Check out our interview with talented dancer and aerialist April Leopardi who can be seen portraying the leading character Darkness in Awakening at Wynn Las Vegas.
April started her dance career at age 15, dancing for the Kentucky Derby. After portraying Cassandra in CATS, she toured worldwide, performing on cruise ships, resorts, and casinos. April performed for The Latin Grammy Awards for six seasons alongside music artists such as Pitbull, Marc Anthony, Enrique Iglesias, J Balvin, Gente de Zona, and Major Lazer. She toured one season with Charo and two seasons with Broadway’s The Illusionists. April opened Totally Outrageous Brunch, was the dance captain for Vegas! The Show, and the assistant choreographer for Zombie Burlesque. April’s television credits include the CW’s Masters of Illusion, America’s Got Talent, and Fox’s Game of Talents.
Follow April @aerialist_april
Hi April, please tell us a little about you?
My name is April Leopardi, and I play Darkness in Awakening at the Wynn Las Vegas. I am half Italian and full Aquarius, so I am loud, stubborn, creative, and full of affection.
Describe yourself in 3 words?
Curious, Driven & Weird.
Who has made the biggest impact on your life so far, and why?
I would say my dance teacher, Amy Reik. She was very (lovingly) tough on me growing up and always pushing me farther than I thought I was capable. She never let me quit, never even let me settle for “good enough.” She was so inspiring, not just standing and coaching but actually in the fray with us; she would do the warm-ups, stretch and leap and turn across the floor, and even at one point when she was eight months pregnant with twins, she was still better than all of us! It made me feel that if I worked hard enough, that I could dance forever, and so far that has been true! She was always wildly creative, and I often find myself choreographing in the same way she does, letting the music move me over and over until the steps start coming on their own. She also taught me a lot about empathy and love without expectations. In my teen years, I went through some rough personal hardships. She would obviously see some of the things that were happening, and she would suddenly yell, “April it is raining out, you’re not driving home. Call your dad and tell him you’re staying with me,” and then keep teaching. She would pay me to do silly things like organize her closet or help out with her kids, who did not need my extra help. Of course I see that now as an adult, but she never made it seem like she was taking care of me, much the opposite. She would act as if I were really helping her out. I’m hoping one day soon, she will make her way back out to Vegas to see me in Awakening!
How and when did you start into dancing?
I started dancing at two years old. My sister was four, and we were OBSESSED with the Fly Girls from In Living Color. We would dance around the kitchen in our socks pretending to be them, so when my parents put my sister into dance class, I demanded to start as well. I was immediately in love, and I never wanted to be anything except a performer. At 11 years old, my parents told me they could no longer afford my classes. I would need to quit, but I refused. I went to my studio owner, and she agreed to barter with me. I would do anything and everything in exchange for classes; assist her teaching the tiny kids, clean the studio, work the front desk, babysit her daughter, whatever it took to keep dancing. By age 15, I was teaching my own classes, and at 17, I graduated and set out into the world.
What is fun and rewarding about this? And what is not?
The most rewarding thing about my career is the response I get from my audiences. I’m addicted to all of it; every clap, gasp, tear, laugh, I want it all! If I can get someone to not only be entertained but to feel something, it gives me a high unlike any other. The most difficult part about my career is the ebb and flow. Sometimes you’re booked on stages, day and night and all around the world, and sometimes you have to work odd jobs to make ends meet until the next contract. This way of life is definitely not for everybody.
Any advice for aspiring dancers?
My best advice is to say yes to everything; do it. Take every opportunity that comes your way at first, learn every style, learn every bit of knowledge and experience. Don’t get taken advantage of, but take the jobs that aren’t glamorous, that don’t pay well enough, that are a bit out of your wheelhouse. You will learn so much that a classroom could never teach you, and you will meet people and overcome hardships that will shape and prepare you for the big things to come. Use these jobs to practice humility and gratitude. You will be happier and also more marketable. When you work with artists who are older and more experienced than you, spend time with them, ask them questions. They have a wealth of knowledge, and they have made all the mistakes! Learn from their experience. When you start to fall out of love with the art, take a step back. Spend time in nature. Focus on a new hobby. Do some free gigs. If you don’t start to miss it, then it might be time to move on, but I can almost guarantee you will miss it.
What do you love most about dancing?
Dancing allows me to tell stories I couldn’t otherwise tell. I can personify all different sorts of characters, experience all different sorts of emotions, and express not only who I am but who I want to be.
What type of dance do you like best?
It depends on the day, but I think my favorite is very strong, feminine, jazz funk style in heels.
Now let’s talk about the amazing new show Awakening at Wynn Las Vegas?
Awakening is unlike any show I have ever been a part of, because it is unlike any show that exists. The technology is astounding, the talent is top-tier, the costumes are breathtaking. I think I could go on for hours because there is so much that is amazing and unique about this show!
How many shows you guys do a week?
We perform eight shows a week, plus rehearsals almost every day. We have shows at 7pm Friday through Tuesday, with additional shows at 9:30pm on Fri, Sat, and Tues.
What people can expect from this show?
Expect to be taken out of yourself and fully immersed in this over-the-top Vegas style myth. There are so many impressive things all around that you will want to immediately come back for a second time to try to see all the things you missed!
How was the casting for this and how demanding is the daily preparation for a big show like this?
For me, this process lasted about six months. I had temporarily relocated to Hawaii at the time, so I came home to Vegas for the audition, and I kept having to reschedule my flight back in order to do all the necessary callbacks. I spent the next few months sending tapes and having Zoom conversations before finally meeting the Creatives in January. I got offered my contract that same night.
In preparing for the show nightly, I need to start my make-up two hours before showtime. After that, I have hair prep, make-up finishes with our makeup artist, Ish, stretching, vocal warm-up, getting into costume, and audio checks, all before we go to places. It is definitely a demanding show ritual.
Describe the show in 3 words?
Stunning Vegas Spectacle.
Favorite thing about living in Las Vegas?
There is such a huge artistic community. When we aren’t on stage, we have many daily opportunities to train, learn, teach, create, express, and genuinely connect with like-minded artists!
Now tell us about your experience performing for The Latin Grammy Awards for six seasons and working alongside big name music artists such as Pitbull, Marc Anthony, Enrique Iglesias and J Balvin? That’s amazing!
Thank you! Honestly, I cannot say enough good things about my experiences with the Latin Grammys. When I did my first one with Pitbull and Marc Anthony, I was not very well versed in Latin dance styles, so I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to be hired! They were absolutely wonderful. Everyone I danced with was insanely talented, and it was the first time I ever saw my own face on TV. I was spoiled after that!
What did you learn from your biggest failure?
I have had so many; it’s hard to choose! I would say that my biggest lesson has been accepting that if something isn’t for you, something else, even better, is on its way. Feel sad and disappointed, but then get up, keep honing your skill, and put yourself out there again and again and again.
What would say are the greatest lessons you learned so far?
That talent is hugely important, but it isn’t enough. You will need drive, intelligence, the ability to switch gears on a dime, pride in what you do, humility to not always be the best, comfort with rejection, a little luck, and mostly respect for others. Every person around you, your coaches, dressers, tech team, producers, fellow artists, EVERYONE has worked hard and taken hits to be where they are, and they all deserve your appreciation.
Which project is still on your bucket list?
I want to create my own shows. I have been fortunate enough to assist in a few creations, like being the Assistant Choreographer for Zombie Burlesque here in Vegas, that really gave me the itch. When it’s time for me to step offstage, I want to be the one in the nearly empty theater at 2am, surrounded by the most creative people I know, saying, “Call the fabricator, I just had an idea!”
What advice would you give to your younger self, and why?
I would tell my young self that being tough is not the same as being strong. When strong people are sick, injured, tired, or overworked, they take a break. Stop trying to be so tough; your body will thank you later.
What’s next for April Leopardi in the last months of 2023 and for 2024?
Many more performances of Awakening! I’m also continuing my aerial training with my Circus partner, Michael. We are writing those shows I plan on producing one day. Keep an eye out 😉
What is your daily routine like?
I have ADHD, so no two days look exactly alike. I make it a point to start every morning outside, either with meditation or a walk, something to get me grounded and centered, and that tends to help. Then it’s a work out and/or aerial training to keep my skills up to par. If there is still time before work, I will either be playing with my dog Barnum, noodling with one of my hundreds of hobbies (archery, glass walking, upcycling thrift store finds, whatever), or popping in to the fabrication shop I used to work at to weld a little bit. Then my evening is consumed by the show, after which I like to come home and cook something simple, relax, and watch a little TV with my cat Bagheera.
Favorite form of cardio?
Dancing is the BEST form of cardio! Otherwise, I like hiking anywhere beautiful or stress-pacing around my living room, overthinking my problems. It definitely gets the heart rate up.
If you are a book, what would be the title of the book and why?
I think my book would be called Chaos: a Memoir because my life is just that, chaotic. Being an artist means having a sometimes unstable existence and also being able to tap into your emotions on command. Those things combined can bring so much excitement but also chaos.
What is your own definition of happiness?
Happiness is a sense of accomplishment. Living a life where I’m not desperate to take breaks. Not smiling all the time, but really genuinely knowing that if I were given the choice of anything else, I would still choose this.
What is you favorite song to belt out in the car/for karaoke?
Currently I am enamored with Miley Cyrus, particularly Jaded and Used to be Young. They get me in my feels.
If you could meet someone living or dead, who would it be and why?
Mauricia de Tiers. She was a daredevil in the 1900s who did this absolutely insane stunt called the Dip of Death. It was so dangerous that she made $100 a minute for her four minute act. And that is not in current money, that was back then! I would want to ask her everything! How it works, what was her inspiration, what it was like being a woman with that sort of notoriety and freedom in those days, and especially what happened to her. Her death is a huge mystery.
Do you support any charity?
Yes! My favorite is Golden Rainbow here in Las Vegas. They provide housing, work, financial, and medical support, among many other things, for people affected by HIV and AIDS.
Idea of a perfect Sunday?
I would wake up early-ish, but not too early, pack up my dog, and take a little road trip somewhere close by but beautiful. Sedona, Zion, somewhere like that. I would spend the drive drinking good coffee and listening to my true crime podcasts, which I love so much! Once we arrived, Barnum and I would go on a gorgeous hike while I switched my headphones to either music or a good book. Ideally, we would find some water to touch. And in the evening, I would want to eat some delicious food that is definitely too complicated for me to make on my own and then fall into a hotel bed with an oversized comforter, a view of the mountains, and way too many pillows.
Where we can follow you?
You can find me on Instagram and TikTok at @aerialist_april.
