Geri Brown
Director of Commercial Dance and Recruitment Loyola Marymount University
Biography
Geri began her career as the youngest‑ever Director of Recruitment for Pace University’s School of Performing Arts before moving into nonprofit leadership, where she built programs that removed economic barriers in dance education and founded a movement‑based organization centered on performance, mentorship, and youth empowerment. She has since collaborated with hundreds of artists, educators, and institutions to create safer, more equitable, and inclusive learning environments.
In 2023, Geri was recruited by Loyola Marymount University to build a first‑of‑its‑kind program rooted in equity, transparency, and student‑centered training. She went on to found the Equitable Commercial Dance Program, designing a liberatory, identity‑affirming model that has reshaped LMU’s approach to commercial dance education. As the Director of Commercial Dance and Recruitment, she leads program strategy, cross‑functional team development, integrated learning pathways, and the program’s digital storytelling and social media presence. Under her leadership, enrollment has grown significantly, visibility has expanded, and 100% of graduating seniors in 2026 are signed or actively meeting with agencies.
Geri has built deep partnerships with Hollywood choreographers, directors, agents, writers, and industry decision‑makers, bringing their expertise directly into the program to expand opportunities, strengthen industry transparency, and help students build sustainable, long‑term careers. She integrates content creation, narrative strategy, and youth‑centered digital engagement to elevate student work and amplify the program’s impact. Her creative and educational leadership reflects a deep commitment to mentorship, representation, and the transformative power of youth-centered learning.
Education
Pace University
BFA
Musical Theatre
Social
Areas of Expertise
Industry Expertise
Affiliations
- International Association of Dance Medicine and Science
- Actors Equity
- Feel the Beat
- Choreographers Guild
Articles
Six Years in the Making–New Curriculum, New Dance Degrees at Loyola Marymount University
LA Dance ChronicleAnn Haskins
Taryn Vander Hoop: One thing that we really wanted to offer in this curriculum change is commercial dance. Instrumental to this change is Geri Brown, who is the director of commercial dance and recruitment. She has two pivotal roles. She leads a program where she brings in the top industry decision makers, the people who are hiring people, to teach master classes every Friday. She also curates the senior industry showcase, where industry choreographers set work on the students, and then we invite the local agents to come watch them. About 70% of our majors are enrolling in that program. It’s a huge draw. Commercial dance is embedded into our curriculum, and this commercial dance elective is propelling our program forward. Geri also is out at events, talking about LMU dance, really getting the word out about all of these changes. She has made inroads to every dance agency in Southern California. The importance of her role in this curriculum shift cannot be overstated. The 30 or so department lecturers are a dynamic force expanding our ability to respond to the presence and the market for commercial dance in LA particularly.
New Commercial Dance and Professional Opportunities Abound for Students
Campus News2023-04-19
“Traditionally, people from marginalized backgrounds have been told they can only be in certain roles or pieces. Through the decolonization of dance, we can build a new generation of decision makers who think about dance in different ways."


