Breaking the Wall Podcast

I'd say that a professional dancer might have one or two "big" jobs in their career. While a dance career is fluttered with many different kind of jobs, its rare for a dancer to have one that checks so many of their desires off their list. Sleep No More was that job for me. 

By the end, I performed 10 roles and over 1,200 shows. I left literal blood sweat and tears in that building and loved every moment up to the end.

Performing 6 nights a week is no easy feat but in that space I learned how to be a better performer, cast mate, partner, and leader. 

In this episode, Brandon breaks down his main takeaways from 6 years in Punchdrunk's Sleep No More in NYC. 

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.com/BTWP

Theres a new place to ask Brandon your questions and it's right here in the show notes!

In this episode, Brandon talks about starting your career in your 30s. The question reads: 

"I am starting from square 1 at the age of 34, but I want to give it my all. Is it too late for me? I'm moving to NYC later in the year and was beginning to look into what would be a good training course plan while I'm there. I have ideas but if there are any episodes you recommend I listen to or any advice you'd like to give I'd really appreciate it!"

More in the episode!

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.com/BTWP

The truth is, auditions are set up for magic to happen, not necessarily to show someone at their best. If they were, every audition would be multiple days to show growth and consistency. Unfortunately, the time and money to make that happen just doesn’t exist in our world at the moment.

Although they aren’t my favorite pastime, the reality remains that auditions are the barrier between me and the jobs I want most of the time. Therefore, I have to find a way to make them work for me. Luckily, auditioning is just a skill we need to add to our tool belts.

In this episode, Brandon breaks down the three best practices to get better at auditions:

1. Go to more auditions
2. Use class as a way to practice picking up and performing material quickly
3. Find ways to step out of your comfort zone (new classes, environments, experience)

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.com/BTWP

I love this episode with my friend Omri Drumlevich. Omri and I worked together in Sleep No More for many years. While in the show, I could always count on him for good conversation in the dressing room. While we spent a good portion of our time fighting on stage, he's such a beautiful person that I get to know.

In our conversation we dive into a lot of big ideas about the dance world and how a career progresses over time. This is a great episode for dancers who are just getting their feet wet in their career and also dancers who feel like they are at a turning point in their careers. 

ABOUT OMRI:

Omri Drumlevich is a movement artist, creating dance for the stage and for the screen, currently based in New York City.  

Omri was born and raised in Israel. He began his education in dance at The Jerusalem Academy for Music and Dance High School where he had graduated with honors and shortly after joined Batsheva- The Young Ensemble in 2010. 

Omri danced in Batsheva Dance Company under Artistic Director Ohad Naharin until 2017 where he worked with choreographers Sharon Eyal, Roi Assaf and others, as well as created original works for the company’s dancers in the annual evening ‘Batsheva Dancers Create’. Omri was acting rehearsal director for Batsheva Dance Company in 2021. 

Omri was a guest artist in Princeton University during 2017-2018, through The Israel Institute, where he created his solo performance Far and premiered with it at The Lewis Center for the Arts in December 2017. 

In 2018 he joined the acclaimed off-broadway production of Punchdrunk's Sleep No More playing the leading role of Macbeth, amongst other primary roles. 

Omri was a guest artist at University of Illinois (Champaign- Urbana) in 2019 and a Guest Choreographer at Princeton University in 2020. 

Omri is a senior Gaga instructor and was Artistic Director for Gaga- Labs in Tel Aviv(2017) and New York(2020) and teaches regularly across the US and abroad.

Omri directed, choreographed, and danced in various music videos for award-winning musicians. He presented his work in Curtain Up 2021 at Suzanne Dellal Center, in The Tel Aviv Museum of Modern Art, Tel-Aviv Municipality 'One Moment' festival, Gallim Dance Company’s

SET-LIST, The Krannert Center, and more. 

In 2021 Omri created The Art of Walking Away, an ensemble piece for 8 dancers commissioned by The Ministery of Culture of Israel's Curtain Up 2021 project. 

Omri is currently working o

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.com/BTWP

In this episode, Brandon is sharing his FREE workshop: The Proactive Dancer where he breaks down EXACTLY what he would do if he was starting his over career TODAY.

-- No credits
-- No connections

In the workshop Brandon breaks down five factors that he would be paying attention too:

1. Proximity to the work he wanted to do
2. Where to invest in his career (time + money)
3. Where to build connections and relationships
4. Getting specific about auditions
5. Building your own work and opportunities

Within the episode, Brandon talks about the next round of PROS which is his signature group coaching program for NYC based dancers in their first 1-2 years of a professional career.

Enrollment begins on Tuesday 9/24 and the 10-week program starts on October 1.

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.com/BTWP

I see it time and time again. It's not unusual for a dancer be snubbed from an audition for their schools shows. Is it right? I don't think so. However, it is what it is. Some schools look at it as a reality of the industry and in a way their right.

I think too many dancer's take moments like this a defeat instead of an opportunity to hone their skills and find a place where the do belong.

In this episode, Brandon talks about redefining and refocusing your energy towards your post college life. How can you connect to the work and people who are looking for the skillset you have to offer? 

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.com/BTWP

My first teaching tour was a road trip across the US and I spent more money then I made. I'd like to say the next year was a complete 180 but if anything, it wasn't monetarily much better. However, little did I realize the positive benefits of just taking massive action towards the career I dreamed of.

In this episode, Brandon breaks down exactly how he went from losing money to selling out his US teaching tours.

What were the big turning points?
What made the difference?
What benefits were gained outside of the money aspect?

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.com/BTWP

As professional dancers, were in this industry for the love of it. HOWEVER, we also want to be able to make money to support this love as well.

In this episode, Brandon shares three ideas on how to make $1000 this week. This money could go towards your next creative project or your rent in NYC. The point is, with these ideas, you can offer something you're excited about and make money doing work you love.

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.com/BTWP

When you're looking at summer intensives, it's important that you get specific about what you're looking to gain from them.

Are the expectations you set for the intensive the same ones their offering you?

In this episode, Brandon breaks down how to look at a summer intensive from a birds eye view. He asks 'what does a workshop offer?' and how does that compare to my expectations. Look for workshops that are offering jobs, connection, or skill development.

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.com/BTWP

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.com/BTWP