Artist Statement
I am constantly fascinated by the ways different art forms can be in dialogue with and enrich each other, in how mixing them together can create something bigger than the sum of its parts.
I’ve spent years studying different types of performing arts and in my work as a multidisciplinary artist I bend and blend the limits of theater, music and circus, constantly seeking a gestalt that would engage, thrill and touch audiences everywhere.
In recent years I have focused on contemporary circus, an exciting and relatively new art form that isn't very widespread in America. Most Americans associate circus with tents and elephants but contemporary circus is a whole other animal (no pun intended) – it is a very powerful and not-often-tapped tool for compelling storytelling. This lack of familiarity combined with a relatively under-saturated field leads to highly innovative circus works happening in the US, and I’m proud to be one of those striving to change the landscape of American Performing Arts with creations made through a contemporary circus lens.
When I was an actress and singer, my voice was my main tool; now, when I create my own multidisciplinary works, I thrive on exploring not only what I can say but more so what my body can express without words. The shapes it makes on different apparatuses – more fluid on the fabric of silks, more solid on the bar of a trapeze. Will adding a split to my choreography display flexibility alone, or can I rise beyond it to communicate an emotion? Where does the feat of impressive physical abilities end, and when is the audience able to focus on the story I wish to tell? How can I make them forget the skill and lose themselves in the art?
I find myself spending hours trying to find the right music to an act; contemplating different poses, different transitions, how long will my energy last while I hang high above, in the air, by the strength of my mortal body alone? Will I manage to tell the full story before the lights go out?
Above all, my joy and fascination lie in the combination of voice, body, mind and soul: speaking at times, moving at times, singing, playing an instrument, dancing in air, juggling, using all the tools I have to communicate a story I find worth telling.
Above all, my joy and fascination lie in the combination of voice, body, mind and soul: speaking at times, moving at times, singing, playing an instrument, dancing in air, juggling, using all the tools I have to communicate a story I find worth telling.
