PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Joan Myers Brown is a Philadelphia legend, trailblazer and visionary, but to the kids she teaches, she’s just Aunt Joan. Her greatness actually exceeds words, as this ‘Auntie’ deserves all of her flowers.
Brown’s contributions to dance and performing arts have opened doors for many minority artists, including former star students who have achieved fame like Leslie Odom Jr. and Lee Daniels.
Myers Brown boasts a long list of accomplishments, including an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Pennsylvania and an award from former President Barack Obama — one of her proudest achievements.
"But what I really feel good about is, when I go to the theater, stand in the back of the theater, and the kids are dancing, and then people stand up and applaud them and stomp on the floor — especially in Europe, they make a lot of noise — you say, 'Yeah, that’s good. I’m glad I did that,'" Brown said with pride.
That feeling has become familiar in the more-than-50 years the Philadelphia Dance Company, better known as Philadanco, has been around. Myers Brown started the school in 1970 — when Black dancers were systematically shut out of mainstream ballet.
"It’s a whole lot of Black girl magic in this world. We just need to have opportunity. And that’s why, with the company, I don’t want to get up somedays. But then I think about the people that are dependent on me or looking to me to have an opportunity," Brown said.
Myers Brown will be an energetic 90 years old on Christmas Day. She acknowledges that some days have become longer and harder, and the pandemic has brought on another set of challenges for the school.
"I still work from nine in the morning till 11 at night, because you go from dance to school to office to company."
Myers Brown also has six grandkids. One is on the trailblazing path just like her grandmother.
Myers Brown boasted proudly about Amari Brown-Swint, a freshman at North Carolina State University and one of the first Black women divers in the country.
"She won a gold medal during her first competition, and I was like, 'Okay, okay,'" Meyers Brown said.
She is not ready to call it retirement … yet … but she is “moving over.”
“Everybody talks about your legacy and who you’re leaving behind, so I have to prepare for it. That is called succession.”
As Brown prepares for the future of the school and end of an era, she hopes that the pathways she’s created over the decades will live on for 50 more decades.
“It’s important that people know that dreams do come true. You know, sometimes, you get knocked down, you just get up, keep pushing.”
Philadanco, which was created for those opportunities, will be led by Kim Bears-Bailey, who has taken on an artistic director role. Bears-Bailey has danced with Myers-Brown for 20 years, and also boasts her own lengthy list of accomplishments like teaching master classes around the world.
Myers Brown said they are also seeking to hire an administrator in the coming months. She said when the time comes, she’s looking forward to more free time and fun in the sun.
“My nephew is the doctor, has his office in Nassau. He said, 'Come on down there.' I’m going to head down there with him, sit on the beach all day,” she said.