Excerpted from a profile in Dance-Enthusiast.com, April 7, 2016
Dance: Broadway Stage and Screen: Tales of a Gypsy, Bruce Heath
In 1972, Mr. Bruce Heath arrived in Los Angeles with sixty bucks in his pocket and plans to study dance at CalArts. One fateful encounter with choreographer Donald McKayle ( at the time the incoming Artistic Director of Dance at CalArts) on the set of The New Bill Cosby Show changed the course of this young dancer’s life.
“I walked through the doors of CBS Studios and they were taping the opening dance number. When I told Mr. McKayle I was here early and didn’t have much money, he asked, ‘how would you like to do the show next week?’ I wasn’t even 18 yet. And that was the start.”
Heath grew up in Jamaica, Queens — the only boy in his neighborhood who danced. His love for the art form didn’t make for the most comfortable of circumstances with his male peers who often called him names and made threats. Luckily, he earned a spot at The High School of the Performing Arts (the inspiration for the film Fame), which Heath said “saved my life”.
Though he attributes much of his technical training to the high school, he credits his neighborhood dance teacher Gloria Jackson for exposing him to the magic of theater. “She would take me to Broadway shows. I would remember the costumes, choreography and songs, which we would later reference in our recitals.”
Heath’s years of making and learning a wide range of numbers for his studio proved to be a training ground for what was to come. “The New Bill Cosby Show” led to countless gigs — The Academy Awards, American Music Awards, Soul Train and the film, The Wiz. During this time, he learned to perform for the screen. “You don’t hear applause and you are not given adoration. I had to get used that,” he says. “You can work grueling hours doing the same thing over and over, but you don’t know if you’re going to end up on the cutting room floor.”
Yet, the experiences were electrifying. With a number of job prospects and a demanding schedule, Heath gave up his scholarship to CalArts to pursue stage and screen work full-time. It’s a decision that he still stands by.
| Credit Type | Production | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Musical Director | Sowa’s Red Gravy | 2012-13 Season |
| Choreographer | Sowa’s Red Gravy | 2012-13 Season |