Since finishing in the Top 8 of “So You Think You Can Dance” Season 18, Braylon Browner has continued to carve out a dynamic presence both on and off the stage. Currently a sophomore at University of Southern California’s Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, he’s balancing teaching opportunities at conventions and studios across the country with a growing online fanbase. His improvisational videos, often filmed in Kaufman’s sun-drenched studios, have become viral highlights on Instagram and TikTok. “People message me all the time to say how healing my videos have been for them,” Browner says. “I think they’re drawn to the authenticity of it.”
Browner’s dancing is a unique blend of spontaneity and control, transitioning from intricate floorwork to textbook pirouettes with ease. His social media platforms also serve as a video diary, documenting his process of exploring and expanding upon choreographic phrases. As Browner continues to work toward his degree at USC Kaufman, he has no plans to stop sharing videos of his dancing—but he understands the responsibility that comes with such a platform. “I’m surrounded by such talented people at Kaufman, and I constantly have ideas to feed off of. It’s really inspiring to take choreography that resonates with you and play with it enough that it fully becomes your own.”
Photo by Julia Rose, Courtesy Browner.
Eternal Evolution
“In a recent class, Spenser Theberge said to us that you need to be allergic to the idea of ‘done.’ This mentality has helped my creative process so much—a finished product is great, but what if it could just always be evolving? It’s allowed me to create from a place of no pressure.”
Normalizing Off Days
“It would be dishonest to say that I love dance every single day, and that’s something I want to share with my audience. It may look like I have a perfect relationship to this art form, but there are days that I don’t—and that’s normal.”
Cutting the Cameras
“When I book studio time with the intention of filming, I always make sure to dance without a camera rolling for at least a few minutes before and after. It’s the most healing part for me. If I’m constantly filming just to capture that perfect moment of footage to post, I’m not growing—I’m just tearing down my self-esteem for no reason.”
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