Born to Perform: An Interview with Breyanna Oldham

 

Photo Credit: Bee Kent

Breyanna Oldham is a dance artist who currently practices in Vancouver, B.C. She grew up in Kamloops and first tried ballet when she was three. She committed herself to dance at the age of five and began branching out into multiple genres as well as competing at local festivals. Breyanna also danced at her Fine Arts high school. After she graduated, Breyanna moved to Vancouver to become a dance major in the Contemporary Arts program at SFU. She is currently in the third year of her BFA. Breyanna wanted to continue training in hip-hop as well as contemporary, so she joined a competitive hip-hop team called “The Klick” at Studio North in 2020. She has also joined an intensive hip-hop training program called “The Trek” which is run by Jerome and Rina Esplana. Breyanna is a very dedicated dance artist who loves to perform.
 

E: Was Hip-Hop always your favorite style of dance from the beginning?  If not, when did it start becoming your favourite? 

B: Yeah, it wasn’t at first. I never thought of myself as a hip-hop dancer nor did I ever think I could ever pull-off hip-hop. But at the studio that I went to at the time, I got a scholarship that allowed me to take unlimited classes for free so I thought,  “Why don’t I try out hip-hop?” and I loved it, but I was actually so uncomfortable in the beginning. But the teachers I had were so passionate about hip-hop that they made me love it too. When it came to performing, I really loved the style so I continued on with it.  I loved the feeling I got every time I danced it; it’s so different than any other genre.

 

E: How would you describe your personal dance style?

B: I would say maybe urban contemporary? It’s definitely a mix of both contemporary and hip-hop. The way I freestyle when I dance both is very similar. It’s feeling the flow and fluidity in my body and then attaching that to grooving also.

  Photo credit: Bee Kent

E: Could you talk about your creative process when you choreograph in the contemporary and hip-hop genres? 

B: Usually, I have to get inspired by a song first; I feel like song and movement go really well together. If I’m connected to the song, I’m more connected to my movement. From there, I just play the song and use whatever comes out of my body. I have to repeat the song and my choreography multiple, multiple times because I can’t choreograph in silence; it doesn’t work for me. My process has changed since I took Dance composition last semester. I created a project called “offscreen” and that was very different for me. Other than one phrase, the whole project was improvised and I had no song picked out beforehand. The professor, Sophia, opened up a whole new perspective for me when she suggested I use editing as my choreographic process. I had always thought of editing as something to help you paste clips together rather than a choreographic tool. “offscreen” also encouraged me to have an open mind about being spontaneous. 

Link to "offscreen": https://youtu.be/RnfezHZBIc4

     Still from "offscreen" by Breyanna Oldham

E: Why do you dance?

B: Wow, that’s a good question. Sometimes I feel like it gets lost, like I have to go back to my roots and remember “Why did you start this?”. I think I used to dance because it was all I knew and I was comfortable with it. People recognize me as a “dancer”. As cheesy as it sounds, dance is a good way to express myself too. But now, I dance because it can lead me into so many opportunities that I never thought it could. Dance leads you to different connections, people and collaborations. Yes, dancing is the focal point of what you do, but it can connect you into so many different worlds at the same time. 

     Still from "offscreen" by Breyanna Oldham

E: I know that you are both an actress and a dancer so could you talk about how you got into acting and maybe which you enjoy more?

B: Well, I don’t know if I would necessarily call myself an actor (laughs) but we’re trying! All throughout High School my minor was Musical theater. I love performing so that was how I was introduced to acting. One of my biggest goals in moving to Vancouver was to become a dancer in the industry but I needed more experience so I decided to try background acting. I’m now signed with “In-Motion Talent Agency”. Although it’s not exactly what I want, I still get translatable experience working on a set with directors, producers and actors. Besides that, I have also worked with SFU Film students doing short films for fun. 

E: So your end goal isn’t to do acting?

B: Yeah, I would say it’s more of a hobby rather than my end goal. It just gives me more experience and marketability. Performing with a company or dancing in the industry are my biggest goals as of right now. 

                                                               Photo Credit: Bee Kent

E: It can be difficult to stay motivated and feel inspired in the midst of a pandemic; what’s your favourite/most inspirational place?

B: I would say the dance studio in Kamloops. I didn’t grow up in that studio, but it was a place of personal growth and it was where I knew I wanted to continue dancing. That studio is where I draw most inspiration from because it’s owned and managed by my mentor from a young age. And then also the dance studio here, “Studio North”, because it’s the most supportive, welcoming studio I’ve ever been to with amazing dancers who I look up to so much. I never regret taking class because I always leave feeling so inspired by everyone in that room. I know it’s studios and nothing fun like “the beach” or anything…

 

E: (laughs) No, it makes sense because you have experiences tied to them.

B: Yeah!

E: So, what’s next for you in the immediate future?

B: I want to make more dance films; whether it's my choreography or someone else’s. I found a new love for dance and film together and I also think that collaborating with other artists is so much fun and a way to make really good connections. And hopefully performing again soon, because I miss it so much!