Meet Briony Albert | Dancer and Choreographer

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

Hi Briony, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
The dance industry is constantly changing; one minute you are at home mopping the floor, the next you are out on a world tour! The thought of booking a holiday in two months time with the prospect of missing out on an audition or job sends me out in hives! When I see other dancers on holiday, I automatically assume they are extending their job or on a job itself. When I actually see that someone is on holiday the first thing that comes to mind is, “oh that’s brave if you”. I think it’s just engraved in us from an early stage in our career that you have to be in it to win it. And now, even if you aren’t on a job, you’ve still got to think about getting a good shot for, “the gram”! When I was in London during the pandemic, there was a job opportunity for Lady Gaga in LA, which meant I’d have to quarantine in Mexico for two weeks before I could get let back into America and have to do the same in the way back to be let back into London. A month of sacrifice for one day of work! We live eat and breathe what we love, the balance is in the small moments, the sitting at home and cleaning your house, the waiting and making the most of your time and a little bit of force!
It doesn’t change for me, I enjoy the anticipation, the not knowing, I like change, I like new opportunities, I like knowing that a huge opportunity is just around the corner. That is what I thrive off of. And I occasionally allow myself to go on holiday, after a little bit of squirming!!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Dance is found in every corner of our world, from a mating ritual, to a cultural celebration and even a drunk release in a kebab shop on a Saturday night in Newcastle. There are no rules and there is no apology needed. Dance is what I do, but somewhere along the line when we make it into a profession, a number of rules and trends come out to play and it becomes a whole different kettle of fish.
I want to make people look the best they can be, while enabling them to remain in their creative expression.
When training new and existing professional dancers of today, I love to see a plan come together. When someone is struggling in an area and has had a light bulb moment, it makes everything worth it. I am at a level now where I can teach from the perspective of a dancer with the experiences I’ve had on stage. I can also give my view from the other side of the camera and the psychological thought process that goes into making a choice between one dancer and the next. If I knew half the things I do now when I was auditioning, I’d have been 10 steps ahead of everyone else. This is how I came to create my dance intensive called The Experiment Intensive. I fill it up with knowledge and practices that add an edge to ourselves as a product. We spend so much time wanting to book and then when we do, we don’t think about how easy it is not to do a great job. We want to be able to adapt and deal with the pressures of productions and tv, which in turn leads us to direct bookings and no more part time job! All of this should be done in an environment that leaves us still enjoying our love of dance. Ultimately it should bring us freedom but in a new and extraordinary way.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Outdoor yoga at Runyon canyon in the morning among the palm trees and the sunshine.

I absolutely love downtown. Plenty of incredible rooftop bars, restaurants, shops, markets, pop ups.

I’d hire a bike and cycle along the LA river and stop off at spoke’ cafe for a coffee and breakfast burrito.

Abbott Kinney is a great spot for lunch, stopping in style and finding some trendy gems.

LaLaLand in Santa Monica is an amazing place to grab your coffee and sit outside. It has some lovely shops nearby too.

Goodwill is a must if you like second hand hunting of clothes, art and bric-a-brac

Getting the train. Yes, there is a train, it’s amazing to sit in it and read a book or edit my videos as I head to the beach. It saves you getting stuck in traffic and it takes you right to Santa Monica’s door.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
This is a shout-out to my friend Danielle Christie, who injected some spunk and inspiration in my life. I’d never met someone as self assured, unapologetic, unrestricted and passionate in all that she did. She rubbed off on me and showed me a new perspective. To her I will be forever grateful.

Website: Www.Brionyalbert.com

Instagram: @theexperimentintensive @brionyalbert

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