Brian Friedman: Mastering the Universe One Career at a Time
Brian Friedman has taken the world by storm. He embodies the term, “jack of all trades,” but is a true master of all. Friedman's background in dance is the foundation that allows him to branch out into other aspects of the entertainment business. Not only is Friedman an accomplished dancer and choreographer, but he has also found success as a fashion designer, art director, and producer. In addition to choreographing for artists like Britney Spears, Mya, NSYNC, Usher, Pink and Beyonce, he has graced both big and small screens through appearances as himself and as quirky, dancing characters. However, he is most proud of his achievements in teaching and mentoring thousands of young dancers while touring with dance competitions and conventions throughout the nation.
You may recognize Friedman from some of his most popular film and television credits, including "You Got Served," "Uptown Girls," "Newsies" and recent judging gigs in the United States on "So You Think You Can Dance" and in the United Kingdom on "Grease is the Word." “I actually left 'So You Think You Can Dance' to go to the United Kingdom and do the reality show "Grease is the Word." [The producers] were finding the West End cast of Danny and Sandy. It was a few weeks after judging "Grease is the Word" that Simon Cowell asked me to do 'The X-Factor.'” As creative director, he explains, he “oversees the aesthetic departments, hair, makeup, wardrobe and set design for example. These are just a few of the creative places you can go from having a background in dance. That’s part of the beauty of dance in general, is that there is so much you can do with your career. Just being a dancer and having to speak through your body is a big gift and with that creativity alone, you can do many things.”
No matter where his career takes him, Friedman’s first passion will always be dance. “I refuse to stop dancing,” he exclaims. “When I have downtime I love taking class. I took two classes last week, basic jazz and tap. It’s important to keep yourself in it even when not doing it as career.” When asked about the future of dance on television and the role that dance has taken in reality TV, specifically over the past couple of years, he responds, “I think it's beautiful that reality TV is bringing so much awareness to the country about dance. I love knowing that people who wouldn’t necessarily have known about dance, now do. A lot of people don’t think of dancing as a sport...but because of these television shows, now they do. The dance community has gained a lot of respect from the rest of the country because of these shows, so we need to be thankful”. He also makes it clear that he is not a fan of all reality television. “Now, don’t get me wrong,” he adds, “There is a lot of bad reality TV out there, but I think that if you are going to be involved in it at all, there should be an art learned and the shows like "So You Think You Can Dance," do that.”
Brian Friedman
Photo: Lee Cherry
Regardless of his dynamic resume, the projects that remain closest to Brian’s heart are the initiatives that he is spearheading to inspire and empower young, up and coming dancers, including the The Pulse (http://www.thepulseontour.com/) and choreographing for Macy’s Passport, an event that just celebrated its 25th year of bringing together the best of both the dance and fashion worlds to combat HIV/AIDS and to raise money for awareness and education initiatives worldwide. Last year alone, Macy’s Passport raised over 27 million dollars. Through his involvement with Macy’s Passport, Friedman hopes to bring consciousness and realization about the realities of the HIV/AIDS pandemic to audiences worldwide.
“As far as choreography goes, I’ve done film, TV and everything there is to do, but now I’m doing things that I choose to do, everything to give back and create. And aside from choreography and dance, I’m heading into writing and production. I want to get back on screen either as a judge, co-host or executive producer.”
Friedman is collaborating with some of the biggest names in the dance and entertainment worlds to provide dancers with opportunities for performances and success.
“Mia Michaels, Broadway Dance Center and I started The Pulse because we wanted to create something very different from the regular dance competition and convention scene,” he explains. “I grew up in the dance competition culture. It made me a strong competitor, and I was able to get what I wanted out of it because it wasn’t about "winning", it was about doing my best. Healthy competition is necessary because it teaches you to fight, but, I’ve sat in, doing competitions as a teacher and judge and I don’t believe in it.”
“The Pulse is different from other competitions because we do a showcase where we allow studios to choose the dance that they want to present... there is no fee to participate in the showcase if you are involved in the workshops. We give students the chance to get on stage and perform for the reasons that they should, to enjoy themselves. There are no awards at the end, everyone is there to build each other up and we give out tons of scholarships throughout the course of the workshops. We don’t want to do the same thing where it’s the same three people getting awards in every city. There is a lot to be learned at the convention/competition circuit and we're changing things up a little and hoping to see the benefit in producing well rounded honest and not cut throat competitors. We want dance to be an art.”
In addition to his work with Macy’s Passport and The Pulse, Friedman has recently premiered his new shoe line called The BFree Elite by Frontline (http://frontlinedance.com).
“I’m creating and designing a new shoe for a new era”, he explains. “It makes me proud to go out there and see these kids wearing my product line.” Fans can definitely expect many more new shoe designs along with a full clothing line to be available soon at Capezio and other stores throughout the country.
When asked to share with Dancer Magazine some of the tips that have made him a powerhouse today, Friedman was happy to offer important advice to dancers and dance instructors.
“Teachers. This is a big one for me… I think it’s important for dance teachers to not teach [what] they aren’t knowledgeable about themselves. I’ve seen a lot of dancers without ample training because [of this]. That doesn’t necessarily mean you can do everything yourself, but you need to know the right techniques. You need to broaden your own dance skills and vocabulary. You need to create well rounded dancers. The more skills that your dancers have, the better their chances are of getting work as a dancer. There is just so much out there and make sure to soak it all in."
“Dancers. You need to realize that it is art, but you also need to think of it as a business. I made it to this place because I had great business role models. It is constant work and not just a 9 to 5... I’m always thinking where to go next. Dance is half show and half business... If you only think of one you will only be doing 50% of what you should do. Dancers need to know that if you want to make this your lifetime career there is money available in it... you need to break the stereotype that there is no money in dance. There is lot of work. Don’t be scared. If you want to dance and take the dream, take it as far as it can go.”
Friedman stresses the abundance of career opportunities that are open to dancers who are willing to strive for the best. “There are so many places that you can go from dancing. I’ve seen people become anything from stylists to make-up artists just by having a dance foundation... it’s a great starting point!”
For more information on Brian Friedman and his dance fashion line, be sure to check him out online at http://www.brianfriedmanfreestyle.com/