Brittanie Brown

Growing up I knew I loved to move but it wasn't until the age of twelve that I began my actual formal dance training. A few months after having knee surgery, I started taking ballet classes at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet in Harrisburg and Carlisle Pennsylvania. I continued there for about a year and a half before my mother and I abruptly relocated to Dallas, Texas. I knew I wanted to continue dancing, but without a home or an income at the time, dance training seemed like a fantasy. It wasn't until the day before the last audition that my Mom found out about Booker T.Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, where it was free for in-district students, if accepted. She immediately picked up an application and she stayed up all night searching our boxes and containers for my transcripts and what-not while I wrote a two page paper of why I wanted to attend (not knowing anything about it except that I would be able to dance). From then on, I was accepted and attended Booker T.Washington HSPVA for four years in the Dance Department where I was opened up to many other forms of art.

By my 2nd year, I was informed about a dance program in Fort Worth that was free for Dallas students to attend over the summer. I immediately jumped on this free opportunity to learn, not knowing the doors that it would open up for me. It was at the Imagination Celebration's Debbie Allen Program in Fort Worth that I learned for the first time, tap, jazz, hip hop, flamenco, and many other forms of dance. I had no idea that at the end of the program Debbie Allen herself would come and select a few students to attend her program in LA on scholarship. I cried that entire day when my name was called as one of the selected students. Never had I thought I would get the chance to go to LA and dance with Mrs. Allen and the many other talented students, especially at my age and financial status.

From then on many more doors opened for me through my association with Imagination Celebration that I never thought possible. Through these doors my aspirations only got bigger as one door lead to the next. I am now in my 3rd year at The Juilliard School in New York and have traveled around the states dancing.When I first began at the age of 12, I never thought that from moving to Texas I would have the opportunity to dance in LA, attend the Alvin Ailey School in New York, and Alonzo King's Lines Ballet School in San Francisco and now attend one of the most prestigious Conservatory's, all on full scholarship. I was also honored to receive a Silver Award from the NFAA Young Arts Program as well at the title of Presidential Scholar in the Arts.

Imagination Celebration is truly a celebration of the things that you can do if you imagine. If it weren't for this program, I don't think that I would have gotten the opportunity not only to grow in my field of art, but also as a person. Imagination Celebration has taught me to have faith and determination towards my goals as well as the discipline to remain focused despite any obstacles. I hope to continue my journey in dance and eventually tour through Europe in a professional contemporary dance company while aspiring other young artists on the way.

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