Madonna Tribe Interview: Jull Weber

You've seen him dancing with Madonna on stage and in her amazing Don't Tell Me video. Now Jull Weber - the handsome and everyone's favourite dancer of the Drowned World Tour - comes to MadonnaTribe to share his memories and to give us a glimpse of his incredible career in show business.

MT: Hello Jull, welcome to MadonnaTribe
Let's start talking about how it all began. Dance has a big part in your family and your parents are two famous coreographers and dance teachers. Did that make it easier or harder for you to choose your own way to the showbusiness?

JW: Actually, although I grew up dancing, I was affected by that natural rebellion that affects us all when we are young. So, funny enough, I always told everyone, including my parents, that I would never dance, I would never be like them. This is why I ended up going to college for architecture. But after graduating and working in a 9-5 job I realized that was not for me, and that I missed showbusiness, so I packed up my bags, and moved 3000 mi away, again, hoping I had some luck. And here I am very grateful for my decision.

MT: What kind of music has influenced your life, what have you been listening to when you were not playing or rehearsing?

JW: Believe it or not, growing up at a dance studio being forced to listen to music every single day in class, I ended up never owning a stereo or CDs or cassettes. However, it is safe to say that all 80's and 90's music subconsciously influenced my childhood development. Nowadays is a little different, I do own a stereo and CDs and me being a hopeless romantic I like good latin ballads. For example, I like this latin group called Sin Banderas. Their voices are amazing; I like to sit there and just relax.

MT: Your first work with Madonna was the Don't Tell Me video. Was it the first time you got to know her?

JW: Yes, after I decided to move to Los Angeles, everything happened really fast.
I started taking classes, got an agent, and after three months I auditioned for this video. Madonna was my first showbusiness job in the US. So yes this video is the first time I got to know her.

MT: What memories do you have from your experience on the set?

JW: I remember that desert being really cold, I was freezing. Also Jamie King, the choreographer, being really tough and demanding.
But overall she was very nice, very professional, and very efficient.

MT: There were two other great artists involved in the creation of the video. One of them is the video director, Jean Baptiste Mondino. How was it working with such a talented artist?

JW: He is quite a character, like one of those misunderstood artists. He knew exactly what he wanted, and explained to us the symbolism behind the different takes. I was very impressed.

MT: The coreography of the video was created by Jamie King.
You have been working again with him many times since then. How is it teaming up with Jamie?

JW: Jamie is great. He is, like I said before, very demanding.
He likes everything to be done quick and precise.
He also has an amazing eye for error, so he can detect anything that goes wrong. He very much deserves all the success he's had.

MT: What part had Madonna in your life until you worked on the Don't Tell Me video with her? Was she the kind of artist you wanted to work with?

JW: Of course. She is the ultimate artist to work for. Her shows in the past were so amazing, any performers' dream.

MT: Did all your work with her through the years change the opinion you have of hers? Did you get to know her more personally or did it stopped as mainly a professional relationship?

JW: We got to know her personally on tour. I noticed she's very motherly, and she loves taking care of people. She's got a very good soul.
MT: The "Rock 'n' Roll Circus" promotional tour was your first contact with the Madonna fans and her live audience. What are your memories of that experience?

JW: Oh wow, yes the fans are amazing. They get so excited and exude so much energy, they truly make my job so much easier.I love performing using the crowds energy to guide me along.

MT: Then you hit the road again for Madonna's Drowned World Tour. Can you tell our readers a bit of what happened before, about the process of creating the show and the tour rehearsals.

Did you happen to work on songs and coreographies that didn't make the final cut?

JW: No, after auditioning for the DWT, we had exactly 3 months to finish the show. When we came in the whole show was finished. They just had to teach it to us. Every week we learned a new number. Very much like a well oiled machine.

MT: Did you happen to see any of the older Madonna concerts live, how would you compare the Drowned World Tour to her previous ones?

JW: No I was a bit young to see her when she came to Puerto Rico the concert before. I did see the recording later. I loved her older shows.

MT: What's the most important thing you bring with you from the Madonna tour experience as a professional in the show business?

JW: I learned the business is very tough. And that you have to work really hard, and
be very efficient in order to make it.

MT: When the 9/11 tragedy happened, you were playing the LA gigs of the tour. It must have been hard to perform again on the three final dates, and that was definetly something deeper than a simple "the show must go on" statement.

What do you remember of those moments, and how did the show reflect those events that changed everybody forever?

JW: She turn it into a commemorative event. She talked in all the concerts about the tragedy that happened. We weren't just continuing our tour, we were performing to celebrate joy and happiness, especially in that time of difficulty.

MT: You also had a personal success in the show and you're one of the dancers the fans did really go crazy for.
How was that all from your own personal point of view?

JW: I thought it was amazing. I had never encountered that before. It made me perform better every time.

MT: The tour visited many different countries. Which are the fans who impressed you the most?

JW: Well, I love Italy. Actually one of my summers in college I lived there for 3 months studying art, history, and italian.

So me and Italy have previous history. But besides Italy, I liked Paris, and I thought Berlin was very interesting: a city full of emotional baggage, full of cranes, and in the forefront of technology. It was a very unique experience.

MT: How was your life on the road? We understand that in Madonna's tours everything is organized in a very meticolous way. How was a typical working day, and a day off?

JW: Working days we came in around 2pm, rehearsed, got ready, and did the show. Off days, I ventured the cities, enjoying all the different museums and historical landmarks.

MT: Do you have a fondest memory of that tour? Or any funny story that happened behind the scenes?

JW: My fondest memory would be when she celebrated my birthday, she spanked me 23 times, sang me happy birthday, gave me some beautiful clothes, and a delicious cake.

MT: Did you happen to see Madonna's Re-Invention Tour live last year?
What do you think of the job she did with Jamie?

JW: I think Jamie is very talented. I think he did a great job. He has a very good eye for stage shows.

MT: As a professional dancer you practiced several different disciplines from jazz to ballet, moderm, hip hop and even martial arts and stunt fighting.

There were a lot of different coreographies in the Drowned World Tour, what was your favourite number?

JW: The most fun number was the martial arts number. I loved all the fighting and kicking butt.

MT: You also studied architecture at the MIT. Was it meant as a sort of a natural completion of your personal training, a personal passion, or something different?

JW: I always loved houses and design. So it was just natural for me to go into that. Although my plans were to be an engineer, I think architecture was a very good choice. I leaned from a wide range of disciplines, from science and math to art and history.

MT: You've been training as a professional actor and then you played Joey in "Honey", the 2003 movie directed by Bille Woodruff about young dancers and their dreams. Do you feel more confortable on the live stage or on the set?

JW: I love set as well. You get more chances to get a scene right. On stage you only get one chance, you either get it right or get it right.

MT: You danced in Kylie Minogue's "Red Blooded Woman" video. How is it working with Kylie?

JW: She's another wonderful artist. Very nice and friendly.

MT: Last year fans were wondering if the "mohawk" from the Drowned World Tour was going to be part of Madonna's Re-Invention Tour but unfortunately you were busy touring with Paulina Rubio at the time.
Paulina is a major latin act and for her tour she teamed up with two familiar faces, Dago González and again Jamie King.
How was the tour and what was your experience working with them all?

JW: Well, it's amazing because I've gotten to travel all over South America, and experience new places. Actually, I'm still touring with her, so I get to have a bit more fun still.

MT: You also worked with director Dago González in three music videos for artists such as Soraya, Ednita Nazario and Storm. Dago is extremely talented and created some amazing videos for Madonna's tours, what's your best memory of your work with him?

JW: For Storm I had to dance underneath a shower of freezing water. That was very difficult but incredibly fun at the same time. Dago is very talented.

MT: In Paulina's tour you also had the role of Dance Captain. Was that your first time? This should bring more responsability but also more excitiment. What was the importance of this step in your own career?

JW: It's great, Paulina chose me to be the link between them and our group. I get to make sure all the dances are well polished before every show. It is a lot of fun.

MT: Let's imagine Jull in a few years from now. How would you like to see your career evolve? For many dancers shifting from being on stage to make coreographies and to direct was a sort of natural evolution, is that a process you'd like to be involved in too?

JW: Well I also act, and I love acting. So add into the formula Jull on screen doing some very interesting roles.

MT: What are you currently working on, and what your fans should expect from you soon?

JW: I'm actually still traveling all over with Paulina Rubio. I think our last stop is going to be Puerto Rico (home) at the end of May 2005.

MT: In your personal life, training and career you happened to be involved in some mainstream projects and in some others more tied to the latin culture. Sometimes dealing with the latins there are some misunderstanding and also the feeling that - no matter how great the artist can be - they are going to be to be considered part of a minor, regional culture.
The latin culture has great roots and lots of energy and talents to share with the world.
What are your feelings about that?

JW: Well I have a different perspective. I'm latin and I grew up with this vibrant culture. So, sincerely, in my mind I never thought of the latin culture being small or merely regional. I've always though of it as huge, encompassing many countries. I guess it's a different experience when you grow up in it.

MT: Thanks a lot Jull for sharing your time with Madonnatribe and its readers. It was great to see you on stage with Madonna and we hope this interview will help our readers to know a little more. All the best!

JW: Thank you!