At The Mike Stand With... Jennifer Whitley

By Mike Fitzpatrick

'At The Mike Stand' has been quite a fan of dancer Jennifer Whitley for some time you know, and not just because she uses the word 'rad' and enjoys singing 'Total Eclipse of the Heart'.

See, Jen (to cut off five of her letters, we were running out of space you see) is one of those creative types who's utterly passionate about her craft.

Having begun her dance career at the age of six back home in North Carolina, she's progressed to the Lane Dance Academy, performing in dozens of city and state events, and winning the prestigious 'Dancer of the Year' accolade two years in a row.

Since arriving in NYC in 2004, she has produced various projects, including the short film, '2081', and is creator/producer of the NYC event, 'heart&feet', a performance fundraiser for the Andrea Rizzo Foundation [www.dreasdream.org].

On the other side of the camera, Ms. Whitley has danced in the Mates of State's music video, "Get Better" and a Fuse TV promo commercial entitled "Adrenaline."

For the past 2 years, she's been dancing with Border Crossing Collective on various projects.

Despite all this however, Jennifer made sure she'd time to answer some incredibly nosey questions for us 'At The Mike Stand'.

What would you like your own tribute act to be called?
'Just Get Up and Dance'.

When's the last time you laughed out loud?
I was recently home in NC on my family's farm. My niece pulls up on a golf cart with a just born calf on the back of it with a dog collar she had put on it. Said she found a new pet.

What team(s) do you support?
I do love a good ACC or SEC football team. Specifically UNC or NC State.

What period in history would you most like to have visited?
America before it was "discovered".

What song would you most like to have written?
Don McLean's 'Starry Starry Night'.

Who or what, would make you leave a room?
A bad cupcake.

What decade rules (and why)?
Clearly, the 70s. 1) I was born in the 70s. 2) Don McLean's "American Pie" was released. 3) 1971 was the Opening of Disney World. 4) Email was invented. 5) Abortion was legalized. 6) Mikhail Baryshnikov broke free from the Soviets. 7) Arthur Ashe became the 1st black man to win Wimbledon. 8) Release of the Star Wars movies. 9) John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads" was born. 10) Disco suits and Afros.

What do you sing at weddings?
Bonnie Tyler's 'Total Eclipse of the Heart'.

What movie role would you like to have played?
Natalie Portman's role in the new 'Black Swan' movie.

Have you ever been told you looked like somebody?
Yes, a few, but most recently and frequently, Uma Thurman.

What's the first album you remember buying?
The cassette tape of Pebbles.

Who's your favorite Beatle?
John Lennon.

What's your favorite Christmas song?
"Let It Snow."

Who's the most rock and roll person who ever lived?
Michael Fitzpatrick! And well, after him, ummmm, Jack Nicholson. The man didn't even play in a band, to my knowledge... but who screams sex, drugs and rock'n'roll more than him? Nobody.

What artist/song/genre do you secretly enjoy listening to?
Silly Kids Songs. I work with autistic children as I am training to be a dance therapist and they love the freeze song and the Disco Duck.

Who would you most like to meet/have met?
Mikhail Baryshnikov - I saw him from a distance a few years ago, and man, he's still super dreamy.

What book can you read again and again?
'The Notebook'. I know, it's so lame, but so good. Sweetest love story ever.

What's the greatest album ever recorded?
Anything by Led Zeppelin.

What act would you like to have seen perform live?
Pina Bausch. I recently saw her Vollmond piece at BAM and it was incredible. I have seen her perform on video, but never live. After feeling what a live performance of her work is like, I could only imagine what it would have felt like to see her perform live. She has so much passion. You can feel it in her choreography.

What artists would you most like to have played with in the band of your dreams?
Natasha from Bat for Lashes. I think she's bad-ass.

What do few people know about you?
I have a Taurus in the roof of my mouth

What sitcom character can you most identify with?
Carol Burnette on Mama's Family. I guess because my mom was always so goofy and fun-loving and, at times, a smart-ass... I inherited that from her. And I think Carol Burnette embodies all of those things. She's simple, matter of fact, quirky, hilarious and spontaneous - you never know what you're gonna get with her... I just love watching her.

What movie can you watch over and over again?
'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'. It's incredible in every way.

Who's your favorite cartoon character?
Fiona from 'Shrek'. She's the bee's knees. Loyal, warm-hearted, not shallow, different from all the other princesses. She's an ogre princess. I think that's pretty rad.

What's the greatest place you've visited?
There are many places I have been and many places that I have not been. But, so far, New York City still takes the cake. Hands down.

What's mankind's most wonderful invention?
Massages. Spas. Anything where you can pamper yourself. It's heaven to me.

What's mankind's most irritating invention?
Styrofoam.

Who's the funniest person who ever lived?
My brothers.

Who's your favorite namesake?
My aunt Jennie. The woman I was named after. She's a kindred spirit with a bright soul.

Who's your favorite character from literature?
Siddhartha.