Today we’d like to introduce you to Brittany Riddle.
Brittany, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I grew up in Alaska and after choreographing and dancing through college, I became a professional dancer in Los Angeles where I met this really cool DJ. We fell in love and moved to NYC so that he could start writing for The Late Show starring Jimmy Fallon and I had our first son. Six months later, I auditioned for the Knicks City Dancers and was with them for 1 season before I got pregnant with our second son and we moved back to Los Angeles (I have a thing for giving birth right before or after a bi-coastal move). Now that we were back in LA with two kids, our focus was mainly on Diallo and his writing partner, Bashir’s HBO pilot. We were in the development stage for over four years and still no show.
Then I had our 3rd son and Diallo went and made a baby with Bashir (rude) named Sherman’s Showcase on IFC. They finally found a network that gave them artistic freedom and I am so glad they did because I loved this show when it was just a conversation! It is a fictional variety show (loosely based on Soul Train) spanning over six decades and what would have gone on behind the scenes and on the stage. It was the perfect opportunity to combine Diallo and Bashir’s genius writing and love for music with my love for dance and humor. I feel a second wave coming in my career because of this show, it was the perfect, family, passion project and I’m looking forward to where it takes us!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It hasn’t been easy. I myself am not African American but I can tell you first-hand the struggle it was to get people to invest in Diallo and Bashir’s stories and point of view. I couldn’t work because we couldn’t afford a nanny (dancer’s salary) If I booked a job our family and friends would babysit for us. Diallo was taking crappy DJ gigs and we were really hustling for a period. But here we are, over a decade later, they have not one, but TWO shows on the air and BOTH with 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. As for myself personally, I chose to start a family young (for LA standards) and that obviously came with some sacrifices but I’m so grateful to be able to dust off my skills and education and choreograph with purpose. I am very much looking forward to Season 2 of Sherman’s Showcase and everything that comes afterwards!
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am a choreographer for Sherman’s Showcase and what sets the show apart and coincidentally what I’m most proud of is the mission statement we created to put the dancers in the spotlight. We really wanted them to be stars of the show and highlighted, similar to In Living Color. We also get to dance in a million different decades which is always exciting and we’re working with INCREDIBLE black dancers telling black stories!! So many things to highlight! Also, the writer’s room for Season 2 should happen this year and I can’t wait to film Season 2 after a very successful Sherman’s Showcase Black History Month Spectacular in June!! All we need is for a certain pandemic to get under control, but we’ll be ready!
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
If I had to pick one characteristic that was essential, it would be patience. To a lot of people, dance is a temporary phase in their life that transitions them to a more financially sustainable career. I had a family to take care of but dance just hung around and wouldn’t leave. I’ve tried branching out in other professional areas like costume design and party planning but dance never left. The research and learning and practicing never left. It’s a constant. It’s in my kids and in the music we have playing around the house. I didn’t always know how dance would come back around for me professionally but I am so grateful that it did.
Contact Info:
- Email: baatroutt@gmail.com
Image Credit:
Michael Moriatis, Lindsay Rosenberg Photography
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