Ballet Master Class

Brian's ballet class focuses on expression through musicality, communication, and a working knowledge of the body's mechanics. While using a traditional ballet movement language, he shakes up traditions by creating interesting musical and spatial puzzles for dancers to explore. At all levels, Brian emphasizes the beautiful feeling of dancing to music. In a fifty minute session, dancers can expect a thorough yet quick barre practice of about 25 minutes. Center work includes a lush adagio, pirouette prep, a waltz, and preparatory jumps.

Bio: Brian Lawson is a dance performer and educator. While growing up in Toronto he danced with the Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre. In 2005, he spent a year at Codarts in Rotterdam, and subsequently began his degree at SUNY Purchase. He graduated summa cum laude from Purchase in 2010 with a B.F.A. in dance performance, and received the President's Award in modern dance. After graduating, Brian began working for Pam Tanowitz and John Heginbotham. He was hired as a member of the Mark Morris Dance group in 2011, and had the great pleasure to tour the U.S. and the world performing Morris's dances. Lawson earned his MFA in Dance from the University of Washington in 2020 and has been teaching at Cornish College of the Arts since then. Brian has enjoyed teaching dance to diverse populations and most recently performed in the Merce Cunningham Trust’s international event, Night of 100 Solos.