Camille A. Brown is a versatile dancer and choreographer who has carved her own path to success. When she was a young artist she was worried that she didn't have the right body type to be a professional dancer, but she ultimately found that her belief was wrong. did. Starting her own dance company, Brown developed and executed her own vision.On Broadway, she was nominated for a Tony Award choir boy and for colorful girlsand now I'm obsessed with Alicia Keys' music as a choreographer for . hell's kitchen At the Schubert Theater. Here, Brown talks about her own life in the Big Apple and how it helped her carve her own path.
(©David Gordon)
This conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity.
How much has your own upbringing in New York City influenced your work? hell's kitchen?
Oh, everything. That was one of the main attractions of being on this show. I have a history. I started riding the subway when she was 13 years old. I traveled all over Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan. The birth of hip hop is here! I have all of that in me, and I call it my blood memory. It was about accessing my history, the experiences I've had in my life, and the history of the gestures and interactions I see. I also put a lot of effort into my work at work. It always starts in a personal place and then moves on to others.
Why did you choose dance?
My mom introduced me to dance and I loved it. She loves musical theater and wanted to make sure I was surrounded by the arts. I learned clarinet, gymnastics, swimming, and dancing. When I came into the room, she said the only thing that brightened me up was dancing. When I was growing up, there was no internet. We went to the library and pulled out some of her favorite musicals and watched the dance sequences over and over again and I started learning them.
I still have a low voice, but 30 years ago it was much louder. I was often teased and was always afraid to participate in class. It wasn't that I didn't know the answer, but that I didn't feel safe because I would be teased if I expressed myself vocally. So dance was a way for me to create a safe space where I could express joy, pain, happiness, and sadness all in one and be okay with that.
What made you start working as a professional?
One of my friends came across a tape of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performing Ronald K. Brown. grace And it changed my whole perspective on movement. It was so beautiful. It was a combination of African dance and modern dance, and I was like, “Wow, I want to know who choreographed this.” I want to dance with them. ”
After I graduated from college, one of my friends told me that Ron was looking for a woman to join his company, so I contacted him and she invited me to a dance class. A few days later, he asked me to come to work. I danced with them for five seasons.
What hurdles did you overcome?
As I got older, I began to question what the ideal body was and what it was like to be a dancer. I have a teacher who I call an angel. They were with me from the beginning, but then I had other teachers who made me think there was something wrong with me. Thanks to the support of many teachers and instructors, I managed to overcome it. Many people think that body image and issues that occur in the dance world are related to ballet. But there are questions and conversations that need to continue about how we condition students and dancers to think about their bodies.
Does Camille A. Brown have a signature style?
Whether it's television, film, opera, or Broadway, I always ask, “What is the story we're trying to tell?” I don't have a different perspective on each, but I understand that each has its own process and in each process I have to change the way I work, even though I am always myself. Masu. I always try to approach something with story, arc, and atmosphere in mind.
I'm so excited when people tell me that when they see my work, they know it's me. I have worked hard to develop my voice and have been doing it for over 20 years, so I would like to hopefully show that I can step dance. You can also dance modern dance. I can do jazz dance. I can do hip hop dance. But it all looks like Camille, and it's all inspired by my experiences and how I see things through my lens.
(©Mark J. Franklin)
