There are nearly 3,000 miles between French Guiana and New York City. And there’s a lifetime of difference between the two. Just ask Alvin Ailey dancer Yannick Lebrun. The 31-year-old grew up in the former and now lives in the latter. He’s traveled the world as one of the premiere dancers in the world today. When the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre settles in for a series of shows at Segerstrom Hall on Thursday, Lebrun will be featured in two major pieces.
The first piece is In/Side – a solo work choreographed by Robert Battle, the artistic director of Alvin Ailey. The second piece is an ensemble work entitled Stack-Up choreographed by Talley Beatty in which Lebrun has a main role.
I spoke with Lebrun by phone about his life, career and his work with Alvin Ailey.
You told TimeOut Magazine that dance wasn’t something people did in French Guiana. What was it like learning dance there under those circumstances?
I was being general. Of course we have some small schools. We didn’t have a big performing arts center. We don’t have huge theatres or schools. In that way, dance is not very developed. But I trained in a very small studio with a very passionate teacher. It was hard sometimes because not everybody understood the importance of dance and the art form in French Guiana. Now it’s better because more and more kids are involved in dance.
Did your success pave the way for a greater understanding and appreciation of dance there?
Mine, but also a couple of other students who have achieved a very high level of dance in France and also in New York or Los Angeles. We have local politicians and when I say the government, we belong to the French. Our government is the French government. The local institutions are now understanding that it is something that people can have a career in.
How did you first become aware of Alvin Ailey?
When I was younger I was doing a lot of dance competitions in all the French regions and in France or overseas in the Caribbean. The late Denise Jefferson came to Martinique and she noticed me at the age of 14. [Jefferson was the Director of the Ailey School. She passed away in 2010.] This is when I was able to receive a scholarship for a summer intensive. I discovered the scale of Alvin Ailey, the Graham technique and others I was not familiar with. I was able to work with different choreographers and teachers that inspired me to become a professional dancer. I didn’t want to go to Paris and be in a ballet company. My goal was to be an Ailey dancer after those beautiful experiences I had as a young boy.
What excites you most about doing Stack Up? [This piece is set in the 1970s in Los Angeles, it depicts the collision between two lovers and a drug dealer.]
Wow…it’s theatre! I sometimes wish we did more of that. This is a huge accomplishment for me. I’m able to fully dance but also act on stage. I really have to get into the character and really tell the story. Telling the story is a big deal and it really excites me. To see the response from the audience that they enjoyed it, they get it, they loved it, it’s really a great feeling. And it’s a classic.
You don’t have a lot of downtime in that piece. How do you maintain your energy level?
My part’s very constant. It’s a very taxing role. It’s a very emotional, physical role and it is challenging. I remind myself that first of all I have to breathe. I cannot start at 200%. I cannot even start at 100%. It is that crazy. To maintain a high level of dance and also be clear with my delivery, I cannot start that high. The intent will be high, the clarity, the shapes, the emotions will definitely be high.
In/Side is the flip side of that. It’s a solo number created in response to the AIDS epidemic. How do you find a personal connection with so intimate a piece?
I create my own story. I let myself go with the beauty of Nina Simone’s voice. [The piece is set to her recording of “Wild Is the Wind.”] Her voice has the ability to make you cry. It’s that deep for me and her tone for me, the depth. This is how I create my own connection. I also try to think about everything I’m going through and the things I grew up with or people I met that I’m close with.
Donald McKayle, one of the first black men to weave the African-American experience into dance and to choreograph a Broadway show just passed away. What influence did he have on you?
He was a huge figure in the world of dance. In the world of African-American dance and world dance. I wish I had performed some of his work. I hear stories about this ballet, Rainbow ‘Round My Shoulder, and how challenging it was. I never was in a studio with him. I wish I had the opportunity.
We’ve heard a lot about #MeToo issues in dance. How prevalent are race issues?
I believe there is still progress to be made. We need this country to definitely make bigger steps so that racism doesn’t become a problem when it comes to the arts. There should never be any kind of discrimination in any art form. I believe this is why this company is beautiful because we are so able to embrace people from different cultures and backgrounds. We show the world how beautiful humankind can be and what we would love the world to be.
What do you think that young man just starting to take an interest in dance would think of the man you are today?
Wow. You trusted your instincts. You had the guts to go for something that was impossible. You followed your passion. I am really proud that I followed and I trusted my instincts and went with what I love and went with my passion and my art. The young man would also think you did the right thing.
Production Photo by Paul Kolnik.