MARIANNE GIRARD-

VISUAL ARTS-

Marianne Girard website -

“In my case, I don’t really think that I chose to be an artist; I was exposed, at a very young age, to circus arts, dance, and visual arts and the trajectory sort of traced itself.

The uncertain and contractual side of these sectors was instilled in me at a young age, which allowed me to become familiar with the negative sides that some may fear. I had the opportunity to learn very early on to adapt myself to different situations and variables. I was then able to make an informed choice to stay in the field and develop my career towards where I wanted it to go.

It was always obvious to me that there was more positive aspects than negative ones in having a career in the arts. You must, at the very least, have a good tolerance for uncertainty and change, be comfortable working alone (at least in visual arts), and love what you do unconditionally. No matter what career you choose, there will be always challenges and disappointments. However, I have creative freedom and the opportunity to be autonomous and independent. I also have the possibility to work wherever I want without feeling locked down. I love managing my own time and constantly reinventing myself. I also have a strong sense of accomplishment and pride when I create a piece of art from an idea, a feeling, a person into something very unique. I also enjoy what I do for the process of researching and experimenting which is very interesting on a personal level. No limits are imposed other than those that we impose upon ourselves.”

Passion, for those who may not understand it, is a frightening thing. We are easily consumed by it. Those who devote their lives to their passion surrender themselves completely to it, exposing their vulnerabilities, letting it engulf their homes, their lives, and their entire state of being. Passion can make someone become obsessive, neurotic and crazy to let something so abstract dictate our way of life. What others may not see is how the intensity of this passion translates to the immense happiness of fulfilling it, and essentially living our dream. Those who follow their passion are often those who make their dreams come true; those who inch their way closer to their dreams through blood, sweat, and tears. These so-called obsessive, neurotic, crazy people, however, eventually reach that peak; never needing to ask “what if,” never knowing the regret of giving up on a dream or worse, the regret of never even trying at all. There is nothing like the joy, the liberation and the serenity of living your passion, whereby sacrifices are easily forgiven and soon forgotten.

Passion is what we dedicate to 2012. As such, we welcome this New Year by honouring some of the remarkable artists that we are privileged to know. Throughout the year, we will be featuring these artists and their words. We have asked each of them to share their passion with us by telling us why they do what they so lovingly do. We are humbled to be among them and hope that your passion, whatever it may be, continues to inspire you, strengthen you, and bring you unconditional love and joy.

In the Heights is playing at the Toronto Centre for the Arts from February 7-19. Go to www.dancaptickets.com for more information and to book tickets.

As a new year approaches, we have decided to make passion our focus for 2012. Passion is what drives us to succeed and it is what inspires greatness. We truly are passionate about what we do, no matter how big or small our projects may be, and as such our accomplishments are that much more fulfilling.

May 2012 inspire you to follow your passion and may it also bring with it all the joy and promise of new beginnings.

Videos will be up soon. Stay tuned!

After a very short briefing, we were thrown right into the deep end, swinging in the air, back-and-forth and upside down. The experience not only allowed us to overcome certain common fears, but made us aware of how our most internal issues and personality traits could become so physically apparent.

The simple act of trusting a stranger to hold you back on a tiny platform, as you are perched at a 45-degree angle overlooking nothing, then following their instruction to make that jump, took a lot of courage on our part. As you’re swinging across the air, more instructions are yelled up at you to achieve perfect timing, relinquishing all control of your movements. It is all about timing and there is no room for even the slightest hesitation.

It took a few failed attempts, a few falls, but as soon as we were able to just let go, the feeling was exhilarating! By the end of the night, we accomplished much to be proud of and learned a little more about ourselves.

I have never been a very big fan of casting stars as Broadway leads. Too often, whether these actors can really sing and dance is secondary to the seats their names will fill, not to mention all the choreography modifications made to accommodate a star. This brings me back to a production of A Chorus Line I saw where they cast Mario Lopez as Zach, the director/choreographer. It was one of the most painful things I ever had to watch. The fact that the chorus line had to lower their high kicks and their standards to match his did not make him a very credible choreographer. He simply did not have the technique and whatever he could pull off was not clean. Sorry, Mario, but even your sweet dimples couldn’t save you that time.

I witnessed another surprising performance on Broadway that night. John Larroquette, who I hadn’t seen since Night Court, delivered a stellar performance in every way imaginable.

It is not only difficult, but rare to be a successful television or film star on Broadway. The transition from a set to live performance alone can be daunting for those who spent most of their careers on-screen. Also, for the ones who have unshakable screen personas, it is sometimes hard for an audience to see a different character on stage. Nonetheless, I was floored when I saw Chris Rock in The Motherf**ker with the Hat and forgot that he was, well, Chris Rock!

After seeing so many great shows with very recognizable faces, I am humbled and pleased by the real deal triple threats out there; those who can truly act, sing, and dance without compromise. Those who work hard to harness and nurture their talents in different ways, yet still find the time and energy to maintain their first career. Those who champion the arts by continuing to better themselves, even after they’ve already “made it.” They truly are stars.

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Current and upcoming celebrities on Broadway:

1. Kim Cattrall - Private Lives
2. Harry Connick Jr. – On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
3. Darren Criss – How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

We don’t want to give away too much about this really special event, so we’ll let the pictures and video speak for themselves. Stay tuned, these will be up soon.