A life in motion and stillness …
information and biography,
dance clips,
past and present teachers.
Jamaican-born David Brown
Photo by Roy Volkmann
The underpinnings of the work in my studio date back to an early memory of “doing” yoga with my mother in Jamaica. I sensed, in the consciousness of a child, that we don’t just use our bodies, we actively direct and shape its movement. It was a moment of powerful understanding.
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In my early career I began in the chorus of the Martha Graham Dance Company as a dolphin, crawling across the stage floor of the MET, as my first entrance onto the stage. I later became principal dancer in the Martha Graham Company, dancing lead roles in her classic repertoire, Cave of the Heart, Night Journey, and Errand into the Maze. Miss Graham also created three leading roles for me.
In 19—- I co-founded the Monte/Brown Dance Company, one of the most successful, traveled American dance companies. The Company, known for its powerful, controlled energy and athleticism, continues to create work, performing in over 50 countries. My work as a dancer and choreographer was an essential training ground for my subsequent work as a teacher of body movement.
When I was 18, I helped found The Pavlychenko Studio. Nadia Pavlychenko was deeply insightful and ahead of her time in her understanding of how to be skillfully in the body. In subsequent years I have studied, taught and worked with the principles of Pilates, Gyrotonic, Tai Chi, and Yoga.
These disciplines have contributed to the tenets of BodyReCode Technique, a transformative approach to how we live in and use our bodies. The method is original and intensive. It requires concentration and commitment. The result is deep internal strength, balance, stability, increased range of motion, and endurance. It is deeply satisfying to see both the reach and the value of the work as it is used by my students. The work is very simple, yet requires developing sustained attention.
I focus on helping people to live fully and pain-free in the body over the long term. To do so, with skill, means being open to the wisdom of our bodies. If we are mindful and barring accidents or serious illness, we can train and foster a strong, resilient, flowing body throughout our lives.
I now live and work in my studio in Hudson, N.Y. On handcrafted machines, I continue to develop the principles of BodyRecode, working with a diverse group of people, representing a variety of body issues, including traumatic brain injuries, stroke, Parkinson’s, paralysis, pain, and the myth of old age.
A LIFE IN MOTION
TEACHERS PAST AND PRESENT
In a life spent learning about the body, I have had the good
fortune to study with extraordinary mentors and teachers:
Click on images to read David’s description of his teachers.