Brandon LaVar (Orangeburg, South Carolina) is a Broadway performer and artist whose work is grounded in the language of dance, the art of storytelling, and a lifelong devotion to the performing arts.
His artistic journey began at Tamalyn’s Dance Center in Orangeburg, South Carolina, before continuing at Ann Brodie’s Carolina Ballet in Columbia, South Carolina, where he developed his foundation in classical ballet. He also competed throughout the Southeast under the mentorship of Danyele Gardner. Brandon later attended the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities in Greenville, South Carolina, studying under Stanislav Issaev and expanding his classical repertoire through works including Gopak, Raymonda Pas de Dix, George Balanchine’s Serenade, and original choreography by Lloyd Whitmore and Sandra Neels.
Brandon earned his B.F.A. in Dance from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia under the mentorship of Donna Faye Burchfield. There, he worked with an acclaimed roster of choreographers, including Ronen Koresh, Sidra Bell, Tommie Waheed Evans, Gary Jeter, Matthew Neenan, and Douglas Becker. His artistic development extended internationally through training at the Centre National de la Danse in Paris, France, and the Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp in Belgium.
He continued his studies at the Alvin Ailey School and Dance Theatre of Harlem, where he received the DTH Image Award, and at Alonzo King LINES Ballet School, where he was awarded a full scholarship. In 2012, he became an apprentice with Eleone Dance Unlimited in Philadelphia under the artistic direction of Shawn Lamere Williams.
From the concert stage to television, national tours, regional theatre, and Broadway, Brandon’s career reflects a commitment to movement, musicality, and the transformative power of live performance. He was selected as one of the Top 60 dancers on Season 11 of So You Think You Can Dance and has performed with organizations and theatres including Royal Caribbean, Fireside Dinner Theatre, Maltz Jupiter Theatre, North Carolina Theatre, The Muny in St. Louis, and Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre, where he portrayed Richie in A Chorus Line, directed and choreographed by Denis Jones. He also toured nationally in Hello, Dolly! starring Betty Buckley and Carolee Carmello, understudying the principal role of Barnaby Tucker.
On Broadway, Brandon made his debut in MJ the Musical, performing as a swing and covering four tracks. He went on to join Jamie Lloyd’s Tony Award-winning revival of SUNSET BLVD. as Artie Green before appearing in Lincoln Center Theater’s Tony Award-winning production of Ragtime.
Rooted in a foundation of dance and shaped by a life in the theatre, Brandon continues to bring a distinctive physicality, curiosity, and sense of storytelling to every stage he inhabits.
