121. Live Interview with Brandon Cournay and the UNCSA Summer Dance Professional Studies Students

For our first LIVE podcast interview, I got to chat with my friend and fellow UNCSA Summer Workshop teacher Brandon Cournay.

In our #Brandon2Brandon conversation, we dive into the benefits of networking early on, what to look for in a dance job, and how to develope skills/interests outside of the studio that you're interested in. Today, you can't just be a dancer. Finding other work that supports your role as a dancer is a must do.

About Brandon
Brandon Cournay has performed in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular and with The Metropolitan Opera Ballet, Morphoses, New York Theatre Ballet, The Chase Brock Experience, Schoen Movement Company, Dance Heginbotham, and KEIGWIN + COMPANY (2010-2018). TV/Film/industrial credits include PBS’ Great Performances, Musical Chairs (HBO), Puma, Sesame Street, and Target. 

He has been an Associate Choreographer / Rehearsal Director for Larry Keigwin, Josh Prince, John Heginbotham, Chase Brock, Cherice Barton, Sydney Skybetter and has assisted on numerous creative projects in theatre, TV, film, and dance.

Brandon is a sought-after choreographer and educator, whose work has been commissioned by Works and Process at the Guggenheim and for music videos, stage productions, and universities nationwide. He has a passion for teaching all ages, abilities, and communities. Brandon is a teacher of Dance for PD® which offers free, specialized dance classes to people with Parkinson’s Disease around the world. He was honored to teach throughout Africa with DanceMotion USA, an artistic cultural exchange program developed by the US State Department and produced by Brooklyn Academy of Music.​

He has worked with The Juilliard School, The Pennsylvania Ballet, UNCSA, Whim W’Him, Montclair State University, Marymount Manhattan College, Rutgers University, Barnard College, Southeast Missouri State University, and scores of universities, dance studios, and conventions.

Offstage, he has held administrative positions with multiple companies with roles varying from producing, curating, and company management. During his time with KEIGWIN + COMPANY, he became Rehearsal Director and Company Manager in 2015, Associate Artistic Director in 2017, and Managing Director in 2018. Brandon is a Founding Board Member of N-Squared Dance.

Brandon is the Founder and Executive Artistic Director of Dance Device Lab (DDL). DDL produces student-focused, interactive, and engaging workshops at dance studios nationwide. DDL’s mission is to encourage creative thinking and risk-taking by creating a positive and encouraging space for young artists. All DDL events provide tools that are valuable to dancers as both artists and citizens that are transferable to both inside and outside of the studio.

Using his career as inspiration and DDL as a ve

Send Brandon a text with your questions or thoughts!

Interested in working with Brandon? He works with pre-professional and early career artist to help them book and build fulfilling work. You can learn more about his coaching HERE

Join the PROS Spring 2025 waitlist HERE: https://brandoncolemandance.aweb.page/p/7b09d56e-cc15-4df4-b8e5-b946aa20a35f

Connect with Brandon!
Join his Email List: HERE

Instagram: @itsBrandonColeman | @BreakingTheWallPodcast
Website: www.BrandonColemanDance.co