Brett Sewell is the Blueprint
From BRIT School to BRIT Awards:
Photographer KIT IBBOTT // BTS & Videographer SIENNA DAWN // Styling RHYS MARCUS JAY // Stylist Assistant JEMIMA STERN // MUA AMINAT BOLJI // Hair JAMILA NANOZZI // Curly Hair Prep DILLAN BAWAMIA // Management @IMAGEATSTM // Day Assistant HANNAH RENTON
It’s the summer of 2025. You’re in Wembley Stadium. You’ve lined up for hours to get a good spot in the crowd (not to mention the seemingly endless Ticketmaster queues that you waited in to get the ticket in the first place). Lana Del Ray’s music swells through the stadium, hypnotic and soulful. As her ethereal lyrics fill Wembley, you glimpse the duet on stage. You can’t look away. Two bodies, carried by the music. Lana and a dancer. As Lana’s lyrics implore, the dancing continues. She sings… Dance me all around the room. They move, as if held together in a dream. Her voice echoes… Spin me like a ballerina. And the dancing still continues. You’re genuinely awestruck. Mesmerised by the performance. It’s as if the song was given a human form. Their dancing becomes the literal embodiment of the music. Your eyes stay fixed on the dancer. You tell yourself you have to find out who he is after the show. You must learn more.
Words MIRANNE WATLEY
The dancer, of course, is Brett Sewell. Whether you saw him on tour with Lana, at the BRITS with Harry Styles, or at Mighty Hoopla with Kelly Rowland, you will know his undeniable stage presence. Earlier this month, MOVES sat down with Brett to talk about how he has navigated the dance industry, discussing his backstage experiences and some of the pivotal moments in his career. For example, Brett revealed how the tour with Lana was filled with long solo drives across the UK, as he balanced his commitments across multiple jobs. “I was driving from Birmingham to London to shoot, then straight back to Birmingham for rehearsals, and then on to Cardiff… It was the most crazy time.”
“Be open and honest about how you’re feeling. If you’re inspired by someone, tell them.”
full look - KWAKU JOSEPH // shoes - UGGS
Brett also emphasised how much he values his friendships, and how they have matured from training into his career. His relationship with Dean Lee, for example, began when 13-year-old Brett started his Thursday evening jazz classes and has evolved from a student/teacher dynamic into an enduring friendship. “He’s seen me through growing up. He’s helped me in so many ways that I’m thankful for.” Brett discussed the friends he trained with as well, crediting Sundays at TNG for introducing him to one of his now best friends. “It’s beautiful to have people really riding for you.”
Regardless of whether Brett's telling us his go-to song before performances (and its a banger btw) or how he likes to spend his days off in London (no surprise, it’s in a dance class), Brett brought a grounded perspective and genuine warmth to everything he shared. Across training, career milestones, and passion, Brett really is the blueprint.
Can you introduce yourself?
“My name is Brett Sewell. I am a dancer, creative, and choreographer from London… South London, specifically. I love South London!”
What was your first job that got you into the commercial dance industry?
“There’s two that pop out for me. One was Cinderella. It was an Amazon movie with Ashley Wallen and it was beautiful because I had looked up to him for years. Also working with Dua Lipa for the BRITS was my first mainstream artist stage performance. It was with an incredible American choreographer, Charm La’Donna. I remember walking into the room and thinking oh my gosh this is America in a room. I’ve always known that I want to transition to the States, so being in that environment was wild to me.
Weirdly, I also graduated and started working during Covid so the jobs felt even more special because we were put into Covid bubbles. It was crazy being with all of the professional dancers that I’d watched on TV or in classes.”
What advice would you give to dancers who are the newcomers on a job, especially working with people that they look up to?
“Be open and honest about how you’re feeling. If you’re inspired by someone, tell them. I’ll never forget when I said that to Jenny Griffin. We ended up having one of the most beautiful conversations where she gave me so much advice.”
“I want to be everything that I’ve ever dreamed of and I want to be everything that my parents have ever dreamed for me.”
blazer - STYLISTS’ OWN // trousers - BURBERRY // shoes - DR. MARTENS
Do you have a standout moment from your career so far?
“It’s a weird one because it’s not a performance, but a highlight was working with Janet Jackson. Dean Lee is Janet’s choreographer so when she’s in London they have rehearsals and he brought me into the room with her. We workshopped what was, at the time, her tour, and then went on to be her residency. There’s a magic in the room with someone of that calibre.
I also did Mighty Hoopla with Kelly Rowland and that, again, had this close feeling. Of course, being obsessed with Destiny’s Child since I was young also made it very special. There have been so many beautiful and amazing moments, but it’s the more intimate settings where you get a different feeling.”
What’s the funniest or craziest memory you have of a job?
“I’ve got two that stick out. I was dressed as a cookie on The Masked Singer… It's a fun, family show. And, I remember running across the stage as this dancing cookie. It was so fun and also very endearing to be able to do the silliest of things and just enjoy it. I was a dancing bush as well one week and had to crawl over the floor. There were so many funny moments like that on the job. And, I got to work with Elizabeth Honan who’s one of the best creative directors in the UK. Period. She’s incredible.
Another funny, but definitely high pressure, moment was on tour with Lana. We were in sound check on the Wembley stage and I heard Lana through my in-ears. She says can you dance with me?, and she’s just standing there. She’s like a fairy, she jumped into my arms. We ended up improvising a 2 minute partner work piece. It was an amazing experience but also really terrifying knowing I had to deliver. After we finished she said okay, we’re going to do that tonight, so we rehearsed maybe 20 minutes before the show started. There was an overwhelming feeling of trust and it was amazing knowing my mum and friends were watching that night in London.”
“There have been so many beautiful and amazing moments, but it’s the more intimate settings where you get a different feeling.”
shirts - SAUL NASH // trousers - KWAKU JOSEPH // shoes - DR. MARTENS // gloves - STYLISTS’ OWN
Talk us through what a day on tour looks like for you.
“I wake up and get some breakfast. If I have time before rehearsals, I go to the gym, just to warm up my body. Then I’ll go to rehearsals and, after, I’ll head back to the hotel and chill. On show days, I like to do something to calm my mind, like go to a spa. Then we have sound check and figure out the new venue. The hour or two before the show, I’ll stretch or go over any notes. Then I like to meditate, really zen out, so I know I’m ready to give the best show possible.”
And what about a day in your life between jobs?
“I still love to go to the gym in the morning but if I don’t gym, I’ll take a fitness class. I love a HIIT workout class and I love going to Barry’s (but I hate running and make sure to avoid it so I don’t mess up my knees). Recently, I’ve also been into infrared pilates and hot yoga. It’s really important for us to treat our bodies with kindness and stay ready.
I’m a sucker for a coffee shop and getting my matcha. Admin for me is never-ending, so I’ll do 2-3 hours of admin, maybe plan out my social media. Also, I always make sure to train. I try to take at least three classes a week and if I can’t spread them out, I’ll do a full day of training. And I spend time with my family and friends. I’ve got siblings so I like to check in with them.”
Can you tell us about some of the friendships you’ve made through dance?
“My best friend, LaShay, and I went to BRIT School together. We’ve seen each other training since we were 14 or 15. Saying what we want to do, who we want to dance for, and who we want to become. I met my other best friend, Joy, at a training academy called TNG. Me, LaShay, and Joy trained there together… We’re a unit of three. I’ve also met other really close friends on jobs or in classes. It’s always been very organic, and the luxury of being a dancer is that we all have something in common. We’re not competing against each other, we’re growing together.
You’ve managed to build really popular social media accounts. What’s the power of these digital platforms for dancers?
Social media is about reaching as many people as possible. If I reach someone in Brazil or South Korea or Japan, whilst being in London, and make them feel something… that’s one of the most powerful things I can do. I get messages from kids in Brazil who have done my dances saying I look like them and they dance like me. We say this all the time but dance is a universal language. When you move to a song, it makes you feel something. For example, my nan is not a good dancer… well she would tell you differently… but she’s not a professional dancer. She can still move and evoke something though. When I watch her dance, I start dancing as well. So it’s all about connection.”
“It’s always been very organic, and the luxury of being a dancer is that we all have something in common. We’re not competing against each other, we’re growing together.”
Do you have a song that always gets you dancing?
“My hype song is Savage featuring Beyoncé, especially Beyoncé’s verse. It’s the song I listen to before I go on stage. She says Big B and that B stand for bands but I remix it to say Big B and that B stands for Brett. It’s my song. It makes me go crazy, so it’s the go-to.”
How has dance helped with your identity and self-confidence?
“When I was younger, dancing was the only thing that gave me… that feeling. Before BRIT, I was in a school where I couldn’t be myself. At the time, I wasn’t out as gay and it was a big part of my identity that I was hiding. I didn’t know who I was. Dance surrounded me with people who understood me and saw my talent. Dance helped me connect so deeply with myself, to become this version of Brett, and that’s something I am forever grateful for.”
What’s coming next in your career?
“Next for me is America. Of course, I’m so grateful for London, it’s my home, but it's really important for me to spread my wings and just… grab my dreams with both hands. It’s a really exciting time.
Also, teaching! Educating and consistently selling out classes here has really helped me realise the special essence that I bring to the table. Not just as a dancer, but specifically as a teacher. It’s been a meaningful step and I’m so grateful to continue it with a teaching residency at PLAYGROUND LA. When I’m teaching, all of my commercial jobs come together. I feel lucky to have had such incredible experiences that have shaped me into the teacher I’ve always aspired to be.
I want to be everything that I’ve ever dreamed of and I want to be everything that my parents have ever dreamed for me. My mum and dad have always said that no dream is too big, especially when you put your whole heart into it.”