{"id":3942,"date":"2009-04-15T04:04:00","date_gmt":"2009-04-15T04:04:00","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2025-10-15T13:25:34","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T13:25:34","slug":"dancer-kevin-stea-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/asiancemagazine.com\/?p=3942","title":{"rendered":"Dancer Kevin Stea"},"content":{"rendered":"

You most likely have seen Kevin Stea as the sole Asian face as one of Madonna\u2019s backup dancers on the Blond Ambition tour. Kevin is also a choreographer, actor and model. <\/p>\n

You most likely have seen Kevin Stea<\/b> as the sole Asian face as one of Madonna\u2019s backup dancers on the Blond Ambition tour<\/b>. Kevin is also a choreographer, actor and model. <\/p>\n

Kevin<\/b> choreographed and performed for Michael Jackson, Prince, Ricky Martin, Janet Jackson, George Michael, David Bowie, Celine Dion, Macy Gray, Anastacia and the Pussycat Dolls<\/b>. He also appeared in such films as Showgirls, Rent, Scrubs and Naked Boys Singing. He just starred in The Question<\/a>, a full length, dance, theatre piece based on the author\u2019s (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?
\nKevin was also featured in numerous Gap, Old Navy and Pepsi ads.<\/p>\n

I was able to catch up with Kevin<\/b> in between one of his auditions. Last night he was one of Carmen Electra\u2019s backup dancers on Dancing with the Stars and you can watch Kevin tonight on the A-List awards with Kathy Griffin on Bravo.<\/i>
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\"Kevin<\/a><\/div>\n
Kevin and Johnny Knoxville<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

ASIANCE: How was your audition? <\/h3>\n

Kevin:<\/b> It was so Betty Davis. It was Fantastic. There was this little Napoleon type guy who was barking all these orders. \u201cYou 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.\u201d It was this whole big long choreography.<\/p>\n

ASIANCE: But you pick it up well right? <\/h3>\n

Kevin:<\/b> Naaah. It\u2019s fine. I got a good laugh at it. He was this short Napoleon type guy. It was such a scene.<\/p>\n

ASIANCE: I can\u2019t believe you have to audition! <\/h3>\n

Kevin:<\/b> Oh no it never ends. It\u2019s one of those things where you have to keep reproving yourself. And then people think\u2026.well does he still have it? Can he still do everything he did before?<\/p>\n

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\nI 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, \u201cOh sorry we don\u2019t represent Asians.\u201d\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Kevin Stea<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

ASIANCE: I know you were born in Hollywood and you are half Chinese?<\/h3>\n

Kevin:<\/b> 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\u2019t really have any Asian influence going on. It was strange growing up in all these different communities where there really weren\u2019t any Asians. In Oregon, where I was, there really wasn\u2019t another Asian kid. It was kind of strange. I always felt like an outsider. <\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t until I went to Singapore, to go to school, that I was like, \u201cOMG I\u2019m home! Everyone\u2019s mixed!\u201d
\nThank god there is a bigger ethnic diversity on television and film but it\u2019s still not as diverse as it should be. It\u2019s 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, \u201cOh sorry we don\u2019t represent Asians.\u201d This is in the \u201890s!! It\u2019s not even like the \u201870s! It\u2019s in the \u201890s!!! Asian males in modeling just weren\u2019t acceptable in any way. In the movie, television and video industry, it was getting more open but I was the token ethnic. They didn\u2019t want to get too ethnic but I was the crossover. I was the step into the dangerous ethnicity territory..(laughs)<\/p>\n

When I first started, I was the Asian ethnic one. Now I\u2019m not Asian enough.<\/p>\n

Kevin on Dancing with the Stars last night<\/b><\/p>\n