From choreographer to director: Juel D. Lane’s next act begins with ‘Cinderella’

Juel D. Lane spent decades helping other artists tell stories through movement. This summer, the acclaimed choreographer is stepping into a new role of his own, directing his first musical with an all-Black production of “Cinderella” that mirrors the journey he has taken throughout his career.

Opening June 12 at the Southwest Arts Center, True Colors Theatre’s reimagined version of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic fairy tale draws inspiration from the beloved 1997 television adaptation starring Brandy and Whitney Houston. Set against a vibrant 1980s backdrop and featuring an all-Black cast, the production explores themes of self-discovery, resilience and transformation.

For Lane, those themes are deeply personal.

Juel D. Lane, director of "Cinderella," speaks to the cast and crew during a table read. (Courtesy of True Colors Theatre Company)

The Atlanta native, who built a nationally recognized career as a dancer, choreographer and filmmaker, said Cinderella’s story is less about magic than it is about believing in possibilities before they exist. It is a lesson he learned while studying at Tri-Cities High School, performing with the Youth Ensemble of Atlanta and eventually carving out his own artistic path.

“It’s about the art of transforming your life,” said Lane, who began working with True Colors in 2009.

When it seems the world’s forces are pushing against you, Lane offers simple advice: “Dream your dream, then do it like Cinderella.”

It is a mantra that Lane knows all too well. More so now as he prepares for his directorial debut on Friday.

Juel D. Lane (beige sweatshirt), director of "Cinderella," with members of his crew, Ina Kwayana, associate choreographer; Rahbi Hines, musical director; and Sharell D. Luckett, assistant director. (Courtesy of True Colors Theatre Company)

He’s dealing with a lot of moving parts, but he has a strong team and a clear vision for a “Cinderella” that’s relevant.

“It’s about the art of transforming your life,” he said.

Lane, 46, sees his move into directing as a reflection of the musical’s central theme: imagining a different future and believing it into existence.

He credits a few fairy godparents, particularly his Tri-Cities High School teachers Dawn Axam and Freddie Hendricks.

Hendricks, founder of the Youth Ensemble of Atlanta and a recent recipient of a special Tony Award for excellence in theater education, helped inspire Lane’s desire to dance professionally.

True Colors Theatre presents 'Black Nativity': Kelly Young (Mary) and Juel D. Lane (Joseph) dance in Act One. (Hyosub Shin/AJC 2020)

After studying contemporary dance at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Lane joined New York-based dance company Ronald K. Brown/Evidence.

Lane performed Brown’s spiritually charged blend of modern dance, hip-hop and West African dance forms, rich in storytelling. But six years in, Lane felt he had to leave that job to develop his own creative voice.

Lane dove into independent filmmaking and choreographing while finding ways to tell his own stories.

“It was at that time in 2009 when I started to believe in myself,” Lane said.

Smaller works grew into larger commissions from companies including Atlanta Ballet, Ailey II, and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago.

“The Maestro,” a solo inspired by the paintings of Ernie Barnes, evolved into an award-winning film and later became, with Los Angeles-based Bodytraffic, a multimedia dance work that earned high praise from critics.

Lane continued to pursue an eclectic career, performing frequently with Camille A. Brown & Dancers. Like Brown, he expanded from concert dance into choreographing for theater.

True Colors Theatre presents 'Black Nativity': Kelly Young, as Mary, with Baby Jesus and Juel D. Lane, as Joseph, perform during Act One. (Hyosub Shin/AJC 2020)

Under the direction of Jamil Jude, True Colors’ artistic director, Lane choreographed two successful runs of Tarell Alvin McCraney’s “Choir Boy” in Denver in 2022. Last summer, the pair collaborated on “Co-Founders,” a hip-hop musical that became a hit at San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theater.

Lane also worked with McCraney on last year’s critically acclaimed New York production of the playwright’s “The Brothers Size.”

Still, when Jude asked him to direct “Cinderella,” Lane at first thought he was joking.

Jamil Jude, artistic director of True Colors Theatre Company. (Courtesy)

But as he considered the opportunity, he realized directing was a natural extension of the work he had been doing for years. As a choreographer, he was already using many of a director’s tools to explore character, shape performances and create spaces where artists felt safe enough to take creative risks.

Jude said Lane is one of his most trusted collaborators.

“Although he would say he hasn’t done this type of work before, he’s been a storyteller for so long on so many different platforms,” said Jude. “It felt like a natural evolution.”

That evolution extends to a production team that includes several Youth Ensemble of Atlanta alumni and longtime collaborators.

Jai’Len Josey (right), who plays Cinderella in the musical "Cinderella," receives instructions during rehearsals. (Courtesy of True Colors Theatre Company)

Among them are associate director Sharrell D. Luckett, music director Rahbi Hines and percussionist Munir Zakee.

The production travels back to the 1980s, a decade Lane remembers as magical from his own childhood.

Jarrod Barnes’ costume designs take cues from pop artists like Bobby Brown and Salt-N-Pepa as well as fashion designer Patrick Kelly.

The set blends elements of the vibrant era with a lush green natural world, creating what Lane describes as a “far, far and away” with an air of nostalgia.

Jude said “Cinderella” is a quintessentially Atlanta production.

Much of that spirit, he said, can be traced to Hendricks and the Youth Ensemble of Atlanta, which helped shape many of the artists now bringing the story to life.

“(They were) part of a generation of young storytellers who didn’t necessarily need a script,” Jude said. “They knew that they had their voices, that they had their bodies, that they had natural rhythms and instincts that they were born with.”

Several cast members are also alumni of the Youth Ensemble and Tri-Cities High School. Among them is leading lady Jai’Len Josey, the Broadway actress and R&B singer-songwriter, cast as Cinderella.

Jai'Len Josey, a R&B singer, poses at Sessions Studios, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025, in Atlanta. Josey, a Tri-Cities High School graduate, is an Atlanta-bred R&B singer who is one of four artists on the Georgia Musicians to Watch for 2025. Jai'Len has toured and written for Ari Lennox and performed at One MusicFest. (Jason Getz/AJC)

During a recent rehearsal, Josey’s smoldering voice and captivating presence resonated throughout the theater, suggesting a bold Cinderella who dreams big and knows how to make those dreams happen.

“You see Cinderella centering herself and affirming herself,” said Lane of this version. “It focuses on how she can use her superpowers to get herself through everything.”

Those superpowers, Lane said, are her resilience, perseverance and imagination.

Still a dancer, Juel D. Lane, director of "Cinderella," shows off some of his moves to the cast and crew of the upcoming musical. (Courtesy of True Colors Theatre Company)

She’s in a situation where her options are limited — living as a servant in her deceased father’s house, which her stepmother and stepsisters have taken over. But whenever they’re not around, she’s dreaming.

During the scene “In My Own Little Corner,” Cinderella pictures herself as a series of important female figures, as her mouse friends urge her on.

Lane said, “She’s forming this force field of the possible, and not the impossible.”

Ultimately, Cinderella learns to trust her own powers and affirm herself, said Lane.

Lane hopes audiences will see themselves in her story.

Whether they are pursuing a dream, navigating a setback or trying to imagine a different future, he hopes they leave with the same lesson that has guided his own career: The ability to transform your life begins with believing in your own potential.

“You already have everything you need inside of you,” Lane said.