In Basel too, “from washing dishes to …” stories are to be found. But they are particularly impressive when they start in the United States, where poverty is not cushioned by well-functioning social structures. Where living in poverty means having no medical insurance, poor prospects for the future and little to eat. It means living in a hotspot where criminality is commonplace. Where you can consider yourself blessed if you even have a roof over your head – a trend that continues. It was in a milieu such as this, in Brooklyn, that Armando Braswell who now lives in Basel, grew up. But he became successful: he is now the head of the renowned Braswell Art Center, where professional dancers of the future are trained, but where anyone who loves dancing can come to enjoy their passion too. Of course we wanted to hear more about his path to success.
We met Armando at the entrance of his centre at the Aeschenvorstadt 52. His dance school moved to the new premises here a year ago. It’s hard to believe that these rooms previously housed a gloomy Laser Tag centre, dedicated to the play of neon lights. These days you wander straight into the café, which also serves as the reception area and waiting room. The interior design of this room is reminiscent of the atmosphere at a wellness retreat. Everything has been designed in pure white, while arrangements of magnolias in a subtle shade of pink grace the tables. The only hint that it is in fact dance that goes on here, a storey below, is the screen. Sitting around at tables are a few parents, drinking coffee and waiting for their children. “We wanted to make the reception area as welcoming as possible, arranging it as a café and bistro, where things can happen and people can enjoy a bite to eat”. Armando explains in his warm-hearted manner. We can’t help wondering whether this bright and unsullied white may have been chosen as a contrast to the dull and dirty greys that formed the background to his earlier life in Brooklyn.
An outsider with a great deal of talent
It was there that Armando grew up in the 1980s, a child adopted into poverty. But he soon realised that movement and dance were in his blood and that dance enabled him to feel like a ‘normal child.’ “When I was dancing – at first classical ballet – I no longer felt like an outsider, because when people dance, they are all equal,” Armando recalls. “And I did feel like an outsider very often, because I was poor, I was adopted and I was black. On the other hand, there was also a lot of solidarity in the neighbourhood and if someone made fun of me for being a ballet dancer, my buddies would intervene with a few words.” The hope that dance would offer him an escape from poverty was soon realised. He was awarded numerous grants to foster his talent and the result was a place at the Juilliard School in New York from which he graduated in 2006 with a Bachelor in Fine Arts.
“That was a very important step for me. It meant I had finally made it.” Having finished university, he moved to Europe, performing first as a solo dancer at the Ballet Theater Munich, then at Gauthier Dance Stuttgart, before coming to Basel in 2012 where he was engaged for several years – again as a soloist – under the artistic directorship of Richard Wherlock. And always at his side, was his wife Lisa, who is also a dancer. They met when they were just 15 years old and fell in love with each other immediately – ‘high school sweethearts’. “But it took me three months to work up the courage to ask for a date.” Luckily, he did find the courage. They are a tightly knit team, regardless of whether they are running the dance centre together, where Lisa is mainly responsible for the administration. Or raising their two sons. You might expect that at least one of his sons would follow in his father’s footsteps. But “No chance!”, smiles Armando. “They prefer to play basketball. And they’re damned good at it too, sometimes I play with them.”
Finding a new home town in Basel
But back to 2012. He was engaged in the ballet ensemble of Theater Basel until 2019, while he and his wife were also founding their own centre. They opened the Braswell Arts Center in the Austrasse together in 2017. For a long time, Armando was the only dance teacher there and his double workload almost catapulted him into a burnout. However, his talent and his engaging personality ensured that the centre quickly developed into a mecca of dance also drawing professional dancers. They hired more dance teachers. The centre now has 400 members and 30 members of staff. “At our new premises we even have enough space for 700 people.” And with that goal in mind, Armando never tires of creating new concepts, the names of which reflect his penchant for alliteration: be that “Burgers, Beer and Ballet” or his “Silver Swans.” Armando is still there in person teaching at the dance school every age group, every day.
“Diversity is very important to me personally, but also in terms of what we have to offer.” Has he ever regretted moving to Basel? “Never!,” he shoots back immediately. “I am so happy that we took this step, we really feel at home here, enjoy the city, love going for walks along the Rhine and we’ve even bought a ‘Wickelfisch’ waterproof bag to go swimming in the Rhine.” There’s one thing still missing, isn’t there? Armando grins: “Our elder son got Swiss citizenship last year. The rest of us are still working on it.” But he has kept his connection to New York and travels back to the metropolis once a year. Sometimes he returns with dancers in tow.
