About Barton:

Dance found Barton when he was 12 years old. Sports had always come naturally, but dance came from another place entirely. His earliest formal training happened between his high school, Denver School of the Arts, and his studio, The Academy of Colorado Ballet. While he was in high school, he discovered his love for acting and theater thanks to a group of friends who started a local theater company, The Black Actor’s Guild. In 2010, He attended the University of Arizona for college as a dance major, and graduated in 2013, a year early, with honors. Every time he was home from college he would work with The Back Actor’s Guild to produce and perform in improv and sketch comedy shows for the community.

Barton’s professional career began immediately after graduating from college when he was cast to originate the role of ‘Romeo’ in the European tour of Bad Boys of Ballet’s Romeo and Juliet. He moved to New York in 2014 to crash on his Aunt and Uncle’s living room floor as he figured out the next steps. Since moving to NYC, Barton has performed principal roles on stage for Lar Lubovitch, Pontus Lidberg, Bad Boys of Ballet, the first national and tour of an American in Paris, several different Encores’ productions at City Center, The Metropolitan Opera’s La Traviata, and much more.

As an actor, Barton was cast as the romantic lead, ‘Damon’ in Lifetime’s Center Stage 3. He also played ‘Oren Lennox’ in Netflix’s hit series Tiny Pretty Things, which was released at the end of 2020. The show was #1 in the world for two weeks, but was canceled one month after its release.

In late November of 2023, Barton was diagnosed with a lemon sized brain tumor on his right frontal lobe. His craniotomy was done on November 21st, 2023 at NYU Langone by Dr. John G Golfinos and Dr. Dan A Orringer. The pathology diagnosed Barton with Oligodendroglioma, a rare type of slow growing brain cancer. Posting about his health experience on social media garnered a great deal of attention and support, and helped him find Oligo Nation.

Barton started rehearsals for The Outsiders on February 1st, 2024, just two months after his brain surgery. He made his ensemble broadway debut as ‘Brill’ that April and his principal broadway debut in the role of ‘Bob’ in early 2025. The Outsiders became a hit sensation and won 4 Tony awards include ‘Best Musical’! After successfully completing a full year with the show he decided to move on.

Currently he is performing in NYC, Off-Broadway at The York Theater, in “GOTTA DANCE” produced by American Dance Machine. He is still working closely with Oligo Nation to help find a cure and fund studies for those living with this rare type of brain cancer.