NEWS
Back in the Summer of 2022, I had the idea to create a music video. Within three months, me and a team of artists I love and admire created a piece that will forever be near to my heart. We filmed in in New York’s Fort Totten Park.
This is the first project I’ve directed, choreographed, and edited and I can’t wait to share it with you!
Over the summer, I received and email from a director who found one of my videos on insta. She invited onto a film she was creating for a indie alternative band called The Hopesos. She sent me the album along with her vision for the film and I was sold!
We spend a week in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania creating what would become “Bound.” I had the opportunity to create an immersive solo inside the abandoned house we were shooting in and dust off some acting chops. I loved every minute of creating this work and hope you get to see it someday. Until then, check out the trailer below!
You can learn more about The Hopesos HERE
Learn more about the director Elise Orlowski HERE
Credits:
Band -The Hopesos
Singer/Songwriter: Seth Mitchell - Guitar - Marc Persing - Drums - Dustin Bond - Bass - Will Portillo - Percussion - Ken Bond - Violin - Margaret Persing - Mixing & Mastering - Nathan Hussey
Film Crew
Director: Elise Orlowski - Producer: Hannah Middlekauff - Starring: Brandon Coleman - Co-Producer: Danielle Johnson - Director of Photography: Ben Rountree - Editor: Elise Orlowski - Production Designer: Emilee Miller - Location Supervisor: Marc Persing - Sound Designer: Brian Iacobucci - Gaffer/DP Second Unit: Jason Chew - 1st AC: Destin Hernandez - 2nd AC: Tristan Peace - Production Assistant: Stephen Whetzel - Artwork: Josh Villegas
Over the summer, my friend and choreographer Kayla Farrish invited me to collaborate on a new duet for an inaugural summer festival on the Little Island here in NYC.
This immersive duet, Broken Record, takes the audience throughout the park and features an original score by Pittsburgh based Slow.Danger and costumed by Caitlin Taylor.
Kayla and I have very different choreographic styles but what we created felt like magic. The combination of our energy, ideas, impulses, and movement led to us discovering new things about our own dancing. It was such a pleasure to build the first iteration of the piece and we hope to bring this duet to new parks around the country…. oh yeah! and make a film too.
Kayla Farrish and I on the Little Island NYC
In the fall of 2020, I commissioned my first solo from German choreographer, Florian Lochner! I’ve loved Florian’s movement since I met him in Chicago. Formerly a Hubbard Street dancer, Florian’s movement is detailed, challenging, and expansive. I thought we would make a good pair and since 2020 left us all virtual, what better to make than a film!?
We spent one week creating the work virtually (florian in Germany while I was in Houston) and two days filming with my good friend Ben Rountree.
The final work was edited by Mae Mann and featured the music of Ceeys (a german based brother duo).
This film was a product of wanting to move and create when the world was telling us we couldn’t. This was my first produced work and I’m so grateful for how it turned out!
Today is a very exciting day for me because... Breaking the Wall Podcast is LIVE! This project has been on my mind since 2018 and it's time for it to make it's way to where you listen to your podcasts! Check out the first episode HERE.
Throughout these episodes, I will be sharing stories and tool to help dancers create a career they love. Each week (TUESDAYS + THURSDAYS) you can look forward a behind the scenes look at our industry and how we can make it a better place for ourselves and others.
Each episode is short (20 min max) and I'll share everything I wish I knew when I was about to graduate. Join me for this ride and SUBSCRIBE! 5 new episodes dropping every day this week STARTING TODAY!
Photo by Spencer Weidie
Cover Art by Abby Tatro
I had the privilege to work on a campaign for Facebook Messenger Rooms a few months back. As my first commercial work, I loved getting to work with this team. Maybe you’ll see me pop up on your feed soon!
Loved chatting with Zachary Whittenburg about my class here in NYC and how I utilize filming in my class. Check out the link below for my sound bites!
Photo by Cole Witter at Gibney Dance 280
SO EXCITED be continue to work with SLEEP NO MORE (NYC) for another few months! Catch me at the MCkittrick Hotel through March 2020! FORTUNE FAVORS THE BOLD
WE HAVE A CONSISTENT TEACHING SCHEDULE! Catch me at Gibney Dance on Saturdays 12-2PM.
10/12, 10/26, 11/16, 11/23, 11/30, 12/7, 12/21, 12/23
This spring, I created a new duet to play with the idea of combining dance with film! I loved combining
https://www.broadwayworld.com/off-broadway/article/Photo-Flash-Live-Source-Theatre-Group-Unveils-Next-Three-Productions-At-Spring-Gala-20190626
Peter Farrow and Tiffany Ogburn in my work Gold Rush for Live Source Theater Gala
The summer 2019 schedule is coming together! If you are in NYC this summer, find me at Gibney Dance 10am-noon.
7/01
7/03
7/15
7/19
I’ve been working with choreographer Belinda McGuire for the past month on a new work in progress. Last night we showed the progress of a duet Belinda created at “SETLIST,” an informal showing hosted by Gallim in NYC. We shared the night with the company an other artist creating new works in the Gallim community.
I met Belinda during my time at Springboard Danse Montreal in 2016. I had such a blast reconnecting with her in the studio and hopefully continuing the process later on!
I’m so happy to be a new resident at the McKittrick Hotel in NYC! You can find me there up until August 25th. “Fortune Favors the Bold” https://mckittrickhotel.com/sleep-no-more/
photo by Cole Witter
ITS HAPPENING NYC! Thanks to Gibney Dance, I will be offering 2 weeks (6 days) of classes starting NEXT WEEK! All classes will be held at Gibney 280 and only $8 each!
10/22
10/24
10/26
10/29
10/31
11/2
As one show closes another one opens THIS WEEK. Over the past month, I’ve been performing Samson while simultaneously covering the new production (and US premeir) of Marnie. As sad as I am to be putting Samson on the back burner (until its revival in March), I’m thrilled to be a part of the new contemporary opera. Come see it at the Met Opera October 19 - Nov 10.
I FINALLY made the move to NYC! With that move, I started my first contract with the Met Opera at Lincoln Center. For the next three months, Ill be working with choreographer Austin McCormick and director Darko Tresnjak. Samson et Dalila opens on September 24th 2018!
Photo by Chris Scott
This summer is going to be CRAZY (in an incredible way of course)!! I'm looking forward to reconnect with students and studios I have worked with in the past but also starting new relationships with dancers all over the US and Canada. I still have some availability in the cities listed above for choreography or teaching. Please reach out via email or Instagram with all booking inquiries.
In less than two weeks, Keigwin + Co will be hosting a community engagement event called Dance at the Gym. This program is a week long project that combines NYC based dancers with nyc based community members. Over the course of the week Larry will create an original piece to Leonard Bernstein's iconic score from West Side Story, Dance at the Gym.
I will be participating in the event as a chorographic assistant to Larry and performing in the new work at the end of the week. Creating more events to get the community involved in dance has been a greater focus for me since joining K+C and this is an incredible opportunity for me (and any other NYC based artist) to gain more experience in community outreach programing.
Home from the first leg of K+C Celebrates Bernstein and what an adventure it has been! Three weeks. Six Shows. Two school shows. Three master classes. And so many good stories. This was my first full tour of my professional career and could not have asked for a better experience. The theaters and audience members made us feel so welcome and appreciated. I got to see friends and family in almost every city from LA to Denver. However, I loved getting to know the Rapid City, SD community. I didn’t think of this area as a place where dance could thrive but these people LOVE dance and appreciate it for all it is.
After that particular show, I went into the lobby to thank our promoters for bringing us in and met the sweetest little boy. He looked like a mini Bruno Mars complete with stylish hat and bow tie. He asked me for my autograph and his mom told me that he wanted to be a professional dancer when he grew up too. It was one of the most fulfilling moments of my life as a performer. I want to inspire kids, especially young boys, to find a love for dance encourage them to follow their passions too.
Overall this tour reminded me of how lucky I am to do what I love. I’m coming onto my 3 year anniversary as a professional and feeling grateful and inspired to continue on this journey. I’m back in NYC for a little downtime BUT it won’t last long… heading back to Houston in a couple weeks to teach again.
Keigwin + Company rehearsal shot by Cole Witter
I haven’t written an udate post in a while and so much has happened over the past month so…..
I am so excited to be back in New York and working with Keigwin +Co. HOWEVER, earlier this year, my good friend Owen Scarlett and I drove from Newark, NJ to LA California on a three week teaching tour across America. We stayed with our friends across the country and taught as we went. I loved getting to see good friends (some of which have been in my life over a decade) and students I haven't seen in years. I've learned and taken away so much over that three weeks journey and wanted to share a couple with you...
First, dancers are incredible and they are creating great work anywhere and everywhere. I’ve had this idea in my head that you can only be a successful dancer if you live in Chicago, New York, or LA. I am SOOO wrong. The work people are creating in Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and Nashville is incredible. These dance artists are bringing dance to people who haven’t been smacked in the face with dance performances and are manifesting incredible lives for themselves. They’ve inspired me more than they know.
Contemporary Class at MetDance
The other thought I’ve taken away is how incredible my dance studio families are. Seeing so many familiar faces at MetDance, Studio One AZ, and Artifact Dance Project studios made the whole trip worthwhile. They were all beautiful reunions that reminded me of how far I have come as a teacher, but more so how far the students I have taught over the past decade have come.
Aside from that, I am grateful for Millennium Dance Complex Las Vegas and Live Arts LA for taking a chance on me and allowing me to teach a pop up class. I have never taught there prior to this trip and they both welcomed me in as one of their own.
I AM SO GRATFUL FOR ALL OF MY FRIENDS WHO OPENED UP THEIR HOMES AND SUPPORTED THIS TOUR BY COMING TO CLASS…. I can never thank you enough.
Special thanks to Owen, John and Cody, Elisa and Glena, James, Mom, Marlana, Yonk, Gianni, Belle, Drew, Christie, Rachael, the Beatles Love crew, Ashley and Claire, Met toos, and everyone else who touched my heart on this trip.
Contemporary class with Studio One Dance AZ
So whats next…?. I’m currently in NYC rehearsing for K+C Celebrates Bernstein! We leave for tour in less than a week and will be coming to California, Colorado, and South Dakota in the coming weeks! Click here for the full details and tour dates.
