She’s all about the Long Beach arts

Brooke Robyn Dairman has long been one of the most influential figures in Long Beach’s arts community. Known for her dedication to the performing arts, she is a leader in youth theater and dance education, and for all that she has done for young people eager to develop their talents, the Herald is proud to name Dairman its 2024 Person of the Year.

From her beginnings as a young dancer to her co-founding of the Professional Youth Theatre and becoming co-director of the Dance Loft, Dairman, 42, has always been driven by a passion for helping young people grow and mature by way of the arts. Through her love of performance, she helps shape young dancers into not only well-rounded performers, but well-rounded people as well.

Dairman’s passion for dance developed early. She was raised in Oceanside, and started dancing at age 5. It wasn’t until she was a teenager, however, that she decided to pursue dance more seriously. After researching nearby studios where she could expand her skills, she discovered the Dance Loft, on West Park Avenue in Long Beach.

After graduating from Oceanside High School in 2000, Dairman studied anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania, and then earned a master’s degree in social work at Columbia University. Although the focus of her education was seemingly unrelated to theater and dance, she has found it invaluable. Anthropology, she said, taught her how to listen to and understand people, skills she applies to acting and directing. And social work, she said, equipped her with the tools to support young performers through their personal challenges.

“I never thought to myself that I could make a career of this — it just didn’t strike me,” Dairman said of the performing arts. “And so now I’m in my early 20s, and thinking to myself, I really love musical theater, I’m pretty good at it, maybe we could do this, we’re in New York City, let’s give this a go. Kind of as a surprise to me, that totally took off.”

Dairman toured nationally with theater productions including “Peter Pan,” “Damn Yankees,” “All Shook Up,” “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and “Hello, Dolly!” performing in the ensembles. The tours gave her experience as a performer, and as a member of a larger creative team. In 10 years on the road, Dairman worked alongside seasoned professionals, learning the ins and outs of big-time theater.

She returned to the Dance Loft as an instructor in 2014. That year, she met Erica Asher, a graduate of Syracuse University’s prestigious musical theater program and the mother of one of her students. They shared a passion for theater, and they co-founded Professional Youth Theatre, on East Walnut Street, driven by a vision to create a space where young people could nurture their artistic talents while gaining self-confidence and building life skills such as teamwork.

Johanna Mathieson, the executive director of Long Beach’s Artists in Partnership, met Dairman in 2014, and immediately recognized her vision and passion. Their friendship has grown since then, along with Mathieson’s admiration for Dairman.

“She’s such a generous spirit,” Mathieson said. “Every time she gets a new group of students coming in, you feel the inspiration, joy and love that she gives them. Everyone has these dreams, but not all of them are willing to put in the kind of work that goes into getting there. So she does it every single day. She makes it work. And that’s such a great quality.”

Professional Youth Theatre stages fall and spring musicals, offering junior and senior productions as well as several cabaret and showcase performances each year. While students can take classes there, at the Dance Loft or both, participation in PYT productions requires taking classes in singing, acting or dancing. There are vocal classes, private voice lessons and acting classes, while the Dance Loft, PYT’s sister program, offers dance training.

Ellie Steier, 11, of Long Beach, is one of the students who have learned at both the theater and the Dance Loft. She has been a student there since she was 6, and began dancing competitively when she was 7. While she and her fellow dancers are most definitely students, she said, everyone is like a family.

“I definitely look up to her — she’s like a family member,” Ellie said of Dairman. “I’m very close with her. Before every year, we have a talk. We get new team members, we lose some team members, so we have this talk about being a team, and then it turns into, like, a whole therapy session. She definitely helps us express our emotions, and we’re all comfortable with each other, especially in front of Miss Brooke,” as Dairman is known to her students.

With Dairman and Asher’s leadership, the PYT program flourished, and the theater became known for both its high-quality productions and its supportive, community-centered environment.

In 2021, Asher died of breast cancer, leaving a void in the program — and in Dairman’s life. She had been not only a business partner, but also a trusted friend.

“I remained super close with her daughter, who’s now in college, so her legacy continues, and we’ve seen so many kids grow up and pursue professional musical theater,” Dairman said. “Actually, our first student who graduated is currently on a national tour. So, we’re so proud, and I know Erica would have been so proud of her.”

Dairman has taken on a more central role in guiding PYT in recent years, but she continues to emphasize the importance of the program’s collaborative spirit, with teachers and students alike operating without egos and working together toward a shared vision. This collective approach has created a sense of stability, enabling PYT to continue growing and maintaining professional standards while honoring the foundation that Dairman and Asher built.

The program is also marking its 10-year anniversary in 2024. To celebrate, it is relaunching a summer camp program it had paused in recent years. Next year, the camp will produce “Grease,” a musical that PYT has not staged before. The relaunch of the camp is part of the theater’s efforts to expand its offerings for young performers.

“My favorite thing about this job is that, unlike schoolteachers, who have a student maybe for a year, maybe they get them for two years, I take these kids from the time they’re 5 years old and then I get to see them graduate,” Dairman said. “That’s wild, that I get to see them go through every phase of their life, and spend a significant amount of time with them and have an impact. That’s just my favorite part of the job by far, being able to be a mentor as they develop.”

Dairman’s leadership, especially following the loss of Asher, has been instrumental in Professional Youth Theatre’s continued success.  Despite the challenges, she has remained focused on ensuring that the program not only survives, but thrives. More than just a theater program, it has become an integral part of the Long Beach arts scene, and Dairman’s impact has been felt far beyond the stage. She continues to build a legacy of community-building and creativity, and a commitment to giving back.

Additional reporting by Brendan Carpenter.