Today we’d like to introduce you to Brionna Williams.
Brionna, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Well, first things first, I am a 25 year -old multifaceted artist and a proud mommy -to -be in November 2019! I work as a Professional Dancer/Entertainer, Model, and Movement Instructor.
How did I get to this point?
Well, it all started when I was 2 years old. My mom and I had recently moved from Flint, Michigan. Shortly after moving, we were invited to attend my cousins dance recital. As soon as I saw all the little girls dancing on stage, I immediately fell in love with dance and have been twirling around ever since. I don’t know how I got so lucky in discovering my passion very early on but to say the least, it has been one hell of a journey so far.
Here’s a look into my background!
Since a kid, I have trained intensely in a variety of dance styles including ballet, modern, tap, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, and praise and worship. I received the majority of my training, age 3 – 15 from the McClendon School of Dance under the direction of Denise McClendon. At 15, I enrolled at Atlanta’s Resource for Entertainment and Arts under the direction of Jai Jones, where I expanded in the fields of modeling, theatre and film.
For high school, I attended the Dekalb School of Performing Arts which focuses on dance, chorus, and media production. In 2010, I was offered my first small movie role as a featured dancer in Tyler Perry’s “For Colored Girls”. This was so exciting for me! My family thought I was famous! Haha! After that I decided I wanted to go away for college, so I moved to Philly and my whole life changed! I’m proud to say I received my B.F.A in Dance Performance and Education from The University of the Arts in May 2015. It wasn’t easy, but I made it! As an undergrad, I performed works of many influential choreographers that have had a huge impact on my life dance such as Ronen Koresh, Mark Caserta, Douglas Becker, Sharon Eyal, Robert Battle, Sidra Bell, Helen Simoneau, and Netta Yerushalmy. Post grad, I had the pleasure of being Rehearsal Director for a choreographic work set Mark Caserta for the 2015-2016 school term.
For three years post grad, I spent most of my time traveling back-and-forth from Philly to New York; auditioning for agencies and companies, working odd jobs to pay rent, finding opportunities as a freelance performer, building my modeling portfolio and teaching ballet.
I found myself working a full-time job that I needed but eventually became unhappy with it because I wasn’t truly fulfilling my purpose. Philly taught me so much about myself that I am forever grateful for but after seven years, I knew I was ready for another change.
The journey has brought me back full circle back to my hometown! I am now represented by Xcel Talent Agency and since signed, I have worked on the TV shows including Empire, Step Up: Highwater, Legacies and with major musical artists such as Ciara and Iggy Azalea. I am very excited about what the future holds, and even more excited to be starting a family. I am on a short “commercial break” but I’ll be back on no time!
Has it been a smooth road?
It was definitely NOT a smooth road to get to where I am. We all know that with any victory comes many obstacles. There were a lot of times where I felt like quitting and giving up due to many personal challenges. From not having a relationship with my biological father all my life to body shaming myself for many years, to constantly hearing the word “NO” in a cut-throat industry, to tolerating verbal and emotionally abusive relationships – I drove myself into a wall at some point.
I always wondered why I was hitting so many road blocks, but as I got older, I realized I wasn’t loving myself completely and taking the time to understand who Brionna was. I couldn’t blame other people for things that happened in my life and as soon as I changed my perspective and did some major soul searching, things began to shift in my life for the better.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I’m always working to reinvent myself as an artist. I am a “work in progress” no doubt about it! Currently, I have been focusing my time and energy towards teaching due to my pregnancy. I currently specialize in Improvisation and Movement Coaching classes. I’m very passionate about helping dancers/non-dancers build confidence in themselves. My goal is to challenge the ideologies people might have behind dance and encourage them to explore a deeper meaning behind movement. Many of us are constantly stuck in our heads, but through personal experience, I have found the art of improvisation/freestyle healing and liberating. However, it’s more than just improvisation, there’s techniques to this thing! So, I asked myself, how can I help others become more comfortable in their own skin/bodies? How can I encourage others to use movement as a healing tool? How can I help others become physically, mentally and even emotionally more self-aware? How can I encourage individuality, creativity, freedom through movement all at once? The questions are endless. I am strategically creating a safe space for others to come in simply “explore” themselves. There aren’t a lot of classes like this being offered in ATL so I’m proud to give back to the community by bringing something unique especially being a woman of color. It’s been hard to put myself out there and be unapologetically different, but I think that’s what sets me apart from others. The feedback and support has been incredible.
If you’re interested in trying out my classes, I teach every Sunday from 5:30 pm -7 pm at AREA Studio | 2303 Peachtree Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30309 | Price: $10 p/class.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bestofbri.com
- Email: brionna.info@gmail.com
- Instagram: @bestofbri
Image Credit:
Brandon Wyche, JWR Photography, Muhammad Rasheed
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