Once in a while – on a surprisingly irregular basis – you meet someone who blows your impression of them off the chart with either their talent, their portfolio of actual executed work, and/ or their ambition and its vividness. Sometimes, they have all three. And usually when that happens, they’re dancers. They not only contrive the material, they present it to you in performance. Sanja Ristic is the perfect example who I by fluke discovered in aNew Yorkcoffee shop.
Visit www.sanjaristic.com to get a taste of this artist. This is the kind of work ethic you’ve got to have to make it in the business. You have to have something cool, but also something uniquely your own that people look at and pause for a second to completely comprehend the concept. Ristic is currently working on a show taking extreme dancers from the ends of New York, the “flexing and bone breaking” style so hidden but so amazing – not to mention picked up by the eyes of Madonna who will be sure to feature these talents in one of her own shows – and Ristic is creating a piece called the Animal Instinct.
This concept of developing and creatively directing a show of your own vision, building it, and taking it on tour around the world may be every dancer’s dream but Ristic proves you can make your own dreams come true, yourself. Making your own material is a long lesson for any performer – if you can’t find work, make work – and this releases the creativity ten-fold because you’re not performing anyone else’s vision, you’re performing yours.
Exceptionally active in the European theatre scene and dance productions, taking note from this role model will open your eyes to the world of opportunity that is literally out there for you to perform for. Pack your PortBarre and get dancing internationally!
– love from J