Hadestown Standout Afra Hines on Being Inspired by Savion Glover, Wicked and More

Afra Hines is a standout ensemble member (and Persephone understudy) in the Tony-winning Hadestown, which marks her seventh Broadway production. Growing up in both Miami and Framingham, Massachusetts, Hines wasn't exposed to Broadway, but she was always surrounded by the arts. "I come from an artistic family," she said. "My mother danced and is a visual artist and painter, while my father was a trumpet player." Hines was put into a creative movement class at just four years old, and that  gave her a love for dance. "I don't remember those early years," she said, "but my mom tells a story that after I saw Savion Glover on Sesame Street, I kept asking for tap dance classes. I've been doing it ever since."

Hines continued to explore the world of dance, which eventually led her to leotards and uneven bars. "By the time I was in high school, I was a gymnast as well," Hines said. "It got to a point where it was too much, doing both that and dance. I had to make a choice between the two around age 13, which was really hard for me because I loved both. I realized dance was something that could be a career so I was all in."

Hines didn't take going "all in" for dance lightly. Shortly after making that decision, Hines and her mother moved to New York City, so she could attend the Professional Performing Arts School as a dance major for the last two years of high school. "I didn't think I wanted to be a part of Broadway until I saw a friend of mine from high school performing in Wicked," Hines said. That performance changed Hines for good; she went on to make her Broadway debut in that thrillifying musical as a swing.

"I was going to attend Fordham and do their BFA program at the Ailey school," she said. "I took a semester off and started auditioning and booked work. I never actually went to college, I started Broadway right out of high school." It has since been over 10 years since Hines took her first Broadway bow, and she's never looked back. "There's not been many times where I think I want to do something else," she said. "I've learned people are going to say no and to get comfortable with rejection and not take it personally. I definitely feel a sense of community here, especially since I've been in this business for a long time. This is really my dream job."

Watch the video below to hear Hines talk about Hadestown and more!

Photo Credits: Photographs by Matthew Murphy | Styling:Greg Dassonville for DassonVogue | Grooming: KeLeen Snowgren | Assistant: Evan Zimmerman
Video Credits: Directed by Kyle Gaskell | Produced by Paul Wontorek & Caitlin Moynihan Additional camera: Alexander Goyco | Location: FD Studios