Anthony Lee Bryant and Nayomi Van Brunt rehearse at L.A. Dance Project's studio in downtown Los Angeles.
He’s one of the rare people who can say ‘I want to work on two films and choreograph three ballets, and open a space, and create a residency program and the ‘ands’ just keep going, and going and going.L.A. Dance Project still receives the majority of its funding from touring, corporate sponsors and private donors outside L.A., but that’s changing as the company has focused on establishing a deeper connection to the city.
One of his biggest hurdles in the role, though, was addressing the lack of diversity at the company, he said. “I very much got pushback at the idea that I thought everybody shouldn’t look the same.“I was told it gave the company strength,” he added. “That was a very disconcerting thing to deal with, especially since I didn’t have the power to hire.”