#FFB: Aurelia Michael
Aurelia carries herself with the the kind of confidence that comes from the deep, unwavering belief in oneself. She leaves you feeling lifted and empowered which isn't hard to believe considering she's a life coach by day and Broadway gal by night. I think my wow! moment was when Aurelia said she didn't move back to New York, she "moved forward" explaining, "because I am not going back anywhere, I'm only going forward!" *applause* Aurelia has a deep understanding of how to condition the mind and the body for peak performance on and off the BE Way.
NOTE FROM AURELIA: Wassup! My name is Aurelia Michael and I am a born and bred New Yorker from the Bronx. I love Broadway because it constantly pushes me outside of my comfort zone on a mental, physical, and emotional level. I love helping others and created a life coaching/image consulting company called Confidence Is K.E.E which is dedicated to empowering the world's every day superstars. I am currently the Swing and Assistant Dance Captain in Summer: The Donna Summer Musical. Prior to my Broadway debut, I have only done two shows (Legally Blonde/Ghost) for 6 weeks each and they were 8 years apart. Needless to say, if Broadway is the Dream you can Wake Up and make it a Reality!
Q: Can we start from the beginning… What’s been your journey to Broadway?
A: You got a minute?! In 2011 I auditioned for Legally Blonde as a replacement. I was 150% a hip-hop/street styles dancer but got sent in anyway. Rusty Mowry must have seen something in me because I got cast and learned so much and had a BLAST!
But then I went back to NY and thought I’d book EVERY Legally Blonde coming up. I either got cut first round or never got seen for any, so I went back to the commercial dance world.
I moved to LA in 2016 and that November my acting coach gave us a Broadway Night Challenge. I did “Fabulous, Baby” from Sister Act And gave them vocals, costume changes, dancers - the whole experience! During that same time my agency was getting a lot of auditions for me in NY for musical theater. I spent hundreds of dollars traveling back and forth.
Then December 16th, 2017 happen. My mentor AJ Johnson, and my God, and myself woke up that morning and said it was time to move back to NY to pursue Broadway. So I packed my car up and moved forward (not back!) to NY and in with my parents after 17 yrs, and took my first official theater class January 16, 2017. 8 months, 42 auditions, and 40 NO’s later, I joined the cast of Summer for the La Jolla, CA run and then transferred on over to Broadwaaaaay!
Q: That is quite the bi-coastal ride to Broadway! How have health and fitness been a part of your journey as a performer?
A: It is the febrero of my performance world. I am far from 21 and have to always be conscious of how I treat my body. I go to the gym 6 days a week, yoga 5 days a week, and get PT/Chiro/Massages every two weeks! I am Vegan and a meal-prepper and I love it all. It has taught me strength, balance, and discipline - which are all needed when Motivation runs out the door!
Q: You are a life coach! Can you tell us a little bit about how you got into coaching and your mission and philosophy?
A: One of my FAVORITE topics! So during Legally Blonde I was one of maybe 3 new cast members who had not just come off of the your. So I spent ALOT of time on my own going over the material. A friend from back home jokingly mentioned I should be a life coach since I was always helping people for free! So I bought a book on it and dove in! About a week later a 16 year old girl who had been reading my blog asked if I did coaching. I was truthful in that I had not but hoped she’d be my guinea pig! Eight years later the company is still going strong and I couldn’t let it go - even for the Broadway Stage! It is a calling on my life to help people help themselves and see the power, confidence, and courage they possess that will bring all their hopes and dreams into fruition! Feel free to check out my website that talks more about it at www.ConfidenceIsKee.com
Q: Top 3 tips for a positive life!
Recognize that your individuality is your greatest gift. So unwrap it!
Block out the negative noise. I ain’t neva met a hater doing better than me.
You don’t get what you WANT, you get what you DO.
Q: Any holistic practices to stay #BalancedOnBroadway?
A: Meditation, Journaling, Yoga, Prayer, Affirmation creation.
Q: Top 5 products, companies or brands that are shaping your lifestyle right now.
Advocare (literally carving the body I’ve always dreamed of)
Trainrite (great nutrition and workout accountability books)
Instacart (makes my meal prepping soooo much easier)
Cantu (the natural hair nurturer)
Yoga To The People (enough said!)
Q: Fill in the blanks…
A: The best part of working on Broadway is… seeing how many people I can be within one show and Nobody notice!
The most challenging part of working on Broadway is… going from hanging in the dressing room for days to being on for a whole week! Major mind/body/spirit surprise!
Q: Who or what inspires you?
A: My folks. No one in my family pursued the arts, but they still support me 100%. My tribe. They are killing the game from TV/Film to the Medical World. My world. I get to wake up everyday and do what I love AND love what I do. If that doesn’t push me towards my greatest and highest self I don’t know what can.
Q: What’s your advice for aspiring performers who have their sights set on Broadway?
A: Bump percentages, changes, odds, etc etc etc. of getting to Broadway. Do what it takes and enjoy the ride all the way there. It is truly the journey that has made the woman I am proud to be today. The destination is simply the icing on the cake!
Q: BROADWAY INSPIRES ME TO BE _the artistic solution to the worlds problems.
A: We are what we all turn to in down times. We pour joy out of our hearts every night. People come in with the weight of the world on their shoulders and by the end they are leaving them at their seats. We are Game Changers.
Q: Did we leave anything out that you want to share with our FFB family?
A: I wish I could be in EVERY line at EVERY audition and tell EVERY individual that they are enough. To stop reaching for things out of their grasp. For all you need is already in you. It is only a matter of time.
Facebook: Aurelia Michael | Instagram: @aureliamichael & @_ConfidenceIsKEE_ | Website: Confidenceiskee.com
