving dancing and acting are my bread and butter! I see it as storytelling, just using the body in place of words. I find it so fun and meaningful. I feel my purpose here on earth is to be a storyteller, combining the art of dancing and acting.

Then you appeared in the TV movies Teen Beach Movie (2013) and Teen Beach 2 (2015) broadcasted on Disney Channel. You played Rascal, a secondary character in this TV movie that mixes the worlds of surfing and musical comedy. What memory do you have of these two films? 
It is easy to recall the memories of rehearsal in Puerto Rico with the entire cast. The energy was insane! Filming on the beach was quite difficult as the weather was extremely hot. I remember our toes would cramp up after long periods of time which was challenging. Still, it was stunning dancing on the sand and I’ll never forget it.

In 2016, you created, wrote, produced, and starred in the comedy Free Period. on Disney Channel’s digital platforms. You play your own part in this mini-series where you let your imagination run wild. Can you explain the origin of this project? Was it a big challenge to create a whole project of this kind? 
The origin of this project actually came from some behind the scenes footage of Teen Beach 2. I had taken my camera to Puerto Rico to film some behind-the-scenes which I  posted on YouTube. It ended up going viral, which lead to a series of creative meetings with Disney Channel. We ultimately came to the idea of Andy Milonakis meets The Amanda Show where I could show my absurd sense of humor and style, even alongside some Teen Beach alumni. I got to make this with my friend Zoë Katz whose talent I could not have done without! We had the opportunity to work with one of my favorite production companies and do a lot of work with Adult Swim.

You starred in Free Period with Chrissie Fit, John DeLuca and Mollee Gray, who you worked with previously in the Teen Beach TV movies. Was it important to share this new project with friends? 
Yes, especially in the entertainment industry, it’s always important to keep your friends around you. When you work with someone you admire and have a friendship with, you can work efficiently with each other’s strengths and weaknesses. It makes it more fun and more productive. As artists we work hard and stay astute, curating our work and each other to its best form. 

Over the course of your career, you have put your choreographic talent to work with artists like Vanessa Hudgens, Lauv, The Naked and Famous, Becky G, Billie Eilish on several music videos. How do these projects happen? Can you tell us about a memorable moment from one of these collaborations? 
I become involved in these projects thanks to the community of dancers, creative directors, and choreographers I am a part of. I have a passion for movement direction and it is something I continually pursue through putting my own material out there and connecting with others that are working in music videos. One of my favorite memories was being in Billie Eilish’s “Bury a friend” music video where I am one of the hands that injects poison into her. 

You have collaborated several times with the singer Dua Lipa, including through participation in the choreography of the music video of “Swan Song” or during live performances for the ceremonies of the Billboard Music Awards 2018 and American Music Awards 2018. Tell us about this collaboration. Do you prefer to choreograph videos or live performances? 
I love Dua Lipa and got to work with her thanks to my mentor Toogie, a Barcelo who is a force to reckon with! Both ladies differ in their ways musically and yet each offer so much equally. While I both love performing live and creating choreography, I do have a stronger passion for choreography. Being able to control the movement is really fun because you get to design everything about it, including the back shots that are usually filled with dancers. The involvement in each part of the production gives me that game day rush and that energy fuels me to keep going.

For several years, you have been teaching dance. You have been a member of the Hollywood Vibe Dance Convention since 2011 and teach at the Millennium Dance Complex every week in Los Angeles. What advice do you give to your students?  

The advice I give to all of my students is the amount that you put in, you will get back. So the more focused and disciplined you are, the greater the chance of going where you want to go. It can come back tenfold! I tell them to applaud themselves for just showing up for themselves and the class because consistency is half the battle. Continually training, especially when the energy or passion seems to have faded, is hard work. Learning to work past that, I believe, directly relates to life’s lessons. 

You are very active on social networks. What is your relationship with social media? 
I have come to realize that social media is how we share our life story as well as a place to inspire and be inspired. It has become a place to be accessible and to connect worldwide. The mission of PrideHouseLA is to create a safe space for the LGBTQ community, so it’s important that we have a presence online for anyone scrolling and  consuming content who could benefit from it. I put my voice and stamp my energy into it so they can enjoy and connect to it.

On TikTok you created PrideHouseLA, the first LGBTQ+ Content House on the social network, alongside Mollee Gray and Jeka Jane. Can you explain the purpose of this platform?  
It’s purpose is to be the platform I needed when I was 16 or 17 and going through that confusion of my sexuality. We have created a safe space where you can love whoever you want, know that you are not in sin, that you can flourish, and are loved for being you! We want to be that role model and show how anyone can be one for those who do not have that support, even if it’s through the internet.

PrideHouseLA has become a real community and is also growing in the form of podcasts available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Youtube. Can you tell us about the podcast?  
It’s cool how podcasts give everyone a voice, from a small clothing business owner to a famous pop star. It is important to be able to have a voice because that is how change comes about, from sharing and learning from others. Our podcast is so much fun and we’re honest in the fact that we’re still new to it. We love to share our personalities and learn from each other. We get the chance to interview amazing guests including artists, scholars,  directors, and other performers who share their coming out stories or how they’ve supported the LGBTQ+ community as an ally. The range of guests brings so many unique perspectives that anyone can listen, queer or not.

Do you have any future projects coming up that you can tell us about?
I continue to stay heavily involved with the Hollywood Vibe Dance Convention so keep an eye out for me in a city near you. I’m also always posting updates and other crazy stuff on my TikTok and Instagram so stay tuned there!

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Credits: 

Photographer: Vince Trupsin @vincetrupsin
Grooming: Christine Hazelhurst @christine_pro_makeup
Stylist: Quentin Fears @mrqfears

Plaid suit

Suit: INC 
Shirt: INC
Shoes: Ash
Hat: Wyeth 

Leather jacket/red turtleneck

Jacket: Oak
Turtleneck: INC
Pants: Sun Stone
Sunglasses: Christianah Jones
Hat: Wyeth 
Shoes: APL