Director/Choreographer Breton Tyner-Bryan stops by Behind the Awards to discuss her film “Rhythm or Smooth”. From Ballroom to Ballet this film touches not only these styles but the NYC Dance vibe. We also cover our must see Dance Movies such as Center Stage, All That Jazz, West Side Story, Dirty Dancing and more so grab your popcorn!
Also in this episode - Eila & Bruce visit Are You Now or Have You Ever Been at NY City Center starring, Michael McKean, Brooks Ashmanskas, Norbert Leo Butz, T.R. Knight, Harry Lennix, Bob Odenkirk, and Molly Ringwald
Breton Tyner-Bryan is a New York City based multi award winning director, writer, actor, choreographer, editor, and former professional ballet dancer with Canadian roots. Known for her lifelong fascination with time travel, humor, historical interiors, and classic automobiles, she writes and directs character driven stories across the dark comedy, metaphysical science fiction, and musical genres.
Her films have received more than 150 international awards, including honors for Best Director, Best Editor, Best Narrative Short, and Best Dance Film. OC Movies, TV & Streaming compared her work to Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan and HBO's Room 104, calling it "an impressionistic fantasy with eye catching visuals, a fresh take on storytelling." Film Threat described her films as "a stylish and crafted presentation" that "succeeds in telling an engaging and intriguing story," while Unseen Films praised her work as "a delight for the eye and ear, a visual feast." A classically trained ballet dancer and award winning filmmaker, Tyner-Bryan grew up in the theater in Hartford, Connecticut and serves as a creative director for Grammy Award winning musicians. As an actor, her credits include The Penguin (HBO), Manifest (Netflix), Gossip Girl (HBO Max), Billions (Showtime), Divorce (HBO), The Knick (Cinemax), Great Kills (Tubi), and numerous independent films.
She has taught filmmaking, choreography, and dance at New York University, Fordham University, Smith College, Berklee NYC, Broadway Dance Center, Joffrey Ballet School, The Place (London), Dance Base Scotland, San Francisco State University, LINES Ballet, and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. She served as the 2024–2025 Teaching Artist in Residence and Arts Entrepreneurship Fellow at the NYU Wasserman Center for Career Development in residence at the NYU Production Lab. She holds an M.A. in Filmmaking from New York University, a B.F.A. in Ballet Performance from the University of Utah, and trained at the School of the Hartford Ballet.
Current directing projects include RHYTHM OR SMOOTH, THERE AND NOW, THE SCAFFOLDER'S WIFE, TAKE YOUR TEETH OUT, I DREAM OF HAZEL, and additional feature films and television projects in development. She is also attached as the book writer of a forthcoming musical adaptation of a feature film and an original television series.
Make sure to check out Eila's book, "The Tony Awards", and all her other amazing books: https://amzn.to/43WMu5Y.
Connect with Eila and Bruce:
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Eila @eilamell
Bruce @cominghomewithbruce
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