Alumni Spotlight: TJ Hammond
Dance alum TJ Hammond (B.F.A. '21) was prepared for a career on the stage, both mentally and physically, thanks to his experience in the dance program at Meadows.
TJ Hammond (B.F.A. ’21) is this week’s featured alum in our new Alumni Spotlight series for the This Week at Meadows e-newsletter. Each week, a different Meadows alum will be highlighted for their accomplishments post-graduation.
The countless shows and recitals that Meadows’ student performers participate in prepare them for careers on stage both mentally and physically. TJ Hammond, a graduate of the Division of Dance, is a freelance professional dancer currently living in New York City and spends his time honing the skills he learned during his time in the program.
As a professional dancer, Hammond’s days consist of early morning ballet classes, followed by auditions or rehearsals until the early evening, and then the evening spent in the gym cross-training and rehabilitating. Since graduating from the dance program, he has performed with the New Jersey Ballet Company, the Hudson Ballet Theatre and Black Iris Project.
“In a company, you rehearse during the day and perform at night,” explains Hammond. “Though it’s a rigorous and exhausting schedule, Meadows prepares you for those long days and nights that lay ahead.”
Even after leaving Meadows, Hammond is still constantly learning his craft. This past June he participated in a residency at the School at Jacob’s Pillow where Hammond, along with 21 other dancers from companies around the world, came together to learn from top dance professionals like Silas Farley, Noah Gerber, Annabelle Lopez-Ochoa and Wendy Whelan. During the residency, he also performed in two world-premiere ballets choreographed by Farley, who is Meadows’ current Armstrong Artist in Residence in Ballet, and Lopez-Ochoa.
“For our fall and spring performances, Meadows brings in outside choreographers that are actively working in the dance industry,” explains Hammond of the connections he made while in the dance program. “During that time, undergraduate students are able to experience a professional process where they not only learn choreography, but also learn rehearsal structure and develop relationships with the choreographers.”
Hammond has worked with two choreographers that he previously worked with at Meadows since graduating and entering his professional career, and these connections have proven very useful to his career as a professional dancer.
He is currently preparing for rehearsals for his next show, a new ballet by choreographer and director of Black Iris Project Jeremy McQueen entitled Blood in the Soil premiering in November.
Learn more about the Division of Dance here.