Ronald K. Brown.

How does a young choreographer get started? This is how Ronald K. Brown went about it.

At the age of 28, choreographer Ronald K. Brown already has an impressive resume as a dancemaker: Last September he and his company, Evidence, performed in France at the Lyon Biennale de la Danse, a major international dance festival, and in November a New York Times Magazine article cited him as one of Manhattan's most promising artists under the age of 30. Brown uses dance combined with spoken words and music to create dance-theater pieces that reflect on his experiences as an African American. His works can be cool and funny, but at their core they are serious and sobering.

Brown first began studying dance intensively in 1983, during the summer before he planned to go to college. He spent the vacation time studying on scholarship at the Mary Anthony Dance Studio in Manhattan. Hooked, he decided to postpone his academic studies. At Anthony's school he studied modern dance and ballet technique, plus composition and pedagogy. From the outset, Anthony encouraged him to create his own work, and he showed his earliest pieces at her regular studio showings.

In 1985 Brown began studying Jennifer Muller, and he danced with her company for the next four years. 'But even then, he says, "I wanted to create work from my own perspective rather than be a [choreographer's] tool." So, while still performing with Muller, he began presenting his choreography in showcases around New York City.

There are many showcase opportunities for choreographers in Manhattan. Two that Brown mentions in particular are the Avant-Garde-Arama at Performance Space 122, and Fresh Tracks at Dance Theater Workshop (DTW). Brown also notes that DTW offers an array of services for choreographers.

In 1990 Brown was accepted in the Young Choreographers and Composers in Residence (YCC) program at the American Dance Festival (ADF)in Durham, North Carolina. This program gives choreographers the luxury of four uninterrupted weeks to collaborate with a composer on a new work in an environment that is a busy and stimulating crossroads for all types of dance professionals. It provided important exposure for his choreography and for his teaching: He was invited to teach at ADF the following year, and he has been a regular at the festival ever since.

Once Brown became committed to maintaining a company, he discovered that "all of a sudden I had to try and wear both a business hat and an artist hat." Directing a company requires fund-raising, writing grant applications, and paying salaries to the dancers. Juggling all of these responsibilities with the creative demands can be dauntingly difficult, he says.

All of the hard work, patience, and. persistence that he has lavished on his fledgling company over the past five years are beginning to show results. He received his first NEA grant this year. In addition, Evidence has booked more touring engagements this season than ever before. Brown hopes that the company's increasing financial stability will allow him to spend less time teaching and more time choreographing. "Right now," he says, "I'm just aware of the need to continue creating new work, performing it, and getting opportunities."

USEFUL ADDRESSES FOR ASPIRING CHOREOGRAPHERS

Performance Space 122:150 First Ave., New York, NY 10009; [phone].

Dance Theater Workshop: 219 W. 19 St., New York, NY 10011; [phone].

American Dance Festival: Durham office: Box 90772, Durham, NC 27708; [phone]. In New York: Rm. 900, NYC 10019; [phone].

RECOMMENDED READING

Poor Dancer's Almanac: Managing Life and Work in the Performing Arts, edited by David R. White, Lise Friedman, and Tia Tibbitts Levinson (Duke University Press, 1993, $14.00). Available at bookstores and at Dance Theater Workshop.

Nicole Dekle is an associate editor at Dance Magazine.