Over the past decade, School of Dance alumnus Brandon Coleman has cultivated a multifaceted career– both on stage and off. From performing and choreographing on New York City stages to educating up-and-coming dancers, Coleman’s diverse skillset provides an exceptional example of alumni success to students across the College of Fine Arts.
Now, his stellar career is being recognized by the University of Arizona Alumni Association, which has named Coleman the College of Fine Arts 2026 Alumni of the Year.
“It’s a huge honor,” said Coleman (BFA ’15, Dance; BA ’15, Communications). “It’s so nice to be recognized for the work that I’ve done from a place that has prepared me so well for this career. I’m a product of this university.”
- Alumni of the Year Ceremony and Reception, Feb. 13
- Meet the 2026 Alumni of the Year
School of Dance Director Cyrus said the work Coleman has done in his career made him a standout choice for the award.
“When we talk about career success, we’re really meaning career success — it doesn’t have to be in the center of the stage,” he said. “In Brandon’s case, he has continued to make a meaningful impact in the performing field.”
Coleman, now based in New York City, began his career in Chicago, performing with two internationally recognized dance companies.
“I spent about two years dancing with Visceral Dance Chicago,” he said. “I ended my time there with a guesting spot at Hubbard Street.”
New York City permission slip
While living in Chicago, he received a phone call from Larry Keigwin, the artistic director of Keigwin + Company, a New York City-based dance company that needed extra dancers for its tour.
“That was kind of my big permission slip to move to New York.”
Taking the leap of faith, Coleman moved to New York City in 2017, spending his first year there in true New York City fashion.
“I spent that first year on my brother’s air mattress in his house in New Jersey, so I don’t really count that first year as a New Yorker,” he said, adding that he spent ample time commuting to the city to work.
After that year, Coleman booked jobs with the Metropolitan Opera and “Sleep No More,” an immersive theatre experience in which he became the rehearsal director for its final year in 2025. Those opportunities, he said, allowed him to put down roots in New York.
“What do we do?”
Coleman wears many hats in the world of dance. In addition to performing professionally, he has taken a deep interest in dance education and mentorship. When the pandemic hit in 2020, many young dancers reached out to him for guidance when dance jobs were rapidly diminishing.
“I started getting a lot of DMs from dancers who were just graduating and they were like, ‘What do we do?’” he said.
In response, Coleman created virtual mentorship programs to help out young dancers who are just beginning their professional careers.
“The goal was for them to create their own works, invite themselves into processes, and get themselves ready for auditions,” he said.
Coleman now teaches classes at some of the city’s most iconic dance studios including Steps on Broadway and Peridance Center. He also teaches beginner contemporary classes at various spaces in NYC.
As a teacher and career coach, Coleman aims to help “contemporary dancers book and build lasting and fulfilling careers.”
“When I got to the real world … ”
Through the fast-paced, ever-changing vibrations of New York City, Coleman said the rigor of his busy student life still applies to this day.
“When I got to the real world, I was like, ‘This is much more digestible now because I had these experiences at school,’” he said.
It was through teaching methods courses at Arizona that Coleman discovered his knack for dance education.
“At the U of A, I learned a lot about musicality and how to engage with people,” he said. “In those classes, we learned how to break things down in a way that was fun and also really effective.”
As a former student and successful professional, Coleman said he urges current students to take advantage of the opportunities being presented to them–starting in the classroom.
“My advice is to try to build your own thing now,” he said. “It may feel silly, you may not have support from your peers at first, but you will once you graduate and they see that the thing you really believe in is working.”
On Feb. 13, Coleman will be honored by Arizona Arts with a private ceremony. He said he looks forward to celebrating with fellow alumni, close friends, and family.
“I’m excited to celebrate with a bunch of people who helped get me there and come back to Tucson.”
Past CFA Alumni of the Year
2025-26 … Brandon Coleman (BFA ’15, Dance; BA, Communications)
2024-25 … Joan L. Ashcraft (BM ’74, MM ’76, Ph.D. ’86)
2023-24 … Barbara Grygutis (BFA ’68, MFA ’71)
2022-23 … John F. Meyer ‘82
2020-21 … Lindsay Utz ’03 | video
2019 … Brad Slater ‘96 | video
2018 … Guy Moon | video
2017 … Sue Scott | video
2015 … Craig Huston | video
2014 … Jeffrey Haskell ’64 | video
2013 … Elizabeth Murphy Bruns ’67 | video
2012 … Henry E. Plimack
2011 … Peter D. Murrieta ‘88