Meet the Author: Hal Banfield

Hal Banfield is an award-winning Journalist, Photographer, and Multimedia Producer originally from Toronto, Canada who currently resides in West Hollywood, California. It wasn’t until he began his studies in theatre at Toronto’s York University and Ryerson University that Hal’s illustrious career as a dancer began. While juggling his studies at York, Hal started working commercially as a dancer in local theatre and feature film productions. Hal would land his professional big break in the Canadian production of the musical, Cats. He would always tell the story that he got the job not because he was the best dancer, but because he “fit the costume!”

Following his stint with Cats, Hal took the leap that nearly every Canadian performer does; moving to New York City to try his luck and embark on the life of a New York theatre performer. After beating the pavement and a series of cattle-call auditions, Hal was presented with three job offers. He opted to leave New York to work for the German company, Starlight Express. Soon after Starlight, London’s West End came calling and Hal was swept away to the historic Old Vic Theatre’s production of the Olivier award-winning Carmen Jones. Momentum in the UK continued with a string of workshop productions and finally getting cast to replace the role of “Little Moe” in Five Guys Named Moe at the Lyric Shaftesbury Theatre in the heart of London’s theatre row.

At the completion of his time in London, in a full circle moment the Broadway revival production of Grease brought Hal back to New York City for a short while, until he was tapped to join the national touring company of Miss Saigon. By 2006, trying to heal a body that had endured years of stress and strain from working across many stages, Hal found it time to hang up the dance shoes. He traded in the dressing room for the newsroom and transitioned into a career in broadcast news as a Reporter, Anchor, and Producer sharing top stories of the day in a number of local television markets. He would work for media companies like Time Warner, Bell Media and Commonwealth Broadcasting.

Believing that all stories are important whether they are told on a Broadway stage, or over the 6 o’clock news, it would be 25 years after Hal picked up and purchased his first camera and roll of film that he’d realize the many opportunities to find and tell narratives through still images, as well as video. Hal’s photography has been published digitally in People Magazine and the LA Times, as well as numerous commissioned and licensed works. I Am Dance: Words and Images of the Black Dancer is Hal’s first published book and is a perfect blend of bringing his love for the art of dance with his journalistic background.