Rising up, Olivia Cece had massive aspirations for her profession, however Broadway wasn’t one among them. For one factor, she didn’t sing or act. Actually, she didn’t know something in regards to the world of musical theater. However when her shot at successful Season 11 of “So You Suppose You Can Dance” slipped by way of her fingers, her dance trainer Bette-Ann Rossi used the loss as an opportunity to gentle a brand new hearth. “I do know that is your dream, however I actually assume you’re going to be on Broadway sometime,” stated Rossi, whom dancers affectionately known as “Miss Bette.” Because it seems, she was prophetic. Cece has gone on to have a thriving profession on Broadway. Actually, you’ll be able to catch her in Coronary heart of Rock and Roll on Broadway proper now!
Born and raised in Rhode Island, Cece spent the vast majority of her coaching at Atwood Performing Arts Middle. There, she met Rossi, a girl who would grow to be crucial trainer in her life. After recognizing Cece at a center faculty expertise present, Rossi invited the 7-year-old to bop at her studio. “It was a terrific faculty with superb coaching,” Cece says. “Miss Bette [was a ballroom dancer known for her old-school jazz classes. She was phenomenal.”
During her senior year of high school, Rossi told Cece she had cancer. “She told me to meet her at the studio early so it would be just us. Then, she showed me her hair falling out and said, ‘Miss Bette’s got a little bit of cancer.’ ” It was stage four, and just four months later, Rossi passed away. “She told me that I was one of her proudest accomplishments—it was one of the last things I remember her saying to me,” Cece says. Before her passing, Rossi gave Cece a necklace with a small bird on it. “She said I was her free spirit. She told me to go off and fly and do all the things that she and I had planned. I got that bird tattooed on my hand.”
And fly she has. Cece earned her BFA in the commercial dance program at Pace University. While there she expanded her training to singing and acting, and built relationships with major choreographers in Los Angeles and New York City. Through her senior showcase, she signed with Clear Talent and started working straight after graduation. Her first job was American Dance Spectacular, with Al Blackstone, followed by dancing on “Saturday Night Live” with Miley Cyrus (choreographed by Nick Kenkel). “Those jobs felt like gifts to me as I crossed the bridge from student to pro dancer,” Cece says. From there, her career took off. Her film and TV credits include Disney’s “Better Nate Than Never” and Nickelodeon’s “Blue’s Big City Adventure,” and her theater credits include Kaylee in the first national tour of The Prom, the 5-week workshop of Andy Blankenbuehler’s Only Gold, the first national tour of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Moulin Rouge! The Musical on Broadway. “I was asked to come in and do [Moulin Rouge] for a fast three weeks in December 2022, and I simply by no means actually left.” That’s, till February 2024, when Cece booked her present job within the authentic forged of Broadway’s Coronary heart of Rock and Roll.
On reserving Coronary heart of Rock and Roll: “My total audition was achieved in someday. That they had us do a full ’80s jazz method combo with some stepping in addition to some improv earlier than they made a minimize. Then they requested me to remain for partnering earlier than they made one other minimize, and I used to be requested to remain and sing. I sang some Stevie Nicks for them and left feeling actually nice about all of it. I even wore garments from my very own ’80s-inspired dancewear line with Ilogear: a high-cut leotard with a bandeau-style sports activities bra and flared pants over it.
“I didn’t hear something for 4 weeks earlier than I obtained an electronic mail from my agent saying I used to be nonetheless within the combine. My mother stated she would pray for me, and if it was meant to be, it will be. The next weekend, I obtained the name from my agent. The workplace was about to shut, however she didn’t need me to have to attend. ‘You’re going to be within the authentic forged of Coronary heart of Rock and Roll,’ she stated. I used to be completely thrilled.”
On the impression of Rossi: “Miss Bette will all the time maintain the largest place in my coronary heart and in my life for a lot of causes. I spent extra time on the studio than I did at house. My household was going by way of completely different challenges at one level, and the studio was my rock. Miss Bette was a robust, strong determine in my life, and the studio was the place I felt most seen and cozy. She not solely skilled me and gave me all the things I may wish as a dancer, however she was a job mannequin to me as a girl. We had a stupendous friendship. If I may have one particular person on the market watching me proper now, it will completely be her. I bear in mind, whereas doing Moulin Rouge, I’d look out to the viewers and sing “Come What Might,” and I’d get emotional picturing her there, seeing what she envisioned, come to life.”
On her desires for the long run: I’d like to proceed to be a part of new exhibits and processes in theater. I like the artistic collaboration that I’ve discovered on this present, and hope to do extra of that. I’d additionally like to originate some form of principal observe that basically highlights dancers. Past performing, I’d love to make use of my management and enterprise expertise to direct or run a program. I’ve my diploma, and I’d like to return and get my grasp’s. I may see myself operating a faculty like Tempo or one thing sometime. It could be so cool to provide again and share the issues I want I had extra of once I was at school.”
