Today we’d like to introduce you to Nick Hagelin.
Hi Nick, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am an award-winning singer/songwriter, actor, and dancer hailing from NYC who came to Atlanta in 2009 to pursue my dream of making a career in the performing arts. What has transpired has been so much bigger and more holistic than what drew me to ATL in the first place.
I grew up dancing at the School of American Ballet at Lincoln Center in NYC from age 9 to 18. Both of my parents were professional singers; they met in choir college. My mom was a voice teacher, and my dad got his masters from Yale in choral conducting, so I was very supported in my pursuit of the arts. In addition to my rigorous ballet training, I had a passion for music, and my best friends and I formed a band and started writing and performing together in middle school. Around the same time, I was cast in a major motion picture opposite Kevin Kline and went on to appear in Law & Order: SVU and other projects.
I didn’t realize it at the time, but my well-rounded interests as a performer would be an early reflection of the career and life I enjoy now, so many years later, against my better efforts to focus solely on one goal when I moved to Atlanta: becoming a pop star.
I had been dancing professionally in North Carolina at Carolina Ballet, and my love for music had blossomed to the point that I was eager to move to a bigger market and try and get a record deal. All signs were pointing to Atlanta, and I made the leap of faith to move here on a dollar and a dream. I took my acoustic guitar out almost every night of the week to any showcase, open mic, or performance/networking opportunity I could find. Two years later, I was living in LA with a major label deal at Interscope.
While I would have loved to blow up with a big hit record at that time, God had other plans. My son Bash was born with a rare condition called Arthrogryposis, affecting his joints and muscles, and doctors said he might never walk or be able to feed himself. Things fizzled out in LA, and I found myself back in Atlanta, unsure of how to proceed with my music career but available to give Bash the care and attention he needed to heal and thrive.
By that time, I had a budding second career as a freelance ballet dancer, dancing lead roles and being a reliable partner for many talented young ballerinas at Atlanta’s best schools and smaller companies like North Atlanta Dance Theatre, Gwinnett Ballet Theatre, and Northeast Atlanta Ballet. My Atlanta stage career would blossom to include performing with larger companies like Atlanta Opera and City Springs Theatre Company. This became the consistent income that I could count on to support my family as a performing Artist while I pursued my music career.
I was still passionate about sharing my original music with the world and had set up a series of college tours when I received a call about auditioning for NBC’s The Voice. Because of the years of work and promotion I had already put into my music, I was fast-tracked for the show and, in a matter of weeks, was living in a hotel in Burbank, filming the live auditions.
I did well on the show, finishing Top 9, and the experience not only bolstered my enthusiasm for my music career but also gave my son Bash an amazing platform to showcase his miraculous healing journey. When Pharrell Williams invited him on stage, he came marching out and instantly became a beacon of hope for Special Needs kids and families across the world. His story still inspires families to this day – when they receive a diagnosis and search Arthrogryposis on the internet, Bash’s triumphant story comes right up.
Around that time (2017), Atlanta’s TV and Film Industry was blowing up, and my journey on The Voice caught the attention of Joy Pervis at J Pervis Talent Agency here in Atlanta. I was encouraged to once again pursue a career as an actor, something I hadn’t considered since I was a teenager. I began auditioning, and with the support of my agent and the excellent training I received at Robert Mello Studio I have been able to gain incredible momentum and now enjoy a fruitful career as a professional actor. Over the past six years, I have appeared on Netflix’s Sweet Magnolias, HBO’s Staircase, Hulu’s Class of ’09, Showtime’s The First Lady, and many more excellent films and shows. More recently, I filmed my first lead in a feature film, filmed an upcoming feature for Marvel Studios, and will begin work on season 4 of Sweet Magnolias later this year.
Music is still a huge part of my life, and I am releasing new music every month. My original music was recently featured on FX’s Atlanta, which is cool, all things considered. Miles Away, a song I wrote for my son when he was born will drop on Jan 22nd, and my band The Fantasy Exchange just dropped our debut EP Worth It which is super fun expression of some of the best musicians in Atlanta. The Fantasy Exchange has more music dropping all next year.
And an honorable mention for Bash, who just dropped his first single “Rizz God (Ft. NIL3)” under his artist moniker ba$h.
My partner Trey Lander, who was just nominated for a Grammy (Rnb Album of The Year) for Summer Walker’s CLEAR 2: SOFT LIFE EP just opened up his studio Fantasy Lane in Chamblee, GA and the team is always locked in creating the next wave of Atlanta’s signature soulful sound.
These days, in addition to my busy life as an artist, I have the pleasure of teaching and sharing what I have gathered from all of my years of world-class training, beginning as a young boy at Lincoln Center. I have even launched a personal training company – Ballet Bros, that offers Ballet cross-training for elite athletes. I have had the pleasure of personally coaching NFL players and collegiate baseball players and hope to soon offer clinics for The Hawks and Falcons.
The road hasn’t always been clear, and there have certainly been eras of financial insecurity, but today I enjoy a well-rounded career as a singer, actor, and dancer, with the freedom to explore my creative pursuits with amazing, talented people every day. Atlanta was truly the incubator of my dreams and allowed me access to the amazing life of an Artist that I experience every day. There is so much talent and cultural influence in this city, and I am proud to call it home.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
You can reference my story, which highlights the following in detail but to summarize the challenges:
The financial insecurity of never taking a 9-5 job and opting to pursue my dreams of supporting myself and my family as a performing artist and creative
My son being born with a physical disability, and trying to manage my career and his special needs
Thinking my “dreams had come true” at 23 when I signed to Interscope and dealing with the depression that followed after I didn’t become the big star that I thought I wanted to be.
Having to learn to be flexible, embrace and honor all of my talents and responsibilities, including fatherhood, in order to become the well-rounded man and artist that I strive to be every day.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Singer / Songwriter – Finished Top 9 on NBC’s The Voice
– His band, The Fantasy Exchange is one of the best groups in Atlanta 😉
– Toured internationally
– Signed to Interscope
– Millions of views on Youtube
– Writes and produces music for major label artists
– Original music has been featured on FX Atlanta, Saturday Night Live, and many more shows
Ballet Dancer / Coach
– Trained at the School of American Ballet at Lincoln Center in NYC
– International dance career performing with American Ballet Theatre, Carolina Ballet, The Kirov, Atlanta Opera, Gwinnett Ballet Theatre
– Ballet Bros company trains NFL players using dance fundamentals
– Millions of views on TikTok
– Teaches Partnering at Sugarloaf Youth Ballet in Gwinnett
Actor
– Appeared on Netflix, Syfy Network, Hulu, FX, HBO, Apple TV Plus, NBC, Universal Pictures, Showtime, Lifetime, and many more.
– Upcoming projects from Marvel, Netflix
– Trained here in Atlanta at Robert Mellow Studios and Drama Inc. with Ric Andosca
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
That teaching partnering class is one of my favorite things to do professionally.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.nickhagelin.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/nickhagelin
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-hagelin-768549141/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/nickhagelin
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/nickhagelin
- SoundCloud: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4uzUAkAnJ15k3cBrI8Op9W?si=95nF8YSKQ_u4AdXKblnxyA
- Other: www.tiktok.com/nickhagelin
Image Credits
Neville Forbes, Alex D Rodgers, Gwinnett Ballet Theatre
