Darren Pierson

He/Him
Dance Teacher

After a failed attempt by my parents to get their seven year old, third born out of four social through soccer, which just lead to hilarious home videos of me doing cartwheels and picking dandelions, I found my community and passion for the performing arts at age eight. I continued to be involved in any theatrical production I could. At age fifteen I acquired my first job as a bus boy at Rams Horn. I was finally able to pay for and sneak in some dance lessons from Point Counterpoint Dance Center in Garden City. After graduating High School I moved in with some friends and started attending Macomb Community College, Theater Major, and continued my dance study’s at Ann Parsley School of Dance. It was my Jazz instructor who encouraged me to audition for Sesame Street Live at the Fox Theater. Six months later I was traveling the country. First with Dragon Tails Live then Sesame Street Live U.S. and Europe tour. Nearly three years later, when I arrived back in the Detroit area, I immediately got plugged back into the community theater scene. I stared choreographing as well as performing. Some of my favorite performance credits include Mark Anthony in A Chorus Line, Louis in Angels in America, Motel in Fiddler On the Roof, Ren in Footloose, Jack in Into The Woods, and my most recent and first on the Civic stage, Riff Raff in The Rocky Horror Show. Some of my favorite choreography credits include The Wedding Singer, Urinetown, Chicago, Spamalot, Seussical the Musical, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Throughout these years I kept up my dance studies by becoming a Ballroom dance instructor and competing with my students and other professionals. Eventually leading to me winning a Mirrorball Trophy in a Local Dancing With the Stars competition. When I stopped teaching for the major Ballroom studio I started teaching Jazz and Musical Theatre dance classes at Rose Marie Floyd Studio of Dance in Royal Oak. I loved working with those students and seeing their enthusiasm grow through the years. As a new instructor and performer in Grand Rapids I am extremely grateful and excited to be a part of the Civic Theatre family. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share in the fun and love of the arts!

What inspires you?
Laughter, creativity, and genuine human connection.

Who is your favorite fictional character?
Sophia Petrillo

What was your favorite after school snack growing up?
A hot toasted bagel with melting oozing peanut butter and chocolate chips.