Rebekah Brannan has had many artistic endeavors her whole life. Beginning both singing and dancing at age three, these two artforms have been her main focus for most of her life. In addition, Rebekah enjoys fiction writing and hopes to publish some of her works one day. After studying ballet since age three, Rebekah later studied with Ellen Rosa Taylor, dean of the dance department at Idyllwild Arts Academy. At age thirteen, she began studying at The Ballet Studio Inc., in Murrieta, CA. During her four years there, she had multiple performing opportunities, including Wilis soloist in “Giselle,” Maid, Arabian Soloist, Spanish Soloist and the lead role of Clara-Marie in this unique production of The Nutcracker and the Grand Pas de Deux and Bluebird Pas de Deux in “The Sleeping Beauty.” While there, she also had extensive pas de deux training with her teacher, Mark Erickson, and Sergio Gomez, a two-year partnership which culminated in their writing and performing original ballet Trixie and Hyde. Rebekah is currently a trainee with San Diego Ballet and is now dancing her second season with the company.
As a singer, Rebekah has appeared on the Patti Daly Caruso Show, in the zarzuela Luisa Fernanda at UCSB, in the Fine Arts Network’s 2022 production of Cinderella and earlier this year played Kate in Landmark Opera’s production of The Pirates of Penzance. Rebekah is passionate about both ballet and opera, and also dabbles in video editing and graphic design. One of her greatest passions is writing, choreographing, and performing original ballets with her sister, Tiffany., for their own production company, Cinballera Entertainment, drawing inspiration from Classic Hollywood.
1. What ignited your passion for dance?
At the age of eight, I saw a documentary about the ballerina Maya Plisetskaya and her amazing career. It especially focused on her interpretation of “The Dying Swan,” and it spoke to me when she said that you have to “dance the music” rather than just dancing to it, and also that everyone has to “find her own swan arms.” Shortly after this, I saw a recording of ABT’s “Swan Lake,” starring Gillian Murphy and Angel Corella, and it really opened my eyes to the beauty of that ballet. In fact, I had previously thought “The Dying Swan” was the finale of “Swan Lake.” When I saw the actual ending, I was enthralled. That also first really introduced me to partnering, which has now become my passion! I had been taking ballet classes for several years before that, as so many little girls do, but I wasn’t very serious about it. It was after watching those two videos that I decided I wanted to be a ballerina.
2. What inspired you to pursue a professional career in dance?
I would probably have to say going to The Ballet Studio Inc. when I was thirteen. While I had said I wanted to be a professional ballerina at the age of eight, it didn’t start to seem like a reality until I went to that studio and started training really seriously. My teacher, Mark Erickson, was such an inspiration to me, He really lit the spark in me. which then led to pas de deux lessons from him with my partner, Sergio Gomez.
3. What is your favorite thing about being a dancer?
My favorite thing to do in ballet is partnering. I do enjoy solo dancing, but I never feel as truly alive and free as when I’m partnering, especially in a really great partnership. I’m a hopeless romantic at heart, and the special connection one reaches when partnering is really unlike anything else. Beyond that, I think with partnering you can achieve both the strongest story and the most impressive-looking feats. My favorite thing about being a dancer, though, is honestly performing. Being able to go out on a stage and dance for an audience is truly an honor and a privilege like no other. While dancing and the patterns of movement are wonderful, I really enjoy a part that lets me act and tell the audience a story.
4. What is your biggest dream for your dance career?
My goals have changed over the years, as I have changed. A couple of years ago, I would definitely have said that it was to dance at American Ballet Theater (ABT), which I think is the best company in the world. I’m not sure now if that dream will ever be a reality, for a variety of reasons, but I have now had the opportunity to dance with an ABT dancer, which makes me feel I’ve come closer to that goal. Aside from that, I wish to grow my own production company, Cinballera Entertainment, into one of San Diego County’s established performing arts companies, and I hope to rise to a soloist level at San Diego Ballet! Of course, I suppose we all hope for that!
5. When you are not pirouetting and perfecting your pliés, what brings you joy?
I’m also a professional opera singer, so I enjoy getting to sing or perform in operas when I can. I get a lot of joy from writing and choreographing my own ballets with my sister, Tiffany, all of which we plan to perform through our production company, Cinballera Entertainment. My “hobbies”, I would say, are fiction writing and video editing. I love making tributes from movies or ballets, in which I take clips and/or photographs and sync them to an appropriate song. In fact, I recently started a YouTube channel, Bekah’s Tributes and Trailers, as a platform for my full vault of videos!
6. What is the most transformative experience you had as a dancer?
I feel that I have had many transformative experiences, so it’s very hard for me to choose one. However, I think I have to say playing Clara-Marie, the leading role in The Ballet Studio’s production of “The Nutcracker.” While I had played the lead in my own ballet just a couple of months before, that was the first and only time in my career so far that someone else has chosen me to carry his show. The first time I saw that part performed on stage, three years earlier, I decided I was going to play it one day, and I felt as if I lived the role for three years before finally getting to do it onstage. Also, my partnership with Sergio Gomez, who performed opposite me, had been developing for two years at that point, so our relationship on stage was perfection. The story was so close to my heart, and I felt as if I could just go onstage and be myself. In fact, I kept having to remind myself not to act onstage. I remember saying in my head, “Don’t act. Just be yourself!” Watching the video later, I was happy to see that I actually looked as good as I felt! It was magical, and, if given the chance to do it again, I would do it in a heartbeat.
7. What is your favorite ballet?
It’s so hard to choose one, but I would say “Swan Lake,” because, to me, it is the ultimate ballet. It embodies everything that ballet is and should be. ABT’s production especially gives me chills every time I watch it, and the thought of getting to perform that version is one of the most thrilling things I could imagine! I also really love “Giselle,” because the story is such a beautiful one. The titular role in that ballet is definitely high up on my list of dream roles. In the slightly more modern repertoire, I love “Romeo and Juliet,” particularly John Neumeier’s version, as performed by the Royal Danish Ballet. Prokofiev’s heart-wrenching score, especially in the final crypt scene, is some of the most emotionally impacting music in the ballet repertoire.
8. What is your favorite role you have performed at San Diego Ballet and what is a role you would like to perform in the future?
Without a doubt, when I got to play Cinderella in “Sleeping Beauty.” “Cinderella” is probably my favorite Disney princess movie, and its title character is very high up on my list of favorite Disney princesses! It was also my first time playing a true character at SDB, as well as my first chance to perform a pas de deux! Partnering and telling a story are my favorite things to do as a dancer, so I got the best of both worlds! I also enjoyed the unique and challenging opportunity to dance almost the entire ballet in one pointe shoe! How many people can say they’ve done that?!My dream roles from what I’ve seen of the SDB repertoire so far are definitely Kaa in “The Jungle Book,” Snow Queen or the Sugar Plum Fairy in “The Nutcracker”, and Juliet in “Romeo et Juliet.” From the first time I saw the Tiger and Snake pas de deux being rehearsed, I said, “That’s a part I want to play.” The Snow Queen and Sugar Plum are both parts that consist almost entirely of partnering, which is always a dream for me, as well as being very beautiful, magical characters. They also get to dance to the best music in the score, in my opinion. I love the part of Juliet in every version of that ballet, but SDB’s interpretation is definitely one I would like to take on.
9. What is your favorite local spot in San Diego?
The NM Café in Neiman Marcus at Fashion Valley is definitely near the top of the list. It’s a classy, intimate little restaurant where it’s never too loud or too busy, and all the waiters are very polite and helpful! I think I could happily go there every day!