Time Out New York sat with promising young dancer Yannick Leburn o talk about his career with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
When asked by Time Out's Gia Kourlas about how he got his start Lebrun took her to where it all began for the International dancer.
Yannick Leburn:
" I was born in Cayenne, the capitol-the only French department in South America. It's the smallest little country in South America that nobody knows about, but that we can clearly see. It's between Brazil and Suriname. I started dancing when I was nine as the only boy with all these girls around me-looking at me like, Oh my God, that's not usual to see a young man dancing like that. My cousin invited me to one of her dance competitions. I was blown away. I always loved moving and dancing; growing up in South America, it's part of the tradition and the culture, but to gain technique was very interesting to me. I wanted to do that."
Also a ballet dancer with the company Lebrun opened up how he felt about doing the dainty art form.
Yannick Lebrun:
"Ballet was something I didn't want to do at first. I wanted to do jazz and modern and to try hip-hop. Jeanine Verin, my dance teacher, looked at me and my mom-this was in 1995-and said, "You have to start with ballet. Ballet will help you find that freedom in other techniques." She was right. I had to start with ballet even though I had to hear people laughing at me or questioning why I was dancing."
Lebrun when asked about how he became involved in the Alvin Ailey School he said.
Yannick Lebrun:
"Denise Jefferson was a judge for the dance competition that after my cousin did, I did. For seven years! From '97 to 2004. They are organized by a French committee; so all people who win the first prize in their category go to France to compete with all the French kids in the national competition. She came to the one in French Guiana as a judge, and she was like, Oh my goodness, I have to give him a chance. He has the facility. He might not have all of the facility, but he has the potential to at least try it out for a summer program."
Lebrun in his 20s was asked about if it is difficult to train in different dance styles he said
Yannick Lebrun:
"No, because I started that when I was a little boy. The culture helped me be that way. I was versatile when I was young. Listening to the drums and dancing to those beats and then having to be in the ballet studio and then doing jazz. My teacher invited contemporary teachers from Paris. There were connections with France and teachers, and they came and taught workshops. As a little boy, I got so many styles."
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