‘Beaming’ Colouring the Browne world:
WITH A musician as a father and a vocal queen as a mother, it was no surprise that Sodanne Browne came out pivoting on her toes. “I grew up around music, and apparently I was dancing from I was in my mother’s womb, as I used to kick to the beat of the music when she was on stage singing,” the 33-year-old recalled with a laugh. Enrolled into Vaz Preparatory where dance was on the curriculum, Browne was introduced to the rhythmic movement of dance and seemed to have been in the right place. In fourth form in high school, she started dancing at In Motion Dance and Fitness Centre, where she received formal training and realised the complexity and glee of dance. When it came to a choice in tertiary studies, there was no doubt that School of Dance at the Edna Manley College of Visual and Performing Arts was the institution to build the passionate woman into a professional dancer. With full support from her family, Browne could not imagine her life without dance, and went after her diploma in dance, theatre and production, to solidify her love of the craft. After her three years of study, Browne went back to In Motion, but this time as a primary teacher and the founder of their Teachers Dance Group – Pro Moves’. This was just the start to her journey with dance as in 2009, she decided to pursue her bachelor’s degree in dance, choreography and performance while continuing her daily routine of teaching, dancing and choreographing.
CREATION OF B.E.A.M JAMAICA
When the members of Pro Moves went their separate ways, Browne had full knowledge and confidence in what she wanted to do next. She wanted to unearth Browne Entertainment, Arts and Media (B.E.A.M) Jamaica – a dance company that embodies the diversity of technique and the style of choreography while allowing its dancers to master a number of styles.
“BEAM is like my child. We officially started in 2014, but have been performing with the same people for 11 years,” she told Flair. “We’re a family and a strong unit.”
Dancing was not a conscious decision for Browne. She was born to move and create; this, however, did not make her life any easier.
“To be a dancer, it is physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually demanding. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I remember being in the studio bawling because I had to do a class and either my body was sore or I was frustrated because I had a paper to write. You have to really love it to stick to it and excel at it,” she explained.
Though there were many sleepless nights and puffy eyes, Browne shares that it was all worth it. “When you become the type of dancer that you need to be to excel, you see the greatness in the struggles.”
Browne, who tries to balance her life as a choreographer, dancer and entrepreneur, says that without the help of some great teachers like Arsenio Andrade, Honore Van Ommeren, Barry Moncrieffe and Suzanne Mahfood, her experiences would not have been the same. Because of them, Browne is able to colour the world, one B.E.A.M at a time.