Name: Vinny Braccia
Year: Sophomore
Major: Musical Theater
Hometown: Freehold, NJ
Vinny is very excited to be back at Montclair State University. As an incoming freshman, he came to Montclair as a Dance Major. However, after a short break from Montclair he decided to come back and audition to be a BFA Musical Theater Major. Of course, due to his love and dedication for theater arts, he got in! Even though he has primarily been a dancer his entire life, he decided to leap into the Musical Theater program to challenge himself by working on his vocal technique and acting as well, subjects he has not studied vigorously before. When asking around campus it is clear he is known for not only his energetic personality and talents, but he is also very fashion forward. Personally, he views himself as dedicated, passionate and a “constant work in progress”.
During the times when he is not dancing, he enjoys drawing, playing the piano, going to the gym, hot yoga and occasionally singing in the rain. His favorite type of music is pop, specifically Ariana Grande. His favorite type of dance is contemporary. You may have previously seen him in “Danceworks” at our very own Memorial Auditorium, B.E.T as a backup dancer for “106 & Park”, “The Young Choreographers festival” in the Manhattan, and for a period of time he was on “So You Think You can Dance”.
Currently he is working on improving his skills in performing arts such as his vocal and acting techniques. While watching him rehearse, it is clear the drive to get his performance absolutely perfect comes from a true love for the arts. You can see him in “Kaleidoscope” on campus at the end of this month.
His is very much inspired by his fellow students because up until attending Montclair, he had never realized how much they can learn from one another. When asking him what he sees himself doing in the future, he confidently states he can see himself being on Broadway and eventually moving to L.A to pursue his first true love of dance. As soon as he said it, I could see it too. His response shocked me at first because usually, when asking anyone in the performing arts community this question, it has somehow become “taboo” to state something as generic as this. However, you could tell just by the look in his eyes that this is something he is extremely zealous about. In a world where everyone tends to be guarded when discussing what it is they really want out of life, his rawness is refreshing. As someone who personally has known Vinny for many years, it is obvious that whatever this man puts his mind to, he will be successful at it. It is not only energizing to see someone so admitting to what they truly love doing, but also uplifting to see how much one can grow as a person and an artist when allowing your passions to lead you toward a life you love.