"Display dedication, that your hard work and endurance will reveal your hopes and dreams."
Nate’s first experience as an actor occurred during his freshman year of high school when he performed in his school play "You Can’t Take It With You.” He later participated in many other plays in high school: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow as Ichabod Crane, Life with Father as Clarence Day, The Importance of Being Ernest as Algernon, and various other plays and roles. Nate has continued to pursue his acting career with great fervor and has been a frequent participant in plays and productions on both stage and film.
After his sophomore year of high school, Nate registered as a student at a small dance studio in Stayton, Oregon, and that same year he became a hip hop instructor thanks to an opportunity given to him by Tara Manning. Tara gave Nate his start as a professional dancer and provided him with much inspiration and support. Thanks to this wonderful opportunity from Tara, Nate continued to teach hip hop at Steppin’ Up Dance Studios for 4 years and then moved on to new challenges.
In the summer of 2009, Nate joined Thunderstruck Dance Productions and also became involved with many other dance companies. In 2010, Nate started his own dance troupe called Fuzion Step Dance Productions, and he began to work his choreography throughout Oregon. Through his choreography, Nate sought to inspire young teens and children in the art of theatre, just as he had been inspired. Nate brought his choreography to various schools and influenced students through performances and workshops. Nate was also invited by a number of schools to assist with coaching and choreographing their dance teams.
Nate worked hard to develop his skills as both an actor and a dancer, but he didn’t stop there. In 2009 he began to build his musical talent by participating in vocal lessons, vocal performances, and musical theatre. Not only did he work as a performer but he also learned how to compose and produce music. During this time Nate received a strong education in Fine Arts while attending Chemeketa Community College in Salem, Oregon. It was at Chemeketa that Nate was fortunate to find three more inspiring mentors, Gabrielle Brewer-Wallin, Ben Crop, and Terry Rohse, all of whom would have a powerful influence on his education and development. Terry and Ben educated Nate in technical theatre and taught him to be a leader and to be versatile in all aspects of theatre. Terry was not only Nate’s instructor but was considered by Nate to be his "stage dad." During this same time, Gabrielle taught Nate the art of performance and was his acting instructor for two years. Nate’s education and experiences with these three mentors helped make him the extraordinary performer and leader that he is today.
Nate distinguished himself performing and designing numerous shows at Chemeketa and at other professional companies such as Cirque Du Soleil as an Aerial silks Performer from 2009-2010. For two years he took a break from professional productions to assist and support a community theatre company called Theater Outreach in Salem, Oregon. Theater Outreach is a non-profit theatre with the mission to provide “family-friendly theatre” to the Salem area. Under the direction of Dave Berrier, another amazing supporter, Nate has performed in several wonderful productions such as Peter Pan, It’s a Wonderful Life, and Sleeping Beauty, but he was most known for his role as Tommy Djilas in The Music Man in the summer of 2012. He also took part in an original Theater Outreach traveling dinner theatre show called Race to the British Museum in which he played the lead, Dr. Flinders Petrie.
In the winter of 2012, Nate was accepted to the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City, where he later graduated on June 1st of 2014. Alongside acting, he has also directed several shows and participated in several festivals such as the Venus and Adonis Festival. Nate thanks God, his family, all the teachers and supporters he has been gifted within his life, and the many fans who have applauded him throughout his career.
Nathaniel (Nate) J Pierce was born in Lyons, Oregon, a small town in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. Nate’s parents, Laura and Jerry Pierce own and operate a camp for people with special needs called Upward Bound Camp where Nate grew up with his two sisters and one brother. Through his many years of living and working at Upward Bound, Nate gained a deep understanding of the special needs community.
When Nate was seven years old, he first saw the Gene Kelly movie, “Singing in the Rain,” an experience that would forever change his life. It was then that Nate decided his career goal was to become a performer. Soon after, at the age of eight, Nate saw Michael Jackson’s music video “Smooth Criminal”, which inspired in him a passion for dance. Nate began to teach himself to dance like the “King of Pop” and later experienced other styles of dance during the course of his education. Although Gene Kelly and Michael Jackson provided great inspiration to Nate, he was truly inspirited when he saw a performance of the musical Les Miserables. This show instilled in Nate the dream of one day becoming a Broadway performer. Nate knew that achieving his dream would take a great deal of time and effort, so he began to work hard at educating himself and working toward his goals in all fields of theatre.
​
