Guest: Edward Swingler interviewed by Kimberli Pierantoni
Edward Swingler is twenty one and is a young, driven man. He’s in California acting, modeling, dancing, doing commercials and has his own website http://www.edwardswingler.com. Edward believes in the fact that we are young now and should benefit from that by working hard now so you can have loads of fun later on. Edward is working hard to improve himself and his life and loving it.
Kimba: When did you start dancing?
Edward: I was in 6th grade, it was my first dance ever and, to be honest, it totally sucked. Nobody was dancing, which is boring, so from that single moment I decided I’m going to learn how to breakdance. I’m going to make these events fun.
Kimba: Where did you learn to dance?
Edward: I actually started learning a lot of it through reading. I read a lot until I could save up to buy this DVD that had basics to break dancing. It’s definitely old school. I used the disc, studied, and I would find books and online sources as well. Good old dial up Internet days. I basically taught myself.
Kimba: What is this DVD called?
Edward: It’s simply called Break Dancing Step by Step. I actually carry it around everywhere because it still teaches me dance moves. It breaks down popping, locking, and many other styles which is Super helpful and I’m STILL learning from this DVD.
Kimba: What is your signature move?
Edward: Mine always have been elevated freezes. I use my upper body and go from like forearm handstand to parallel slant aka straight turtle freeze. From the turtle position I turn it into a baby freeze. I’m elevating my body from different places and not let my feet touch the ground. It took me a long time to build up my strength to gain the upper body control for these moves. It wasn’t something I could hop right into.
Kimba: Correct me if I’m wrong you’re an actor, dancer, photographer and model?
Edward: I would say I’m just an entertainer.
Kimba: What other skills do you have?
Edward: I grew up in art. My mom was an art teacher so anything dealing with art I would say I am fascinated. I can play the guitar and a bit of the piano, but I will say I’m not very musically inclined. I will be bringing on a vocal coach so I will be taking singing lessons here pretty soon. I know karate, and I’ve done wrestling for a good part of my life. I was an athlete all growing up since I was 4 years old so I’ve been in every sport, and I would say that because of it I see sports as another form of dance. Most people look at sports differently, but whenever I see someone go up to kick a soccer ball I see artistic movements. My mind captures things in slow motion; I can see it from the beginning point all the way to the follow up of the body. Wrestling helped me out with break dancing because I learned how my body would turn and about momentum. When I dance I do a lot of the sports movements, and that is how I come up with a lot of choreography. Like dribbling a basketball between your legs or jump kicking a soccer ball, I incorporate a lot of the techniques.
Kimba: Have you taken classes for photography and modeling?
Edward: I have never taken any classes for either. For photography, I learned from poor customer service. I hated the fact that it took so dang long to get my senior pictures done. I got a camera, set up a tripod, and decided to do my own. I did my own graphic designing and I was one of the first kids in my year book to have graphically designed photos. For modeling I was self-taught, and I incorporate dance movements to create dynamic poses. All I really do is dance and when I close my eyes I visualize and decide what poses stand out to me and which ones accentuate which parts of the body. With photography I learned what things look like in front of the camera and which is useful because I can be a model and photographer at the same time and it allowed me to build my portfolio before I got signed.
Kimba: You have a camera set up where you can push a button on a controller to take pictures?
Edward: It’s kind of a complicated process and it has taken me years to develop, but I do have a remote. It’s difficult because you cannot see yourself. This is where visualization comes in and where you have to think about what the camera sees. I would use a remote timer and would set up a whole bunch of techniques to keep my photos focused along with proper lighting.
Kimba: When you’re dancing onstage what goes through your mind?
Edward: I get pretty nervous which is natural. The best thing I’ve learned is you cannot focus on having everything perfect, but what you have to focus on is flow. As soon as you mess up you have to play it off. You cannot show that you messed up. If it shows on your face then the audience knows. For Ipop I ended up winning dancer of the year, and it was funny because I totally botched my choreography twice. For the first round I was doing a solo piece audition, and I had one minute to perform it. When I was break dancing I lost my shoe so I did a ground twist to a handplant, took the other shoe off, and threw it. That made the choreographers smile and laugh. They asked me if I did it on purpose, and I told them that the shoe was an accident.
I ended up making the second phase of the audition. Now we had to perform live onstage on a runway for six judges and we had to learn choreography in 20 minutes which included one practice round. After learning it, I completely botched the practice round. I was angry with myself and told myself to stay focused. This helped me in the second round which was the final round where they actually judged you. I went out and focused as hard as I could and knocked out every single move the best that I could. I felt much more confident. I knew exactly where I was going wrong and corrected it. However, right at the end I turned one count too early, and it made me so mad. There were three of us, and I was in the center so as soon as I turned away in my mind I was like oh my God! Crap! What was I going to do?! In order for me to fix my mistake I planted my hand on the ground, spun around, and slid on both knees towards the judges. It was obvious they knew it wasn’t part of the choreography, but I did the best I could to make it look like it was. To be honest I think that is what won me the dancer of the year at Ipop. Simply the fact that they knew I screwed up, but I played it off and continued on.
Kimba: When you auditioned for Ipop what was your experience like with the judges and the people?
Edward: The whole experience was nerve wracking. I’ve auditioned for my university dance team and a dance crew before but this experience made me shake. This time the judges were professionals and everyone there could dance, many I felt were even better dancers than me. Afterwards when I was done I told my director I needed somebody to talk to right now. So we sat down and talked. I told her I needed to be reminded why I am here. I was so shaken up I was losing grip to all the “whys?”
Kimba: When you are going through a hard time and need reassurance do you go to your agent or family and friends or both?
Edward: There are selective few people I go to that inspire me. If I think about it there is one person I go to often and her name is Samantha. She is a gifted dancer and singer and is passionate about what she does. It’s great because she is a perfectionist as well so she never just settles, not that I’ve witness anyways. She goes all out and makes it extraordinary and you can see it in her performances. We’ve worked together when we were nobodies. We stayed in touched, and she is signed by a dance company in Chicago. She is also part of a group called the Sirena and from what I’ve seen, are gaining notoriety. When I’m down and don’t think I can do it, I just call her and she is always there. We are always supporting each other to achieve our dreams.
Kimba: What did you give up to get where you are today?
Edward: To get where I am today I had to give up a lot of things. You have to sacrifice a lot of time and fun because you have to stay focused on what it is you’re trying to accomplish. I’m not trying to say I don’t have fun. I’ll party every once in a while, but if I am spending all my time doing that then I’m not utilizing my time properly. So when kids are out having fun every single night or weekend, I am on the computer editing photos, working on dance choreography in the studio, or practicing techniques. Some people say I work too much, but the way I see it I’m young and when you’re passionate it doesn’t really feel like working. I work hard now so I can enjoy my life later on as well.
Kimba: What process did you go through to get into the entertainment business?
Edward: I’ve always wanted to be in the entertainment business since I was 5 years old. My whole family is business oriented. So naturally that’s where I first went. I had an office job and was working ton of hours which paid for my school. I was making more money than anyone my age, but I felt miserable. One day I couldn’t take it anymore and I snapped myself out of it and decided I’m going to do what I want to do. So from that day forward I sent my head shots, and sent my resume to as many agencies as I could find online until finally one of them, Images Agency in St. Louis, MO, called me back. I went and auditioned for them, and I got accepted. Things started slow but eventually picked up. That was how everything got started. I literally made a decision that I want to do entertainment, and I just opened every door possible.
Kimba: If you were to estimate, how many hours of auditions would you say you’ve put in?
Edward: Whew hmmm A lot of hours! I would do up to 2-3 auditions per week. I spend time researching as well along with practicing time. I would say per audition probably about at least 20 hours. I also work at Starbucks to make sure rent gets paid. So I try to balance my time. Pretty much when I’m not working there I am going on auditions, dancing, researching, or practicing something. I’m always moving.
Kimba: How many hours of sleep do you get?
Edward: I use to not care about sleep but now I value it and try to get at least 8 hours every night. There are times where things just get busy which is good because you’re being productive and getting things done and paying the bills. For example, this past weekend has been crazy because I closed Starbucks at 2am, showered, went to bed at around 3:00am and then had to wake up at 5am to prep for a photo shoot for a clothing line coming out the next day. I shot all day long and by the time I got back I was so exhausted that I fell face first on the couch and passed out. My roommate said I didn’t even budge. I woke up at 5am once again and had to go back to Starbucks and work. After 8hr shift I had dance practice for 4 more hours. Your schedule can get crazy and pretty hectic sometimes. I tried to get as much sleep when I can.
Kimba: You mentioned you did a photo shoot for a clothing line, how did you get into that?
Edward: They saw my photos and portfolio and liked it so they gave me a call and asked if I would like to be one of their new faces for their clothing line. The website is in the process of being built right now.
Kimba: What is the brand of the clothing line?
Edward: Kiyale Esquire it’s a vogue Hip-Hop brand which is pretty cool. It matches my style pretty well so I like it. They gave me a whole bunch of clothes and few perks are they send you more clothes to represent their brand.
Kimba: So that would be your latest work, modeling for a clothing line.
Edward: Yep. That happened a few days ago.
Kimba: What kind of advice would you give to someone who is trying to succeed at their dreams?
Edward: The biggest advice I can give to anybody to accomplish what they want to do and to feel fulfilled is to get rid of their fears. Fear is the number one thing that stops progress. When you become afraid is when you stop moving forward. People stop pursuing their dreams because they get scared and create excuses. You just have to get rid of all that and replace it with a goal and a dream. If you realize you are going to meet hardships and they happen, you are already prepared for it. The ones who are most successful are the ones that push through the hardship to make it all the way to the end. Get rid of your fear, dive in, and just give it your all with no excuses.
Kimba: Would you mind sharing a story where you’ve experienced something like that?
Edward: I was 18 and started my first direct sales job. I worked for a marketing company and my first year I sold $50,000 worth of their products. For my first 3 months I sold $30,000. It is direct sales so you make phone calls, meet up with customers, and pitch the product. The thing that made me stand out is that I am relentless. I set a goal and put myself in every position to achieve that goal. In one two week competition I sold $12,000 of product which were knives. Yes I sold $12,000 worth of kitchen knives. I don’t sit around and make excuses. That doesn’t mean I was afraid. Everyday I feared I wasn’t going to make my goal. I feared the customers wouldn’t like me. I feared I couldn’t close the sales. I feared I didn’t have enough time before the competition deadline. Once again I told myself to stay focused and keep to my goals and that I’m going to do it. It was worth it because I was able to pay for my school. We all went to the same conference and I had enough money to stay in Chicago for a little bit and kind of enjoy myself once all the work was over. I got to stay a couple more days and meet up with friends. I had to step on my fears and it allowed me to have more fun later.
Kimba: What drives you to keep going?
Edward: My philosophy is that I don’t really have a set long term goal. I have short term goals instead of long term goals. What I want to know is what I’m capable of? That is really what drives me. By the time I am dead where will I be? I think about what is all my potential and whether this is the best that I can do. I’m always striving to do better in every way that I can. Morally I try to be a better person and professionally I try to be a better worker. If I’m going to try to do something I’m going to do it the best of my abilities because if I don’t then I feel like it’s a waste of time. Why try to do something if you’re not going to strive to do it well? At the end of the work, maybe it’s not the best, but you have to ask yourself if you did the best that you could. That is what motivates me. I just want to know what I can accomplish and what am I really capable of in my life.
Kimba: What have you done over in Cali so far?
Edward: I’ve been signed with Legendworks Talent and 323 Talent, danced in multiple music videos, I have also been on a national televised game show called “Oh Sit!” which was really awesome and will be aired in August on the CW network. I was top finalist for it. I’ve been in two featured films, well no, technically one, right now I’m working on the other one. The new film I just got cast for starts tomorrow. I will be working with Nick Canon. If you don’t know who he is he’s the host of America’s Got Talent and was a huge Nickelodeon star. The film is called “School Dance,” so I will be in that film, and we start next month. I’m also the host for Mahalo, the voice and face for the ad coming out for Apple Ipad and I’ve also been on custom commercial prints for Julian’s City Walk. Last week I did a wedding at this mansion. That was really fun! It was a fake wedding of course. I’ve been here in Hollywood for five months now and these were to name off a few of the things I’ve done so far.
Kimba: What makes you different from all the other actors?
Edward: There are so many actors out here. Some are here for the glitz and the glam, others to be famous, and others because it’s their passion. Some think they will just make a lot of money. The thing about money is once they realize that they are not getting it as fast as they want they start slacking and start getting fearful. A lot of people say I’m lucky and I would say that I am lucky, but where some people would put in 5 hours of work in a week I try to put in 40 hours. Luck only takes you so far, but will never compare to hard work.
Kimba: What is one word that you would say describes you?
Edward: Amorphous because I can adapt to situations and I can go with the flow. If people insult me I don’t really get offended because that is a waste of my time. Go with flow you might say. If I’m acting I become the character. Metaphorically I try to be like the water because like Bruce Lee said, “If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash.”
Kimba: With all the different kinds of dancing you do and all the other stuff have you ever had any serious injuries you had to overcome?
Edward: I get a bunch of bumps and bruises from dancing, but otherwise it’s nothing serious. I’ve broken my neck and both of my arms, dislocated my shoulder, but it wasn’t from dancing. It was all from sports that I played.
Kimba: With everything you’re doing, what is your biggest dream? I know you mentioned before that you don’t do life goals, but what is it you exactly want to do with your life as a career? Do you want to be an actor, director, stuntman, and photographer?
Edward: I would actually like to direct and produce my own film that way I can play any role. Big actors have the privilege of choosing roles. To be honest with you the main thing I want to do is inspire people. I want to make an impact in this world. I’ll be honest, I want to make a lot of money because I believe I can help more people and make a bigger impact. I have a vision of starting schools in 3rd world countries to help starving children by teaching business. It’s like that saying if you give a man a fish it will feed him for a day. If you teach him how to fish you feed him for a life time. So when I start schools in 3rd world countries we can teach them to contribute rather than beg. This will require cooperation with lots of businesses and people, but it is definitely something I feel very strongly about.
If you are interested to know more about Edward Swingler here are a few of his links.
Life is as Sweet as Cotton Candy 
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