Meet Brandon Carpio: Dancer. Actor. Writer. Filmmaker.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brandon Carpio and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brandon, can you tell us about a book that has had a meaningful impact on you?
I am currently re-reading for the third time a book titled Body Learning: An Introduction to the Alexander Technique by Michael J. Gelb. The Alexander technique has completely transformed my life in these past two years. The technique is a form of psychophysical re-education, in which you unlearn any uncoordinated habits and tension that is ingrained within your body. For example, we may find ourselves getting lost in thoughts that take us out of the present moment, such as certain negative thought patterns or just your regular daydreams. The technique helps you come back to the present moment by sensing the relationship between your head, neck and torso, helping you return to a sense of inner length within your body. Not only has this book and technique helped me to be more present and focused with myself and others, but it has also given me a sense of ease within my day, in knowing that I have a more active and conscious way of dealing with any given circumstance that life throws at me.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I grew up training as a classical ballet dancer throughout all of my childhood. During my junior year of high school, when the time came to audition for some of the biggest ballet schools in the world, I was absolutely devastated to hear that I was denied by every where that I applied to. But, this came to be one of the biggest blessings in disguise. One year later I was accepted into the inaugural class at the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. This opportunity allowed me to branch out of the ballet world and pursue all of the other crafts I have been interested in as a kid. Growing up I would practice break dancing in my bedroom after ballet class, and make movies about the dynamics of my family, and write plays to perform in drama classes at my local public school. When I got into USC, it became the perfect place to dive deeper into all those art forms that I pursued growing up. During my time in Los Angeles I became well versed and immersed in a multitude of different street dance styles, while also developing my filmmaking and acting skills at the USC school of Cinematic arts and the school of Dramatic arts. What I learned most about this whole experience, is that you can only plan so much of your life. I think it is great to have strong desires, intentions and dreams, but in the end all we have power over is the actions that we take everyday, and what comes out of that is sometimes out of our control. I hope to share these experiences that I’ve had through a semi-autobiographical series or film. I hope for the project to shed light on the struggles, the humor, and triumphs of growing up as a male ballet dancer, as well as the lessons I’ve learned from being immersed and learning from other dancers cultures and styles.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would rent out an Air B&B near Venice beach, for me their is a certain warm energy and loving California vibe to the Venice area. I would take them walking along the beach from Venice to Santa Monica. And, of course take them to the best ice cream shop in Los Angeles at Salt & Straw. Although the line might be long, the wait is totally worth it. I would do an early morning hike in Griffith park and take them to the Hollywood sign, where they can see the beautiful view of all the areas of Los Angeles. As an aspiring actor who moved to Los Angeles I really loved doing the Warner Brother’s studio tour, which I thought was so inspiring to see where all the magic happens and where many classic Hollywood films were shot. And, for my dancer friends I would definitely take them to a place downtown, home to one of the greatest dance crews in America called The LOT, where many dancing sessions go down in a parking lot at the corner of 9th and Olive in Downtown LA.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to dedicate my Shoutout first to the University of Southern California and its program at the Glorya Kaufman School of Dance for giving me a place to experiment with all my curiosities. And secondly, to my current drama school in Santa Monica called the Baron Brown Studio, which has made me a deeper, more alive and empathetic human being and artist.

Instagram: @brcarpio21

Image Credits
For the third photo uploaded in Downtown LA, photo credits go to Jet Kwok (@kid.ocean) and Justin Bishop (@justinbishop.world)