Today we’d like to introduce you to Madelaine Burnett.
Madelaine, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I grew up in British Columbia, Canada, dancing for as much of my life as I can remember. I always dreamed of becoming a professional dancer, and eventually, at age 18, I took my biggest leap yet and moved to New York City.
There, I worked harder than I ever had before, pushing my body to the extreme and delving into my artistic development at a whole new level. I refined and honed my skills, learning from New York’s experts in the field, such as dancers from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, the Martha Graham Dance Company, and Paul Taylor American Modern Dance.
My dream came true when I was hired by Graham 2, the iconic modern dance founder Martha Graham’s second company. I performed soloist Graham roles, including the Woman in Yellow from Diversion of Angels, Mary from El Penitente, and many more; my favourite of all was the principal Graham role of the Pussycat in Owl and the Pussycat.
My next Graham performance was to be at one of the most celebrated dance venues, New York City Center, but unfortunately, the 2020 pandemic hit and devastated all live performances. I spent the pandemic in my hometown, bringing NYC’s modern dance influences back to Canada through teaching and choreographing at my home studio of Deas Island Dance.
Determined, I found my way back to the New York stage as quickly as possible post-lockdown. In the last years, I have danced as a soloist dancer with Alison Cook Beatty Dance, the 10-year-old modern dance company whose credits include national news features as well as high recognition and grants by the New York State Council on the Arts, the New York Department of Cultural Affairs, and more. Additionally, I performed as the feature dancer in Secret NYC’s major Halloween event, House of Spirits. I also partake in interdisciplinary arts projects, including major music videos and photography, with the purpose of outreach and education.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Pursuing a career as a professional dancer is forever an uphill battle. It takes an incredible amount of determination and self-discipline to succeed. The hardest moment of my career so far has been the pandemic. In this time, countless dancers in my circle alone gave up on their dreams. It felt crazy to fight for a career that was basically swept from existence during that time, with no idea how long live performance would be on hold. Being at such a height in my career with Graham 2 when the pandemic hit, I was devastated but determined to keep myself ready to jump back on the stage at a moment’s notice. I continued to refine my technique through Zoom training from New York. Being on west coast time, this meant that I was dancing from 7 am-10 am every day, all alone in a dance studio or my living room. I cannot say that my passion was much help in carrying me through these 14 months because there were no performances nor opportunities to work towards. I just knew that I had to keep dancing to the best of my ability, and in hindsight, I feel proud of my perseverance during this difficult time. If I had not persisted, my last few years of opportunities and all of my future contract offers would not have been opportunities available to me.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a professional dancer! I perform ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary and theatre dance, but I am most proficient and passionate about modern dance. I am proud to have performed works by iconic modern dance choreographers Martha Graham, Paul Taylor, and more.
I have been recognized for using these founding techniques to propel the dance industry of today. I share globally relevant messages through dance, as I have done in Buglisi Dance Theatre’s 9/11 Table of Silence Project, as well as through Alison Cook Beatty Dance’s work, Echoes of War, where I danced to honour victims of the ongoing war in the Europe, and many more. I pride myself on dancing for outreach and global betterment, whether this be in expressing political statements through my work or in uniting communities.
What’s next?
I aspire to continue using art for betterment. Dance has the ability to honour diversity in the most human of ways, and it has the ability to reconnect us with our humanity. In the toughest of times, we turn to arts. I want to educate and unite communities by expressing myself through the language we all speak – the expression of the body.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://madelaineburnett1.wixsite.com/dance
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddsthebads/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MulBMbC6WjY
Image Credits
SDFmedia
Nir Arieli
Frank Fumelli
Ronald Lee
