Due to an overwhelming response and demand, Artmistice president Sonia Clarke will be teaching more classes starting January. Take a look at the following studios for more information:
Author Archives: Artmistice Dance
Thank you to our passionate artists
As this year comes to a close, we would like to thank all of those who participated in our Passion Portrait project this past year. Your stories and thoughts were an inspiration to us and to those with whom you were so generous in sharing your passion. You can see all the Passion Portraits on our website in our blog section and keep an eye out for the last of our portraits before the end of the year.
Happy Holidays from everyone at Artmistice!
We would like to wish everyone a festive holiday season filled with joy and cherished moments with your loved ones. Thank you for all your support and all the best for a happy and prosperous New Year!
Aged to Perfection
I recently had the honour of attending the International Body Music Festival in Istanbul with dancer and choreographer Sandy Silva. I have always had tremendous love and respect for her and her work, especially having been involved in her latest labour of love which took all of two years to develop. Being from a more mature generation of dancers, I feel that we share a similar relationship with dance that only comes with age and experience.
The landscape of dance education has changed immensely in the past couple of decades, with technology spearheading the way dancers learn and demonstrate their skills. With dance being more accessible online, anyone can watch and learn almost instantly, without leaving their home. It’s a remarkable thing, but not without certain consequences that can affect the standards and traditions of our industry. The basic rules, etiquette, discipline, and professionalism learned in the classroom are often lost or undervalued; customs that can severely affect one’s chances of getting good and steady work. As mature dancers and educators, we live and work by a code that must be carried on to future generations in order to maintain a certain level of respect in our industry.
This has been a milestone year in my life and I have never been so proud to be a mature dancer and to be surrounded by so many who still work and create, not despite having aged, but using experience as their principal asset. As art imitates life, our experiences are what contribute most to the growth in our interpretation of dance and they are what enriches our performance. Much of it has to do with intention. As Sandy puts it, “what becomes more important is not what you can do or how much you can do. It’s being clearer with what you want to say. You’re more efficient, more concerned with really connecting with the audience. It’s not ‘let me show you what I can do’.”
It is the consciousness of fleeting moments that lend to a heightened appreciation for what we do. “The thing about dance is that it’s temporary” says Sandy. “With age, you really appreciate it. You know that everything has an end. You don’t take anything for granted. There is that feeling of the temporary in the present.”
There was a time when dancers were afraid of getting older; counting the years they have left to their career. However, some traditions are meant to be broken. Dance, its interpretation, its appreciation, its creation, does not have an expiry date. If anything, like waiting for a fine wine to age, it only gets better with time.
Passion Portrait: Tudor Radulescu
TUDOR RADULESCU-
ARCHITECT-
I decided quite late in CEGEP to study architecture. I was headed towards something colder, more mathematical. However, I needed something more, something between science and art. We have the right to allow ourselves to dream, to do things differently. Architecture, with its technique and details, is an art. It’s creation.
In the morning, I have butterflies in my stomach. I have a desire to work. And it’s not for the aesthetics, but for the appreciation of the everyday people who pass by our creations. Just because we may see something every day doesn’t mean that it needs to be mundane. The right to dream is something that stands out because people often have a tendency to do repetitive things.
For those who are interested in architecture, I want to tell them that they can allow themselves to do things differently; you just need to have the will and you mustn’t be afraid. Architecture is a wonderful profession that deserves to be pursued. If you think you’re not good enough of an illustrator, rest assured, that’s something that can be learned- as long as the desire and passion are there.
To find out more:
Website: www.kanva.ca
Facebook page.
Congratulations Giulia and Tripoli Studios
Congratulations to our friend Giulia Tripoli on the opening of her studio, Tripoli Studios. Located at 1350 Mazurette near the Marché Central, the studio offers drop-in classes every day. Check out the website or the studio’s Facebook page for more information. We wish Giulia much luck and success!
Artmistice Goes Bollywood
A big thank you to Ina Bhowmick for her stunning Bollywood choreography recently presented at a fundraising event by the Lise Watier Foundation, helping women in need. Ina is a long-time contributor to the Artmistice Production Company, and we are truly grateful for the talent, professionalism, creativity, and spice she brings to Artmistice family.
Portrait Passion: Kim Barr
KIM BARR-
FILM DIRECTOR-
It’s always an interesting question for me: “why do I do what I do?” I guess at the heart of it is the desire to tell stories.
When I was a fashion photographer my editorials always looked liked film stills. One day it occurred to me that with a motion picture camera, not only could I capture the movement I tried to create in my photos using odd angles and framing, but I could also fill in the gaps of the story I was telling. So, one thing lead to another and I started making films.
When I am working on a script, or editing another writer’s script before production, I always ask myself if this is the most authentic way I can tell this story. And, if not, what can I draw from in my own experience to make it so? The best films for me are those where you just know that the scriptwriter and/or filmmaker have been on a journey that informs the story you see unfolding on screen. It doesn’t matter if it is a romantic comedy, buddy film, animation, or a great drama- it must ring true. This is much easier said than done and I can’t say that I have mastered it, and maybe I never will, but I love trying – which is probably an indication that it is my life’s work.
To find out more:
Website: www.kimbarr.com
Facebook page
Sonia Clarke Teaching at Ballet Divertimento
Artmistice President Sonia Clarke will be teaching adult jazz classes every Monday evening at Ballet Divertimento from August 27th. Sonia is thrilled of the opportunity as are many former students and dancers throughout Montreal who have been eagerly awaiting her return to teaching.
The Arts: A Worthwhile Investment
It has been a year since Artmistice repositioned and reinvented itself as a more solid commercial performing arts organization. I am proud of what we have accomplished this past year and the great strides we’ve taken in reasserting ourselves in the industry. Looking back, it required a significant amount of funding and risk; but the fact of the matter is worthwhile endeavours and successes usually do. However, the rewards and the results have been more than positive and certainly effective.
Having worked in the industry quite some time before starting the company, we had accumulated the necessary resources and are fortunate enough to be in a position to reinvest in ourselves when needed. But what is the situation like for those just starting out? Or those who have hit a wall and do not have the resources to revamp their business?
Funding for the arts is, without fail, always one of the first things to be cut during an economic downturn. The perception that art is not a lucrative business tends to create an unwillingness to invest in the arts, or rather invest in new artists. The companies who get the support and have had time to prove themselves continue to receive funding past the moment where they have become self-sufficient, likely by hiring professional grant application writers, taking away much needed resources to develop new talent. It is not so much a question of cutting the funds available to artists anymore, but where existing funds are going. When the potential interest and consequent value of an artist’s work becomes secondary to how well their application is written, there is a problem.
As a company, we went the commercial route believing that if what we do continues to be interesting, people will pay for it. The perception that art is not a lucrative business is just that: a perception. And it is a wrong one. Look at Montreal’s summer festivals, New York’s Broadway scene, London’s West End, the art museums of Europe… Art should be regarded by the governments, society, and corporate investors as an investment and not a write-off. If art were treated like any other business; with funds going to artists and organizations that truly need it, allowing the more successful ones to self-finance, it may just have a chance to thrive as a viable economic contributor.
