Today we’d like to introduce you to Amal Bryson.
Hi Amal, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, let’s briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
Growing up in St. Croix, in the USVI, is where I got most of my training and developed my interest in the Arts and entertainment. I spent most of my teenage years participating in different activities such as plays, training in Tae Kwon Do, and writing songs with my mother, Mada Nile (a well-known reggae artist), but most of the time was used to dance. I attended different summer intensives at the Dance Theatre of Harlem, Alvin Ailey, and Atlanta Dance Connection. Eventually, I graduated high school to move on to Virginia State University, where I was the dance captain of the only contemporary dance group on campus, Sankofa Dance Theatre. After graduating college in 2020, I moved to Orlando, where I now work at Universal Studios Orlando in several Entertainment roles.
Alright, 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?
The road has been a bumpy one. The year I joined dance was the year I lost my best friend to suicide, and my father was murdered. This was hard for me to process but probably harder on my mother now that she had to raise my sister and me alone. When my dance skills grew and the community began to see me publicly, I was bullied, harassed, and borderline tortured for being gay. Homophobia in the Caribbean is more prominent and intense than I’ve seen in America. Being gay in USVI brought on most of my challenges, but so did loss. I have lost so many young friends to gun violence and simple hatred that has made the journey lonely, empty, and harder than it should be. I didn’t graduate from college because it was during the pandemic. I was shipped home and never got to fully experience walking across the stage or saying goodbye to my friends; sadly, I lost some of them permanently.
Let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
As my mom has always told me, I can do anything I want. I am a dancer, choreographer, model, writer, and actor; at least, I’d like to consider these skills at the top of many. I was the Master Choreographer for Music In Motion International Dance Company and Sankofa Dance Theatre for several years. I got to tell odd but unique stories through my contemporary dance style. I have published three books on Amazon, two being poem books and one a self-help book about healing and trauma. I love writing as much as I love dancing. Both are my outlets, but writing takes me to a different place than dancing. Out of all my skills and accomplishments, I am proud to say I am here. I have endured so much, but these “skills” have helped through the darkest points in my life and truly saved me. And that’s what sets me apart from the others. I am not dancing and writing or acting for fun; I am doing it because I have to. It is a part of who I am and the basis of who I am becoming.
Can you talk to us about the role of luck?
I believe in luck, but everything happens for a reason, and it’s always in my best favor, even if it may not seem like it. I’ve had some “lucky” moments, but maybe I was just in the right place because it was meant to be at the right time. Being in those places has granted me opportunities to dance in Toronto, Canada, perform at Granby Theater and work at Universal Studios.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theamalbryson/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/malz16/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRVAZCnuFYv0yvrlRqvelCg
Image Credits
Bernard Miller
