A message from Tyler
Touring internationally as a principal dancer for Alvin Ailey's second company, I learned that there's much more to dance than just correct execution of the choreography. As a dance teacher, I strive to keep the spark of spontaneous joy alive in young dancers, and see a rigorous study of technique simply as a key to a more profound and fulfilling dancing experience. Only this way can all the practice and training actually be fun, and only this way can a child's passion for dance occasionally blossom into a great career.  The performances we put together at the end of each semester are a core feature of my teaching method. The cooperation and dedication that it takes to put together a performance, and the courage and bravado that it takes to perform in front of an audience, are valuable skills which carry into all aspects of life.  In my interaction with my students, I bring a keen focus on proper nutrition and positive body image, on precise alignment and overall health, which I believe makes every one of my students better prepared for whatever life may throw at them, on and off the dance floor. ​ Dancing taught me not only how to move my body, but also how to think creatively and independently, how to think for myself and overcome challenges. These are skills, not a talent, and while impeccable technique and alignment are crucial for the few who will end up being professional dancers, it is my earnest hope that I will be able to pass on the confidence and self-esteem that a career in dance has given me, to all my students.
MEET THE TBDC FACULTY
TYLER
BROWN
Founder | Director
Originally from Owings Mills, Maryland, TBDC Founder and Artistic Director Tyler Brown started dancing at age 9. Her formal training started at the Peabody Preparatory in Baltimore; under the direction of Carol Bartlett and Melissa Stafford. Here she was trained in classical ballet and fell in love with the art of dance. She then attended the Ailey School with a full scholarship and after one year, was recruited into Alvin Ailey's second company.
From 2012 through 2014, Tyler toured internationally as a principal dancer and poster girl for Ailey II. She received glowing reviews of her performances from the New York Times, and was featured in a spread of Essence Magazine's May 2013 issue. Ms. Brown was interviewed by Dance Spirit Magazine, and performed on Dancing With The Stars - Bulgaria. In 2014 she was featured on NBC New York representing Ailey II's 2014 New York Season and 40th Anniversary. She also appeared on MTVU, and performed for the 2014 Mercedes Benz car show. From 2014 through 2016, Tyler performed domestically and internationally with Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, with noteworthy performances such as the 2015 Meet in Beijing Dance Festival. Ms. Brown was also a member of Kachal Dance, under the direction of Alia Kache with performances such as the 2016 Cistermúsica festival in Alcobaca, Portugal and the 2016 Fringe Festival in New York City. Other performance credits include workshops with the Merce Cunningham Trust in 2017. Tyler has also performed works by Kate Skarpetowska, Benoit-Swan Pouffer, Jessica Lang, Robert Battle, Judith Jamison, and more.
In 2018 she founded the Tyler Brown Dance School and opened the Tyler Brown Dance Center in July of 2020. Tyler has taught countless students, some of whom have been accepted into the School of American Ballet, American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, and The Bolshoi Ballet Academy Summer intensives.​
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"In a solo from Jessica Lang’s “Splendid Isolation II,” Tyler Brown commanded attention as an Ailey queen should, her outsized white skirt spilling in a vast circle around her. The first twist of her torso was worth the whole underdeveloped dance."​
-Brian Sabert, New York Times
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"The most potent sense of individuality came from Ms. Skarpetowska, whose “Cuore Sott’olio” set adventurous, high-velocity partnering against the slow-motion progression of a lone dancer, the stately Tyler Brown"​​
-Sibhan Burke, New York Times
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See a recent interview for the Florence Belsky Foundation
CHISATO YANAGISAWA
TBDC School Administrator
Chisato Yanagisawa is a performing artist based in New York City. Born and raised in Japan, she started ballet at the age of five. Since then, she has performed multiple prominent roles including a soloist role in “Sleeping Beauty” at the Yokohama Port 150th anniversary concert.
Her passion and curiosity for not only dance but also different cultures led her to New York. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from SUNY Purchase College, where she performed works by notable North American choreographers such as Attila Joey Csiki, Merce Cunningham, Bill T. Jones, Gabrielle Lamb, Rosalind Newman, and more.
Chisato has worked with various choreographers and performed at multiple venues in New York City and throughout the East Coast area. She currently works with NSquared Dance, GREYZONE and Jenny Rocha.
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Chisato has been delighted to teach dance classes and share her love of dance. She has taught ballet, pointe, lyrical and contemporary at places such as Connecticut Dance Center, 5678 Dance, The Greenwich Conservatory of Classical Ballet, and Hariyama Ballet. She has been an instructor at Tyler Brown Dance Center since 2020.