Meet Alec Dahmer | Actor/Dancer/Clown/Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alec Dahmer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alec, looking back, what do you think was the most difficult decision you’ve had to make?
I was working a lot as a dancer, but my heart was in acting, so I decided to step back from dance and focus on acting. That was already a little difficult. Then, I felt like my skills in acting were just not as good as I wanted them to be and not as good as I know I could be, which lead to the next part of the difficulty. I decided to move to a new country to train in acting. It was scary to step back from my business, it was scary to move to the US from Canada, it was scary to be on a student visa (you can’t work while on a student visa, so I had to watch my savings dwindle down), but it felt like the right choice. Then right as I was about to fully commit to leaving Canada to do that training, I get an email from my agent saying there’s a tv show that really wants to see if I can work with them on their next season. It wasn’t a guaranteed hire, but they were saying I could skip the audition process and go straight to chemistry reads, which are the final final tests to see if you are a good fit for the cast. Getting a potential lead in a tv show is exactly what I want to do, but I knew it wasn’t the right choice. It was an extremely difficult decision, but I decided to turn down that chemistry read, so that I could move to New York City to train at the Terry Knickerbocker Studio for their two year acting conservatory. It was the scariest moment of my life and the hardest decision, but I think it was also the best decision of my life.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I started dancing at a very young age, and slowly fell in love with acting through musical theatre. From there, I got an agent who sent me on film auditions and play auditions and acting became my true passion. I did my first professional acting gig at the Stratford Festival in Ontario, Canada at the young age of 13, and landed my first leading role on tv at the age of 16 on a show called “Bajillionaires” which showed on Family Channel in Canada and NBC Universal Kids in the US. From there, I kept booking more small roles on shows like “The Queen’s Gambit” and “Titans”, but I was never satisfied with my performances. I needed to train, which is where the Terry Knickerbocker Studio comes in. My year and a half at TKS was the best year and a half of my life. Right out of school, I was lucky enough to do a show with Bo Park and her company Shinsa. It was an immersive theatre dance show that explored themes of grief, family troubles, and love through the lens of dance. What made me stand out in that show is how I used my acting tools to tell the story. I may have been dancing, but I applied everything I learned at TKS to my movement to fully embody the character I was performing. I think that’s what sets me apart from others, I use my knowledge of many different crafts and apply all the tools to all my art forms. I use dance tools when acting, I use acting tools when dancing, I use clown tools on a daily basis, and all of them together elevate my uniqueness and bring out my authentic self. It’s been very difficult, as mastering any craft is, and I don’t think I’ve mastered anything, but I’ve put in a lot of work and gotten pretty darn good at my crafts. I think what made it possible is consistent hard work and a support system to help you along the way. I’m extremely grateful to my parents, my friends, my mentors, and everyone else who has helped me.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
As I’m writing this, I currently live in Brooklyn, NYC. I would take them to Dumbo to walk around Brooklyn Bridge park! There’s a flea market on the way to the park that I like to walk through and then you get the coolest view of Manhattan from underneath the bridge. If we are hungry, I’m a sucker for Shake Shack and there’s one right next to the park, and then after filling our bellies, there’s an ice cream spot that I love, and then you can take that ice cream to benches with great views or even swings on the pier. It’s beautiful and you can do it all in one day! Other days I’d take someone to Prospect Park for a beautiful walk, visit the turtles in the pond, and then walk back to my favorite movie theater. Around Prospect Park are some of the coolest, most welcoming, and most fun neighborhoods I know. Finally, definitely have to try to catch a show at BAM, it’s one of my favorite theaters in NYC for some pretty amazing shows. From Alvin Ailey dance company to James McAvoy in Cyrano De Bergerac, some of the coolest shows I’ve seen have been at BAM. I love Manhattan, but I think Brooklyn has so much to offer that most tourists never go see, so I’d definitely recommend checking out Brooklyn. In terms of where to go when I’m in LA, I’m still such a tourist there, that I feel like I’m the wrong person to ask! My favorite place to go is anywhere my friends are, whether that be a dance class with them, their apartment, or a random restaurant, being with my people is where I want to be.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have to give a big shoutout to Terry Knickerbocker and the whole staff, faculty and community at Terry Knickerbocker Studio. As previously mentioned, I moved to a new country to go to this studio, and being in a new city, let alone a new country, is very scary and lonely, but all the people involved at TKS became my new family and made me feel so at home. They created such a safe space to explore and train my skills. I have never felt so seen and loved by so many people before, I could truly be myself. The studio also gave me the tools to be able to make the art I want to make. It’s annoying to have the drive and the passion, but not quite the skills to do what you want, and TKS gave me the skills I need, which I’m forever grateful for.

Instagram: @alecdahmer

Image Credits
Terry Knickerbocker Studio, Geo Mantilla