Dancer Kevin Stea

You most likely have seen Kevin Stea as the sole Asian face as one of Madonna’s backup dancers on the Blond Ambition tour. Kevin is also a choreographer, actor and model.

You most likely have seen Kevin Stea as the sole Asian face as one of Madonna’s backup dancers on the Blond Ambition tour. Kevin is also a choreographer, actor and model.

Kevin choreographed and performed for Michael Jackson, Prince, Ricky Martin, Janet Jackson, George Michael, David Bowie, Celine Dion, Macy Gray, Anastacia and the Pussycat Dolls. He also appeared in such films as Showgirls, Rent, Scrubs and Naked Boys Singing. He just starred in The Question, a full length, dance, theatre piece based on the author’s (JT Hornstein) experience sitting on a jury for a first degree murder trial, while certain questions came into play; What really happened the night leading up to the murder? Who else could have been involved?
Kevin was also featured in numerous Gap, Old Navy and Pepsi ads.

I was able to catch up with Kevin in between one of his auditions. Last night he was one of Carmen Electra’s backup dancers on Dancing with the Stars and you can watch Kevin tonight on the A-List awards with Kathy Griffin on Bravo.

ASIANCE: How was your audition?

Kevin: It was so Betty Davis. It was Fantastic. There was this little Napoleon type guy who was barking all these orders. “You have to hold this sign on these angles only, not this way, not that way. Stand here. Left foot over. Boom. Smile, then turn three quarters, smile.” It was this whole big long choreography.

ASIANCE: But you pick it up well right?

Kevin: Naaah. It’s fine. I got a good laugh at it. He was this short Napoleon type guy. It was such a scene.

ASIANCE: I can’t believe you have to audition!

Kevin: Oh no it never ends. It’s one of those things where you have to keep reproving yourself. And then people think….well does he still have it? Can he still do everything he did before?

ASIANCE: I know you were born in Hollywood and you are half Chinese?

Kevin: My dad is Chinese. He owned this Chinese restaurant downtown. I was around him for maybe 4 years growing up and then I was with my mom the rest of the time. I didn’t really have any Asian influence going on. It was strange growing up in all these different communities where there really weren’t any Asians. In Oregon, where I was, there really wasn’t another Asian kid. It was kind of strange. I always felt like an outsider.

It wasn’t until I went to Singapore, to go to school, that I was like, “OMG I’m home! Everyone’s mixed!”
Thank god there is a bigger ethnic diversity on television and film but it’s still not as diverse as it should be. It’s a far cry from when I first started going out. Even when I was a model, I had an amazing book back in the day. I had all these pictures shot by Herb Ritts and David LaChapelle, all these amazing photographers. I went to a couple agencies in New York and they said, “Oh sorry we don’t represent Asians.” This is in the ‘90s!! It’s not even like the ‘70s! It’s in the ‘90s!!! Asian males in modeling just weren’t acceptable in any way. In the movie, television and video industry, it was getting more open but I was the token ethnic. They didn’t want to get too ethnic but I was the crossover. I was the step into the dangerous ethnicity territory..(laughs)

When I first started, I was the Asian ethnic one. Now I’m not Asian enough.

Kevin on Dancing with the Stars last night

ASIANCE: I can tell you are Asian but I can see other people thinking you’re Italian or Greek or another ethnicity. Do you ever get that?

Kevin: It depends on my hair color. Or how long my hair is..(laughs)

ASIANCE: Do you want to tell us a little bit about The Question and how you got involved with that?

Kevin: J.T. Horenstein (Dancer and choreographer) is an old friend of mine. He and his partner run the Etch Dance Center. That’s where I train and a bunch of us teach. I heard about this project but I didn’t actually go in and audition until they asked me to come in and read for the lead. I really didn’t know anything about it when they brought me in.

When I heard about the whole story, it really frightened me. For my character, it was such an intense dream. It was really frightening…so when I got scared after listening to this story, then I knew it was something I wanted to do. If it’s something that really presses a nerve with me, then it’s probably the right path I should be following.

It’s a workshop stage. All these performances are benefits for the Dance Fund which helps educates young dancers, which I think is all important.

ASIANCE: Are you fans of America’s Best Dance Crew

Kevin: I’m a fan of dance but I have to say in my normal life, I don’t really think about dance a lot. I’m not one of those people who watch every dancer, show or movie. It’s not part of my build. I enjoy the experience of it. It’s kind of like, I like playing football but not watching football. I appreciate it and love it as an expression of art but I’m not going to live it all day. I don’t follow any of the shows although I do like America’s Best Dance Crew.

ASIANCE: Any particular dancers?

Kevin: I like Mark Kanemura. He was on “So You Think You can Dance”. He’s a mixed Asian guy. When I saw him, my first reaction was, “ Oh. He feels the music like I do. He’s grooving in a way like I do.” It’s almost like watching myself a little bit. I like what he’s feeling. He’s young. He’s energetic. He has a great future ahead of him.

ASIANCE: You’ve worked with the ultimate performers and been in so many movies and videos. Anything you still have left to achieve?

Kevin: There’s so many things that I’m interested in doing. My expression and my career are getting less and less goal oriented. It’s about enjoying myself, having fun and being expressed. It’s a more peaceful place to be in. As long as I’m happy. But I’m definitely moving into other areas. I’m singing. I have a bunch of shows coming up in May, July and November all over the place. I’m also directing. I’m directing a video next week. I also do photography. I’m shooting an editorial for Fantasicmag.com. I’m really a big mix of everything at the moment because I realize that as lovely as dance is, I think I’ve done everything I possibly could. I’ve been running out looking for things that are a challenge to me. I want to be pushed and I like pushing myself.

ASIANCE: Do you have any obsessions or hobbies?

Kevin: I’m a hard core ebayer. I get all my stuff off ebay. I look for things in stores and then buy it at a discount on ebay. I’ll work it out to get it for 1/10 of the price.

If you know the style and know the size, then it’s the best. I bought my moped on there. I bought computer stuff, clothes, jewelry, everything.

ASIANCE: Who did you love dancing with the most?
What about the Madonna tour? Did you freak out when you got cast?

Kevin: I didn’t know I was going to get cast because they already hired the dancers when they brought me in. I figured done deal but then they called me in as an assistant choreographer. I didn’t even know what that meant but I was like, “Sure whatever.” Then when we came in, I ended up assisting the choreographer at that time, Carol Armitage, but she fired Carol and brought in Vince Patterson. So I didn’t know where I was in that space. I thought, “Am I fired?” But I worked with Vince a few months earlier on a commercial so he kept me on. I was very grateful for that. For the Vogue video she ended up firing one of the dancers and then she thought I was a better fit.

ASIANCE: Truth or Dare is one of my all time favorite movies.

Kevin: I almost don’t even recognize myself.

ASIANCE: Anything interesting happen on that tour? Well anything you can say?

Kevin: Well I did mention this before but no one picked it up. I actually broke Madonna’s tooth. I broke it in half accidentally. She was behind me in “Papa Don’t Preach”. We all have the priest outfits on. She comes up behind me singing to us. I didn’t even see her. I turned to go and knocked her mic right into her front tooth.

ASIANCE: That was live on stage?

Kevin: Yes live on stage. I think it was Toronto.

ASIANCE: Was she mad?

Kevin: She gave me the dirtiest look I have ever seen. If she had super powers I would have been burned into a cinder. Later on she told me that she was taking it out of my salary.
She got it done so quickly. The next day she had to go to the dentist. Her brother was laughing back stage.

ASIANCE: Her brother? Isn’t that weird how now he’s writing a tell all book?

Kevin: I know! I just saw him the other day. He came to the opening night of The Question.

ASIANCE: There was talk that she was in on the book.

Kevin: I don’t know the whole situation. There was some weirdness in that whole thing. His reference to me in that book was a little odd.

He mentioned our lawsuit with Madonna years ago. (Blond Ambition dancers – Oliver Crumes, Kevin Stea, and Gabriel Trupin, filed a lawsuit against Madonna. The suit claimed that the singer had invaded the dancers’ privacy during the filming of Truth or Dare. It also charged her with fraud and deceit, intentional misrepresentation, suppression of fact, and intentional infliction of emotional distress for displaying their private lives in the documentary). He said we knew what was going on. It’s like, Hello? You were there. You know they didn’t put signs up until Houston. They never really told us what it was for. They just said they were going to film. He said, (in his book) “I have no sympathy for them.” But when I saw him the other day, he said, “Oh that was written a long time ago.” The only thing I care about is that people don’t trash talk Gabriel. Since he can’t fight back. He passed away years ago. (Gabriel passed away of AIDS in 1995, at age 26) I protect him. He did it for his reasons and had every reason to.

ASIANCE: Any Asian that you followed?

Kevin: I was a Star Trek fan. I like George Takei. He’s like the only Asian guy I saw growing up. Him and Bruce Lee.

ASIANCE: Now there are so many Asian Americans in the spotlight. We can’t keep up.

Kevin: I hang out with Alec Mapa a lot. We’re big fans of each other. He’s such a joy. Hopefully his show Wag Bag will do well. I’m on that and choreographing that as well. It’s a fantastic show and deserves to be seen.

You can see me on Dancing with the S tars. I’ll be dancing with Carmen Electra. Actually she’s one of my favorite people to dance with. I know Carrie Ann Inaba for years. I’m so glad she is so successful.

Visit his site www.kevinstea.com