ARTIST FACULTY | THE DUNHAM LEGACY REVISITED PROGRAM
Briana Reed (St. Petersburg, FL.) began her dance training at The Academy of Ballet Arts under the direction of Suzanne Pomerantzeff, studying Ballet, Jazz and Russian Character. Ms. Reed continued her studies at The Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School under the direction of Reginald Yates. She spent her summers studying at The Ailey School as a scholarship student. These summers studying at The Ailey School broadened her view of dance as a vehicle for expression far beyond making beautiful shapes. During high school Ms. Reed joined Dundu Dole Urban African Ballet under the direction of Jai Hinson, which gave Ms. Reed several opportunities to perform. These performances intensified Ms. Reed’s passion for performing. Ms. Reed received a scholarship to study at The Juilliard School and upon graduation she was accepted into Ailey II. A year later Ms. Reed auditioned and was accepted into The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater where she performed as a Principal Dancer for sixteen seasons. Ms. Reed has performed works by Alvin Ailey, Talley Beatty, Ulysses Dove, Lester Horton, Hans Van Manen and Billy Wilson. She has worked with and performed works by world-renowned choreographers Kyle Abraham, Karole Armitage, Robert Battle, Mauro Bigonzetti, Anthony Burrell, Camille Brown, Ronald K. Brown, Lynn Taylor-Corbett, Donald Byrd, George Faison, Dana Foglia, Rennie Harris, Geoffrey Holder, Judith Jamison, Bill T. Jones, Abdul Latif, Jonathan Lee, Alonzo King, Jaquel Knight, Donald McKayle, Earl Mosley, Ohad Naharin, Benoit Swan Pouffer, Redha, Dwight Rhoden, Matthew Rushing, Twyla Tharp, Shin Wei and Jawole Willa Jo Zollar. Performing with Alvin Ailey has allowed Ms. Reed to tour in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chilé, China, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Israel, Japan, Mexico, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Scotland, Singapore, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad/ Tobago and The UK. In 2010 Ms. Reed was honored to perform at The White House in tribute to Judith Jamison and in 2013 was invited by Mrs. Obama to speak to First Lady Michelle Obama’s mentees of the White House Leadership and Mentoring Initiative at the Kennedy Center. Ms. Reed is also a two time recipient of the Key to the City of St. Petersburg, FL. honored for her work in the performing arts and education. Ms. Reed is an ABT ® Affiliate Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Primary through Level 3 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum and has successfully presented students for examinations, earning her the distinction ABT® Teaching Fellow. Ms. Reed has taught at The Harlem School of the Arts, ballet at The American Ballet Theater JKO School, Steps on Broadway, Steps Youth and master classes for Educational Performance Tours New York. Ms. Reed currently teaches at Steps On Broadway, as an Apollo Teaching Artist, The Institute of American Musical Theater, Platinum National Dance Competition and company classes for Ronald K. Brown’s Evidence, A Dance Company. Ms. Reed is a licensed Gyrotonic instructor and Yoga enthusiast. Ms. Reed has been honored to perform on Good Morning America, ELLEN, she appears in Carmen and Geoffrey a documentary that chronicles the lives of historic African American icons Geoffrey Holder and Carmen de Lavallade, Mercedes Benz Fashion Week for designer Tracy Reese, NETFLIX The Get Down Directed by Baz Luhrmann, MTV VMAS with Beyoncé, and Saturday Night Live. In 2017 Ms. Reed was chosen to show her work at The Camerata New York Dance Festival performed at the Theater at St. Jean NYC. In 2018 Ms. Reed was a cast member of We Are Here, directed by Steven Hogget with music curated by Nile Rodgers, written by Oliver Award winner Michael Wynne, a four week intensive cast collaborative choreographic endeavor performed at La Mama Experimental Theatre Club renamed The Glitter Loft for performances. Ms. Reed choreographed and was the lead actor in a short film titled The Miracle Twerker directed by Nick Minas screened at The Directors Guild and Steiner Studios which was the official selection for several film festivals and awarded the 2019 National Board of Review Grant. Ms. Reed choreographed Tonya Pinkins’ Truth and Reconciliation: Womyn Working It Out, a collection of seven plays written by and about women directed by Tony Award winning actress Tonya Pinkins performed at The Tank NYC. In January of 2021 Ms. Reed started a beaded jewelry company, Briana Reed Beadz, in which she makes custom high vibrational beaded jewelry using precious and semi-precious gemstones. Ms. Reed was Associate Choreographer for Roders & Hammerstein’s Cinderella Directed by Kenny Ingram. Ms. Reed is currently working as choreographer on a production of Bat Boy The Musical at City College New York, Directed by Nick Minas; as well as a social justice focused residency with Western Washington University Dance Department, Director Susan Haines, to be presented January 2023.
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