Napoleon Gladney: Wicked Cool Beginnings

Please introduce yourself. 

I’m Napoleon W. Gladney, originally from Los Angeles, California. I’ve lived in Philadelphia for almost three years now and I love being part of the arts and culture community here.  

Please describe your current role with us. What is your favorite part about your job? 

As Director of Theatrical Programming and Presentations I support the booking, programming, and curation of single night engagements including the Jazz Series, Family Discovery Series, co-presentations, and Ensemble Arts Presents. I also support special projects and new programming initiatives with The Philadelphia Orchestra.  

My favorite part of my job is translating what is happening in the culture at the time to our stages. I’m always thinking about what Philly has to say and what Philly wants to experience. 

What was the first show and/or experience that you had with either The Philadelphia Orchestra or Ensemble Arts? 

I first experienced the Academy of Music as a performer when I was on the road with Wicked for several years. As dance captain of the tour, I spent many days and nights in the Academy’s rehearsal studio and in the Academy Ballroom when the studio was unavailable. So, I got to experience a lot of the building from different perspectives. Having had the privilege of touring around the country and around the world to different theaters, I am obsessed with architecture and the interesting histories of the venues I’ve visited. The Academy didn’t disappoint!   

What is your current relationship and involvement with the performing arts? 

I grew up enamored by everything that had to do with the arts. From visual arts to dance, to theater, to music of all styles and genres — I have always been an arts enthusiast. As a kid, I would read about shows in the newspaper and when the world wide web became available, via the internet, I would beg my parents to take me to see anything with a twinge of an arts edge, no matter what it was. I would consume anything and everything I could. I trained in dance as a kid and went on to have a great dance performance, teaching, and choreography career that spanned both coasts after I got my BFA in Dance Performance from Chapman University. While in school, I was heavily involved on campus and in the community. In college I also studied sociology with focuses on the experiences of LGBTQIA+, African, and Jewish folx. I always found ways to incorporate art with my other interests. 

After college, while pursuing my creative career, I supplemented my income and experiences with arts administration gigs. So, I would bounce between creative and administrative work for the majority of my career. I was fortunate enough to work in the concert, commercial, and theatrical dance spaces in both New York and Los Angeles. When I was touring with shows like Wicked, I would be producing projects from the road or pursuing graduate level coursework in arts management.  

After my performance career, I decided to transition full-time to working with producing organizations and marketing and programming for presenting organizations. I also ran a university commercial dance program when I wanted to work more closely with the next generation of artists. Because of my performance and producing background, I often support friends and colleagues with new projects they have in development. As a former dancer, I’m extremely passionate about dance as an art form and always find myself staying abreast of what’s happening in the world of dance. I love it when someone asks me about dance, no matter where they are seeing it.

How did you get involved with the arts?  

Being so fascinated by movement and dance on TV, I jumped at the opportunity to take dance classes when I was in elementary school. My mom played piano as a child and so my parents put me in piano lessons. That didn’t last very long. I was much more interested in dancing to the music instead of playing it. I also was very serious about soccer, playing in various leagues and for my high school’s JV and Varsity teams. I felt I had to choose between dance and soccer when I was a junior in high school, and I ultimately chose dance. 

My dad was passionate about music, so he always took me with him to festivals and concerts around Los Angeles starting at a young age. The churches I attended as a child also provided opportunities for me to perform in choirs, step and dance praise teams, and in large-scale holiday presentations. I loved the spectacle and ceremony and the ability to bring people together with my artistry.