I am Brian Andrews and I am a teacher, dancer singer and mentor.
After a career in theatre that included nearly 6000 performances on Broadway and touring nationally, I find myself at home in the classroom teaching the craft to the current and next generation of performers.
I grew up in Peoria Illinois USA, first training in gymnastics at D and D studios, as soon found my home at two thriving community theaters that are still in existence today- Peoria Players Theater and Corn Stock theater. That led to more serious dance training with Mr. Jack Slater, Mr. Don Coven, Ms. Joanne McLeod and Ms. Lizann O’Donnell with frequent side trips to Chicago for classes with Lou Conte at Hubbard Street Dance and Ellis Du Boulay school of ballet, where they told me, rather condescendingly, that the MUNY opera in St. Louis would take anybody that could kick over their head. I of course headed straight to St. Louis and kicked way over my head for Sharon Halley at the MUNY. Oh, we also had to do a serious brise’ vole’ ballet combination… It was the brise’ vole’ that did it ( thank you Ellis Du Boulay) and that audition turned into my first professional job as a dancer. After that summer I went to New York City and I took every dance class I could with David Howard at the Harkness School Of Ballet (scholarship) -and then later at STEPS, Finis Jhung and Mdm. Darvash. After six short months I found myself cast in the first national tour of A CHORUS LINE, which then led to the original bus and truck tour of A CHORUS LINE and then the international company of ACL where I also served as assistant dance captain. After 1500 performances I returned to New York City where I joined the Broadway production of CATS where I payed 7 roles and stayed for 10 years and nearly 5000 performances. After retiring from performing I started teaching and with that came the second phase of my training with the Cecchetti Council of America. The CCA is a wonderful organization of teachers from home I have received priceless history and training from wonderful teachers and mentors: Suzanne Gray-Granger, Kay Bliss, Gail Choate-Pettit, Jean Gloria Newell , Pirkko Lawler and many many more .
I taught at my own school, Ballet Plus, for 10 years training students in voice, ballet, jazz and tap, during which time I was also on the teaching staff at Ballet Florida, From 2009-2020 I taught at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre Conservatory Of Performing Arts and now teach classes online balletplusonline.com.
Ballet is my root and my experience is musical theater.
