Today we’d like to introduce you to Clarence Brooks.
Clarence, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
That I had a full dance career and have come this far is amazing considering that I did not start dancing training until I was twenty (20) years old! During those first two decades, I worked with more than fifty (50) American companies as a concert repertory dancer. This was possible because there were few males in the field – equal parts being in the right place at the right time, homophobia and the stigma about males in dance, and the onslaught of the HIV/AIDS pandemic which devastated the field. A severe back injury while in my twenties sidelined me and almost ended my career. I have lived or worked in all but nine (9) states and toured Western Europe and South Korea.
I am an Associate Professor and Director of Dance at Florida Atlantic University. I started the Dance Program in 2004 after a hiatus of seven (7) years. My FAU career began as a Visiting Assistant Professor, Assistant Professor, and now Associate Professor. I taught at Bak Middle School of the Arts for six (6) years after graduate school at the University of Washington (Seattle) prior to coming to FAU. FAU has a student and a faculty dance company: Dances We Dance performs in the spring and Repertory Dance Theatre Ensemble is in the fall. RDTE, the faculty company, has been invited to perform in curated venues from Miami to Boston. While I am the only full-time dance faculty, there are roughly two hundred students involved in the program; ten (10) students minoring in dance; and three (3) permanent dance adjuncts.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I consider myself a concert repertory dancer as opposed to a Broadway gypsy, backup dancer, etc. I hire myself out to choreographers/companies to learn and perform their repertoire. I believe I have performed the works of over 120 choreographers in ballet, modern, jazz, and other dance genres. In the vast majority of cases, I worked directly with the choreographer of the dance(s).
I am currently 58 years old and still performing. Breaking the ageism ceiling in the field of dance is one of my Foci. Last spring, a New York-based company invited me to dance in both of their New York concert series – March and May. As a result of those performances this fall I am performing in the New York City area with three (3) different companies. And, even more excitingly, the Library of Congress has requested a solo for their Dances at the Library of Congress Series in Washington, DC in April.
As an artist, how do you define success and what quality or characteristic do you feel is essential to success as an artist?
“Do what you can while you can with what you’ve got” is my guiding theme. A performing artist’s career, especially, a dancer’s career can end abruptly due to an injury or illness. I have been fortunate to have recuperated and learned from all of my injuries. I am equally grateful to be moving at a high level of activity and having choreographers interested in creating works for me and seeing my interpretations of their work.
One of my first teachers said to me “Remember everyone you meet on the way up the ladder of success, you will meet on your way down.” I appreciate and am humbled by the tremendous experiences I have had (dancing at the Paris Opera, The Joyce Theatre, and Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival; meeting celebrities like John Travolta, Charles Durning, John Denver; studying with the individuals who created dance; etc.) but I know full well that these are but fleeting moments, like flashes of a paparazzi’s light, and then a faded, fading memory, a blip.
Smiling is a condition I am trying to spread. It is cheap and infectious. I like creating a safe, constructive, positive learning environment. After all, there is more life in a tropical rainforest than in an arid desert. If I want dancers to thrive, to grow, to develop, then I must supply an atmosphere conducive to growing, developing – a nurturing space.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
The Repertory Dance Theatre Ensemble, the resident professional company I founded in 2005, performs locally in its home theatre at FAU, the University Theatre (777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL 33431).
Following me on IG is another way to see and support the work that I do.
Contact Info:
- Address: Florida Atlantic University777 Glades RoadBoca Raton, FL 33431
- Website: http://www.fau.edu/artsandletters/theatre/our-faculty/hp-brooks-c/
- Phone: 561.358.9927
- Email: cbrook20@fau.edu
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/clbdreadeddancer/
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