Madelaine “Maddie” Burnett was at that age of college applications, big future plans, and shining dreams – and she wasn’t ready to give up on dance. Most of her peers were preparing for university, to study something outside of dance. That was the norm in Vancouver, Canada, where Burnett was born, raised, and first studied the art form. Yet it wasn’t a satisfactory answer for her. She needed to keep dance in her life.
Serendipitously, Burnett learned that The Ailey School was holding an audition for the school in Vancouver – and, on a whim, she decided to just for it. And she was accepted! Impressively, that was despite the fact that Burnett’s early training was “ballet centric with some jazz, tap, contemporary and modern too,” as she describes it – rather than focused on modern dance.
Yet Burnett’s early training did allow her to “discover dance’s ability to express emotion and tell a story,” she notes, through getting leading theatrical roles in story ballets. “I loved being the ‘storyteller’, and I dug deeply into the intersection of acting and dance,” she adds. That offered her a foundation for the emotional execution and truthful storytelling that’s so central to modern dance.
Maddie Burnett -- photo by Nir Arieli
Attending The Ailey School led her to New York City, and subsequently many more opportunities beyond that institution. After graduating from Ailey II, Burnett signed a two-year contract with Graham II. Out of all of the modern dance that Burnett was being exposed to in NYC at the time, the Graham technique spoke to her most deeply. She had the opportunity to dance some key Graham roles during this time, including the Woman in Yellow from Diversion of Angels and The Pussycat from The Owl and The Pussycat.
“Martha Graham's intellectual dissection of movement and the spiritual mind-body connection helped me appreciate the greater purpose that this art form holds,” recounts Burnett in her Artist Statement. “The commitment to empowerment and to breaking artistic barriers inspired me philosophically.”
Dancing to share more widely and make a difference
This time with Graham II fundamentally shifted her understanding of, and perspective on, all that dance is and can be. For one, performing in community-based centers and institutions (as Graham II often does) allowed her to be part of bringing dance and live art to people who might not otherwise ever experience it. “Art can be inaccessible to many people, often those who need it most. Children, underprivileged and/or vulnerable communities are those which I have seen dance impact the most profoundly,” shares Burnett.
Now, as a dance educator, Burnett brings that passion to share the art of dance and the wonder of movement all across NYC. "I pride myself on passing on the knowledge, the love, and the power of dance to younger generations," she affirms in her Artist Statement. Burnett has the experience and training to back up that passion; she is certified to teach both RAD (Royal Academy of Dance) and Graham technique.
Burnett has also initiated outreach back to her roots – bringing her experience with modern dance back to Vancouver. Doing so was “initially daunting,” she shares, but ultimately quite fulfilling. She came in with fears about the movement being “foreign to a roomful of ballerinas,” and also a bit of imposter syndrome (thinking that she’d give the dancers “a bad first taste of Graham” – despite her extensive credentialing as an educator and performance experience with the form).
Burnett as The Pussycat in Martha Graham's The Owl and The Pussycat --
photo by Melissa Sherwood
Yet she put those fears to the side and “taught with all the drama and passion that this technique requires,” she recounts. “I am very proud to say that the students fully embraced this strange new movement vocabulary and dove right into the journey with me!” And now, every time she returns to teach again, the students are hungry for more! Just as her eyes were opened to the broad immensity of all that dance is and can be, she hopes to “open [these students’] eyes to the incredible vastness of opportunities in dance.”
As a consistently working dancer within modern dance specifically, Burnett additionally believes that she can demonstrate to these students that such a career is possible. And she seems hopeful that such awareness is growing in this newest generation of dancers. “I see a larger diversity of students exploring dance’s many pathways, and more graduates after me having gone on to pursue their passions as well,” she says.
Art that really says something
Apart from teaching, Burnett has danced – and presently dances – for several NYC-based dance companies, projects, independent choreographers, and artists across various media: including for Jacqulyn Buglisi, Alison Cook Beatty Dance, and House of Spirits (a Dance-Meets-Theater seasonal project).
All of these artists and companies have something fundamental in common: they all ”have something to say, whether it be a social/political statement; an honoring of diverse cultures or people; or an expression of the joys and pains of living, reminding people of the beauty in living whole-heartedly,” she explains.
Burnett is quite evidently most interested in dancing work that goes deeper than surface-level – and herself performing in a similarly profound way, for meaningful purposes. “I perform to express the joys and pains of living, reminding audiences of our humanity and of the beauty in living whole-heartedly. I perform for the advancement of society,” she shares. For example, in Ms. Buglisi’s annual 9/11 Tribute Table of Silence, Burnett has danced as a “warrior for peace.”
Burnett dancing deeper than surface-level -- photo by Nir Arieli
She is “committed to performing for these reasons and ways of ‘giving’ through dance,” she adds. To her, “dance honors diversity in the most human of ways. It provokes critical thinking, encouraging audiences to be progressive thinkers and problem solvers,” (from her Artist Statement). “I speak to my audiences first-hand by making them feel and reminding them what it is to be human….art that springs from the soul has the power to touch audience members deep within, uniting emotion with human creation and culture.”
Going forward: high places and wide access
As Burnett moves forward in her career, she’s got some big goals and dreams – including dancing for a nationally-recognized company like Paul Taylor American Modern Dance, Martha Graham Dance Company, or Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. While she works towards that goal, such as with taking classes and workshops at the Taylor studio, she also stays “fully immersed” in all of the exciting projects and companies with which she’s currently engaged. She demonstrates the value of not “waiting around for an opportunity”, but instead taking advantage of all that’s currently available.
At the same time, Burnett wants to continue bringing dance, movement, and live performance – with all of their extensive benefits – to communities in need. “It is a mission of mine to have at least one form of outreach in my life at all times. No matter where I make it in this industry, keeping dance accessible – through teaching, video projects, special performances, et cetera – will always be a must for me,” she asserts.
As is the case with many people, COVID has also given Burnett more time and space to reflect on such consequential matters: her career, her artistry, the work that she wants to be part of actualizing, her impact out there, and more.
Maddie Burnett dancing in a way that brings both joy and reflection -- photo by Nir Arieli
For her, a lot of that has been more clearly understanding that she wants to explore “possibilities for global betterment” through dance art, she shares in her Artist Statement: including “exploration of modern-day topics and issues, use of technology in art-making, and discovery of other art forms in liaison with dance.” Burnett aspires to shine a light on the “ugly” issues that we, as global citizens, face – “climate change, racism, sexism, intolerance of diversity” – and therein put her “artistic footprint where it is most needed.”
She also knows that NYC is the place for her to be and do that meaningful work. The “array” of work available to her in the city, “with interdisciplinary artists that challenge and inspire me every day,” is something that she wants to truly keep in her life. “New York is one of the very few places where living such a life is possible,” she affirms. “My connections are here, my roots are here, and in my opinion, the most innovative and passionate artists are here too.”
It seems quite clear that Maddie Burnett has the passion and skill to leverage all of that to dance memorably on big stages, but also share all that she can out across various communities. The sky’s the limit, and she’s reaching for it.
Maddie Burnett soaring high -- photo by Ronald Lee