Brittanee Bailey

I first saw the dynamic Brittanee Bailey in a production of The Wild Party and have followed her career as both a choreographer and performer. Most recently Brittanee was burning up the stage in the featured role of Pilar in Garland Summer Musicals Legally Blonde. If you’ve ever seen the triple threat Brittanee perform, you will know why I nicknamed her the “Queen of Moves” and now you can learn some of Brittanee’s moves for yourself in one of her dance classes. Take a moment or two to find out more about the ball of energy known as Brittanee Bailey.

When was your first time on stage?

My first time on stage was my freshman year in my high school's spring show. I was on my drill team/dance team in high school, and we would put on a spring show at the end of the year. It was a series of dances we created, and each spring show would have a theme. I was incredibly nervous then, but it always felt like from that point on anytime I got on stage a switch would flip inside of me and I would just be completely immersed in the moment.

When did you know you wanted to be an actor?

Honestly, I kind of just fell into acting. When it came down to speaking in public, I've always had this crazy fear of it. You could get me to dance in front of millions of people before you could get me to speak, let alone act. I've known since I was eleven that I wanted to be a choreographer, not really having a full understanding of what that was at the time. I found out I could act when I was nineteen.... which was awesome. I was like "who knew"!

 Who is your greatest mentor?

I've been influenced by a lot of things I would say. My non-living mentor would be Bob Fosse. I don't know what it is about his work that speaks to me so loudly. My living mentor would be Paula Morelan. She was my first Ballet teacher. She's always been very stern but maintained a lot of grace. She's become way more than just my teacher over the years. She's become a second mother to me and a lot of students that have crossed her path. She's a special lady.

 What role have you enjoyed the most in your career so far?

 It would have to be the role of Tinker bell when I did Pete: A New Dance Musical with Dark Circles Contemporary Dance. That was an amazing experience.

 Do you have a dream role?

 I don't have a dream role. My dream is to create something beautiful through movement.

What person(s) would you like to be on stage with?

Hmmmmmm......that's hard. It's between Bruno Mars and Beyonce. Really, I just want to collaborate with them, I don't have to be on stage with them. Sia as well. People that I know, it would have to be Ania Lyons. We have yet to dance together! We've worked together but we've never performed together. 

 What performances have you seen that impressed you?

Newsies came to the Winspear some years back and I never forgot that performance. That was the first and only time I saw dancers do fouettés on newspapers. I lost it!!!

What are your career goals?

I want to choreograph and create visual art for the next couple of years. It could be Broadway/stage or film. Eventually I would like to have a performing arts school. I would like to be a philanthropist and investor of other things, but I want that to happen when I've retired from the performance world.

 What would people be surprised to learn about you?

I was not born in America. I was born in Wurzburg, Germany. I am an army brat.