BACKSTAGE with Courtney Brené Corbin
I want to be a dancer..."I want to float on air and look beautiful." That was Courtney Brené Corbin's dream from childhood. She started her pursuit of that dream at the school for Ballet Oklahoma under the direction of Bryan Pitts and then at the School of Nashville Ballet in Tennessee. Summer programs at Pacific Northwest Ballet School, Houston Ballet Academy and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School further nurtured that dream. In her junior year in high school, through a friend, Courtney was introduced to the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and a whole new experience took shape. She spent two summers studying in their intensive program. Her audition consisted of a class in the Graham technique and it was a first for her. Denise Jefferson, Director of the Ailey School, helped guide her through the process and Courtney was surprised to find out that an audition on pointe was not a requirement.
As a recent high school graduate, the Ailey program offered an additional perk, a college education. Teamed with Fordham University, qualifying students can earn a BFA degree while pursuing a professional dance career and this fit Courtney's plans for her future. Her family supported her in her choice of a career but were also very much in favor of a college education. Ailey/Fordham fit the bill. In her junior year of university study, Courtney was invited to join Ailey II, the training ground for the main company. It gave her excellent preparation for what was to come later. The dancers work very hard and tour the smaller cities. Sylvia Waters, Director of Ailey II, puts them through their paces not only learning the company's repertory but teaches them the ropes of a professional career, giving them tips on everything including how to apply stage make-up.
A regular college atmosphere prevails, with students living in the Fordham dorms and professors demanding full attention to academic studies in spite of the focus on a career in dance. After four years of hard work Courtney garnered a BFA degree in Dance and a year later, a contract with the main company, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. The company, to this day follows the direction of its founder. Mr. Ailey's vision is carried on by his main muse Judith Jamison. She always says ...this is what Alvin wanted and gives artistic guidance while letting the dancers be who they are within the choreography. Renee Robinson, an original Ailey company member, has been a very strong mentor for Courtney. Two works that she especially loves to dance are Portrait of Billie choreographed by John Butler and Alvin Ailey's The River. She says "Billie is very theatrical, expressing the character of Billie Holiday and The River brings her back to her ballet roots." The many different styles demanded by an eclectic group of choreographers can be difficult on the body but Courtney's basic ballet training helps keep her fit. She has been lucky not to have had any serious injuries and keeps in shape by eating a well balanced diet, doing Pilates, floor barre and meditation. In her free time, Courtney enjoys a night out with the girls and admits to being a shopaholic with a special fondness for shoes. She also loves to travel...she wouldn't pass up a holiday in such diverse places as Paris or Miami.
Courtney would tell young dancers hoping for a professional career "that no matter what anyone tells you follow your dream, stay positive and focused." As for her future plans, she would like the Ailey Company to be her permanent base but would not turn down guest appearance offers, especially with Alonso King's Lines Contemporary Dance Company or perhaps a guest appearance with a company in Europe. With an eye on the future, along with her full schedule of performances, she is pursuing a Masters Degree in Marketing from the University of Phoenix, on line. Courtney says "I am amazed that I actually became a professional dancer." With an outstanding career in a major company and a college degree, she has set an example for dancers to now follow in her footsteps...she has done it all!