“The beauty of Contemporary is that it’s everything mixed.” As he said in our exclusive MILKFEVER DANCE interview, Brandon Gray’s original dance video showcases his solid ballet foundations in traditional Vaganova method, incorporating diverse elements to create movements that have an impact on the audience. He continues, “So it’s like you’re also getting your hip-hop training, you’re also getting your ballet training, your modern training, so now I’m doing more like TV and things like that.” Born in Maryland, Brandon has been dancing since age 13, starting out at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington D.C. He then continued his well-rounded dance education, training with Charles Augins, Katherine Smith, Melvin Deale, Treanna Alexander, and Nikki Sutton-Mackey, and was a part of Darnese Wilkerson’s first Summer Dance Experience in 2012 at the Atlas Theater. He also attended The Ailey School Scholarship Program.
During his time at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, he performed in productions of Black Nativity, The Ailey School’s Roof Breaking Ceremony, The Hudson Yard’s New York unveiling choreographed by Matthew Rushing, as well as Alvin Ailey’s Memorial at The Kennedy Center and New York City Center with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Brandon also received is the DC-Capital Scholarship and attended Towson University.

He has been with his current company, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, for five seasons. Complexions Contemporary Ballet was founded in 1994 by Alvin Ailey alumni Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson, with the aim of promoting diversity, inclusivity, love, and equality through reinventing contemporary ballet through mixing dance styles, methods, and cultures. This is important to Brandon, who has been a part of podcasts on topics of racial and gender equality, acting as a voice and example for others to continue his goal of representation for all young men to be exactly who they want to be, no matter what.

 
At the same time, Brandon has been very successful in his varied career outside of the Complexions Contemporary Ballet, appearing in television shows and commercials including “Halston” on Netflix, (directed by Ryan Murphy), a Gap commercial that was also shown in Times Square, US Open commercial for 2021 on ESPN, etc. also appearing as a brand ambassador and model for GAP, MCM Worldwide, Patrick Church, and the Buoy Collective.

 
About his success, Brandon says, “Yes, I’m doing great big amazing things. But it’s like I’ve gotten to the place where I’m constantly trying to learn, so yes, these feel like great things, but also every time I do them I’m picking something up, new, for myself.”

From our exclusive interview, it is clear that Brandon understands at a deep level what it truly means to be a ballet dancer, namely, to keep a positive attitude about himself while staying humble to always keep learning, and that he has chosen to live with a open minded outlook, free from narrow categories.