Brittany Perry-Russell: Dancer, Actress & Choreographer

Brittany Perry-Russell is a Texas-born dancer, choreographer, actress and producer whose career spans music tours, television, film and digital media. She has performed with artists including Beyoncé, Rihanna and Chris Brown, appeared in 13 Reasons Why, Family Reunion and We Can Be Heroes, and is the mother of actor Isaiah Russell-Bailey.

Brittany Perry-Russell Quick Facts

From Texas Training to the Commercial Dance Industry

Brittany Perry-Russell began training in ballet, tap and jazz at age four and later expanded into additional styles including African, salsa, contemporary, hip-hop and modern. At eleven, she moved into competitive cheerleading and won national championships before making commercial dance her professional focus.

An early career biography published by DancePlug notes that legendary choreographer and director Debbie Allen encouraged Perry-Russell to pursue dance professionally. She later relocated to Los Angeles and trained at The Edge Performing Arts Center. In Dance Mogul’s own 2020 interview, Brittany recalled that her first major professional jobs were with Jennifer Lopez and Usher.

Her performance career ultimately put her on stages and in music projects with a broad roster of artists. Current professional biographies list credits with Beyoncé, Rihanna, Chris Brown, Pharrell, Dua Lipa, Cardi B, Selena Gomez and others, while earlier career materials also document work connected to Michael Jackson, Ciara, Ne-Yo, Diddy, Nelly, Cher and 50 Cent.

How Brittany Perry-Russell Landed Honey 2

Perry-Russell’s transition from dancer to actress includes one of the strongest stories in her career. According to DancePlug’s profile, she did not have an appointment or a pass to enter the studio lot for the Honey 2 audition. She found a way into the room, read for the producers and won the role of Lyric. The character was later expanded, giving her a larger acting opportunity while still drawing on her dance background.

That crossover became a pattern. She moved between dance jobs and screen roles rather than treating the two disciplines as separate careers.

Acting Career: 13 Reasons Why, Family Reunion and We Can Be Heroes

Perry-Russell’s acting credits stretch from film appearances such as Tropic Thunder, The Campaign and Sparkle to television work including Glee, Grey’s Anatomy, Fresh Off the Boat, CSI: NY and Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why. In 13 Reasons Why, she appeared as Tracy Porter, the wife of school counselor Kevin Porter.

She later appeared in Netflix’s Family Reunion, the series that made her son Isaiah Russell-Bailey widely known as Shaka McKellan. In Robert Rodriguez’s 2020 Netflix film We Can Be Heroes, Brittany played Red Lightning Fury while Isaiah played Rewind. The real-life mother and son became the first mother-son duo to portray superheroes together in a feature film.

More recent screen credits include appearances in Landman and Palm Royale in 2025, showing that her acting career continues alongside choreography and producing.

Selected Film, Television and Creative Credits

Choreography and Work Behind the Camera

Brittany’s choreography credits include Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, The CW’s All American, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team and the Viola Davis pilot Black Don’t Crack. That range reflects a career built on understanding movement for both live performance and the camera.

Her work has also expanded into producing. A current Los Angeles Contemporary Dance Company biography notes that by 2024 Perry-Russell had partnered with Anonymous Content to develop her first feature film, Cliqueless. The move fits the multi-hyphenate path she has followed throughout her career: performer, choreographer, actor and increasingly creator behind the camera.

Brittany Perry-Russell as Isaiah Russell-Bailey’s Mother and Creative Partner

Brittany Perry-Russell is Isaiah Russell-Bailey’s mother. Isaiah grew up around her sets and rehearsals, later becoming her co-star and dance partner. Their shared screen credits include Family Reunion and We Can Be Heroes, while their dance and comedy content became a separate creative outlet for the pair.

Dance Mogul documented that partnership directly in 2020. In our exclusive interview, Brittany described the importance of family, professional discipline, building a strong team and continuing to work on one’s craft. She also explained that creating dance content with Isaiah gave them a way to connect creatively while spending more time together.

The renewed attention around Isaiah Russell-Bailey’s family has introduced new audiences to Brittany Perry-Russell, but her story extends far beyond a family connection. Her decades of work across dance, choreography, acting and producing establish a creative legacy of her own — while her partnership with Isaiah shows how that experience has carried forward into another generation.

From the DMM Archive: Brittany Perry-Russell in Her Own Story

Read the complete original interview: Brittany Perry Russell & Isaiah Russell Bailey | The Ultimate Mother & Son Entertainment Duo.

Frequently Asked Questions About Brittany Perry-Russell

Last editorial verification: September 4, 2026. Dance Mogul Magazine will update this profile as new verified career information becomes available.