Photo: Andy Ross

Hometown: I grew up in a rural village called Jerilderie, in NSW Australia

Current city: I am based in Glasgow, UK but work internationally

Age: 39

College and degree: Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School – Victorian Certificate of Education and Dance. I then went on to the Australian Ballet School – Advanced Diploma of Dance.

Website: www.marcbrew.com

How you pay the bills: I am very fortunate that my work as a Dancer, Choreographer, Teacher and Artistic Director pays my bills.

All of the dance hats you wear: Dancer, Choreographer, Teacher, Artistic Director, Speaker/Presenter, Mentor, Collaborator

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Describe your dance life in your….

20s: An unexpected life changer – I moved to South Africa to dance with PACT Ballet. While I was there I was involved in a car accident, which is how I acquired my disability. I have a spinal cord injury, and am paralyzed from the chest down and now use a wheelchair. After re-evaluating what dance meant to me and who could dance, I had to change my own perception of what a dancer is. That led me down the road of exploring my own physicality and how through restriction it can create possibilities. I wasn’t interested in what I couldn’t do but what I could, and I needed to find out more. I went on to retrain with Kitty Lunn at Infinity Dance Theater in New York and was offered a dance artist contract with Candoco in London from 2003 – 2008, the UK’s leading integrated dance company. I re-paved my own career as a disabled dancer and choreographer to then live and work in the UK and to travel internationally. 

30s: I founded my own dance company, Marc Brew Company, after moving to Scotland to work with Scottish Dance Theatre as Associate Director. MBC enables me the platform to make and tour my own work nationally and internationally and to share my creative endeavors through my teachings and collaborations.

Major influences:

Many… when I was a little boy growing up in Jerilderie, and the only boy in the village who danced, I used to love watching Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly movies. When I moved to the city of Melbourne at age 11 to study dance full-time, I learned more about dance history and was influenced by my peers and mentors. Choreographically, I became more influenced from the likes of Nacho Duato, Jiri Kylian, Meryl Tankard, Pina Bausch, Win Vandekeybus, and Wayne McGregor. Lastly and most importantly, my biggest influence has been my Mum.

What is on your calendar for 2017? 

Crazy busy as every year seems to be for me. I start 2017 with some exciting news at AXIS Dance Company, for which I will be creating a new work for the company's home season as part of its 30^th year anniversary. I will also be touring with the company, and I will be spending a total of 9 months of 2017 working for the company. I return to the UK to create a work for the National Youth Dance Company Scotland with music by the Scotland String Quartet. I also create my new work for Marc Brew Company called BREWBAND – Scotland’s new super rock band that blurs the lines between dance and music. BREWBAND premieres in April and will tour in the spring and autumn throughout the UK. I will also be developing a new international UK/Korea collaboration with Art Project Bora, based in Seoul and supported by the British Council.

What do you look for in a dancer?

A dancer who is a collaborator, open, inquisitive, versatile, passionate, has strong technique he/she can throw away and not afraid of doing things differently.

Please pose 3 questions for other choreographers to consider:

1. What do you find to be most challenging about your creative process?
2. How would you best describe or talk about your work in a 1 min elevator pitch?
3. What inspires you to create work?

Advice on finding the balance, as an Artistic Director, between business and artistry:

Try try try try….. I really do try but don’t always succeed, and what makes it difficult is we are passionate and love what we do. I plan my week/day by blocking time for work, artistry and personal time. Time I will be in the office, time in the studio and personal time to have a social life to meet people and to see performances. I’m always making lists…

Last performance you saw that really inspired you:

The most recent time I was inspired was when I watched the Tomer Heymann film Mr Gaga, based on Ohad Naharin, who is one of the most prominent, innovative and productive choreographers in the world. I really felt a connection with him, art, dancers and his story.

Current training and movement practices:

Release based, inclusive practice, improvisation, outdoor work, gyrotonics, swimming, resistive training.

Book recommendations:

The Artist's Way (we all have to do it)

The Creative Habit (Twyla Tharp)

Feelings Are Facts: A Life (Yvonne Rainer)

Final thoughts: Hope/belief/love of the profession:

We are passionate humans who need to connect with people and the world. This is done through our art, so keep on creating and sharing. I believe the talent of success is nothing more than doing what you can do well and doing well whatever you do. Dance for all.

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