EARLY LIFE

American artist Bret Bourman spent his childhood in the dance studios of New York. His parents, Rosalia Kurowska (Soloist, ABT, Borovonsky Ballet Theater, et al.) and Frank Bourman (Associate Artistic Director, Royal Winnipeg Ballet and Recipient of Massachusetts’ Elliot Norton Award – Boston Ballet/City Dance), provided a rich cultural environment. The family considered artistic pursuits to be extremely beneficial for everyone. As a toddler, Bourman was given art supplies and placed under the pianoforte while his parents worked in rehearsal studios and theater stages. There, he developed an ear for music and an eye for human proportion, anatomical structure, movement, rhythm, light, plane, and proscenium framed compositions.

When Bourman’s parents separated, he relocated to California with his mother where Rosalia continued to perform and teach. She remarried to a master craftsman from England who specialized in finished cabinetry & antique restoration. It was from his step-father that Bourman learned the subtleties of color, tone and value, paint manufacturing, support structuring, mould making and conservation techniques.

At the age of thirteen, Bourman was engaged as an illustrator, drawing newspaper advertisements for furniture manufacturers in Santa Ana, California. His step-father, having introduced him to his professional associates, thought it would be a way for Bourman to keep busy in his own right and to begin financial contribution to the family.

ADOLESCENCE

Bourman procured gallery representation as a fine artist two and a half years later, as soon as he was old enough to drive his grandmother’s car. The 1960 Buick Le Sabre enabled him to travel to Laguna Beach, California where he met and viewed local artists, hung out sketching at the shore, and began exhibiting at Ruth Mayer’s gallery. Ms. Mayer hung Bourman’s portrayals of dancers and he produced for her as often as he could during his latter high school years. Ms. Mayer was very encouraging. She let him know he was the youngest she had ever represented at the time.

During high school, Bourman engaged in theater and music. This was at the time when financial support of the arts in public education would first be cutback in the U.S. He performed with The Young Americans in summer stock and made backdrop painting for its tribute tour-production, Gershwin, celebrating the music of George and Ira Gershwin. Out of high school, Bourman added the study of ballet as an art form to his endeavors. He had grown up looking at and rendering its form, and he decided to put himself to it. He was very aware that he was at an age that would prohibit accomplishment in it if he didn’t begin, then.

EARLY ADULTHOOD

He began the rigors of physical training in the studios of the Long Beach Ballet. He designed and constructed stage sets and backdrops for the company’s productions of Coppélia and The Sleeping Beauty in exchange for tuition at its school. Bourman also performed in the corps de ballet, and later in Demi-soloist’s roles with the company in Coppélia and The Nutcracker. He took his savings from his continuing art sales and returned to New York for further training with Leon Danielian (Director, American Ballet Theatre School). Danielian soon took a position as Program Director at University of Texas at Austin and Bourman went on to Minneapolis, MN to study with his father at Dancer’s Place—a school his father had founded with partner/choreographer, Larry Hayden. Bourman spent the next year in intensive training. During that time, he created graphic designs for the company, continued portrait commissions, performed ensemble works, and was engaged for the premiere season of The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St. Paul, MN.

Upon returning to California, his mother encouraged him to continue his studies with her colleague Maestro Richard Adama (Vienna Staatsoper Ballet, Austria, and others) at Hal O Neal’s Institute of Dance Arts. After continued master classes and summer intensives, Maestro Adama called Bourman at home one Tuesday evening to let him know that a colleague of his, Heinz Weitz (Artistic Director, Opernhaus Kiel), had an opening for a dancer in northern Germany. He asked Bourman if he would be interested in the placement, to which Bourman replied, “I’ll have to speak with my family about it. Leaving the country is a big decision.” Adama said, “Yes. Call me back in ten minutes. You’ll leave on Thursday.”

EUROPE

Bourman performed under union contract with Opernhaus Kiel that next season and then accepted a contract from Lothar Höfgen (Artistic Director, Niedersächsischen Staatsoper, Hanover). In Hanover, Bourman ascended rank, becoming Soloist in residence at the state capital of Lower Saxony, Germany. He partnered with Britta Knocke (Principal Dancer, Hanover Ballet) and Sonia Santiago (Principal Dancer, Stuttgart Ballet). Bourman performed principal roles in Höfgen’s original work, The Ox on the Roof, Thorsten Kreissig’s The Magic Flute, Emma Diamond’s But Yet I love, Fayçal Bensaid’s Encounter, as well as performances in Cinderella, Nutcracker, Petrushka and others. Bourman traveled extensively throughout Europe for his continued studies of painters who were of greatest importance to him.

USA

Bourman toured the country performing as Guest Artist with New Mexico Ballet, Westside Ballet, Nouveau Chamber, Pacific Northwest Ballet and others. During his theatrical career, he created stage designs for ballet and musical theatre, portraiture, and commissions.

Bourman retired from dance and continued drawing and painting from his studio in Malibu, California. In addition to small scale works, he was commissioned to paint murals and create installations in both private and commercial sectors.

He soon discovered that he was unable to enter into agreements with certain larger commercial venues without California State Licensure. Due to growing industry demands, he apprenticed and segued into becoming a licensed building contractor.

Bourman founded Footprints—a boutique architectural design and construction company which facilitated his artistic pursuits on a larger scale, including the construction of custom residential and commercial spaces with an emphasis on artful style. The company serviced private cliental in the entertainment industry as well as corporate work with companies like Wild Oats, Wells Fargo Bank, Disney, Kodak Theater Hollywood Highland and as seen on HGTV.

Bourman’s works have been internationally curated for exhibitions and private collections including, Rudolf Nureyev, Laura San Giacomo, Rod McKuen, Milton C. Anderson, Fowler Museum, University of Tehran, The City of Hollywood, LʼOpéra National de Paris, Ursa Major Gallery, and others.