HANGING ONTO THE LIGHT…
BRINGING SPIRITUAL FITNESS TO CLASSICAL DANCE
Yoga as a spiritual discipline fully supports dance, which is both a physical and spiritual manifestation of our humanity. When the yogi and dancer in us meet the interplay of their energies gives birth to a theater fueled not by their search for stardom, but by their quest for the betterment of humanity. The ultimate purpose of yoga is to prepare practitioners to develop a personal discipline and daily yoga practice in order to exercise introspection, build self-awareness and ultimately achieve growth. My purpose as a classical dancer is to demonstrate the integration of two wonderful disciplines, yoga and dance, not so much from a physical perspective, but from an inner-personal perspective that exemplifies a genuine respect for the human spirit. All dancers can not only transform themselves into superior human beings, but most importantly, contribute to transform the consciousness of all those involved in the dance industry, that is dancers, choreographers, and producers. We live in the 21st century; times are changing, and so must we. We live in a dark ages all over again, so would it not be wonderful to see a rebirth of the performing arts that would help us all on our journey from darkness into light? For if the theater of this 21st century is not of an uplifting nature, then theater will remain in a black box, physically and metaphorically, and that would be just plain too much darkness.
WE LIVE IN TIMES OF A GREAT PARADOX: LOCKDOWNS BRING US FREEDOM!
FROM THE BLACKBOX THEATER TO THE GREAT OUTDOORS ACTUALLY MEANS MOVING AWAY FROM AN EMPHASIS ON THE EXTERNAL (SET, COSTUMES, PHYSICAL BODIES) TO A JOURNEY WITHIN, TO OUR INNERMOST SPIRITUALITY.
IT’S NOT ABOUT COMPETITION IN BEAUTY OR DEXTERITY OF MOVEMENT. IT’S ABOUT BLENDING IN, NOT ABOUT STANDING OUT. IT’S ABOUT SOLIDARITY AND COMPANIONSHIP IN BEAUTY.
THE REBIRTH OF BALLET AS A STREET ART, AS A PUBLIC ART IS BLOSSOMING ALL OVER THE WORLD ON ACCOUNT OF THAT NEWLY GAINED FREEDOM.
THE SUPREME MIND OF THE UNIVERSE HAS TAKEN OVER. WE ARE BEING GUIDED BY AN INTELLIGENT FORCE THAT SEES WITHER THAN THE LENGTH OF THE HORIZON.
Aside from performing sporadically with Springfield Ballet, Montana Ballet, and San Francisco Lyric Opera, Sylvia’s academic background (Ph.D in Theater and postdoctoral student in the MFA Choreography Program at Mills College) secured her a career in teaching, directing, and choreographing at universities and professional venues. She lives now in New York and is committed to preserving a performing career in ballet commensurate with her talents and abilities (described by the Voice of Dance as “balanced grace with power, her movements capturing both the struggling and elevating nature of the human spirit.”) A woman with a vision for bringing healing to the dance industry and a strong voice too carry it through, Sylvia is becoming a leader with her unique, refreshing and vibrant classical style that demonstrates by example how the elevating nature of a human spirit can create an accomplished artist. However, Sylvia is foremost an educator, and is always eager to share her knowledge, creativity, and love for yoga, ballet and the performing arts through what she considers to be her dearest art form, The Art of Teaching.
SUMMER 2022: YOGA BALLET THEATER ON A TIMELY THEME: PULLING NO STRINGS!
Conceived, choreographed and produced entirely AT HOME during lockdown. For upcoming screening dates: yogaballettheater@gmail.com
NOT A BIG BANG
BUT A BIG BEND!
What we need in the performing arts world is to focus no longer on the Big Productions, the Big Bangs the industry wants to impress the audiences with, but a Big Bend in the right spiritual direction.
Less important are now spectacle, virtuosity, high-end productions. The focus should be now the healing of the industry from its roots up.
This change will require a Big Bend! A bending away from the way we used to go about our business, because that was the way it has always been done. The truth is that the way it has been done has neglected and sacrificed spirituality for fame and money. To turn this around, look at some changes that need to take place. I call this process, not a Big Bang, but a Big Bend!
CLASSES: Yoga, Meditation, Core Strength, Flexibility, Ballet Without Barres.
INQUIRIES: yogaballettheater@gmail.com
