“Everything that happens in my personal life affects my art. I would not call my work a direct literal expression of my life, but daily challenges and triumphs surface through the work. I am really happy with the place I am at creatively, personally, and professionally. I thank God everyday for that” states Smaczny.
Artistic Director, Carrie Smaczny, is volunteering her time to teach Pilates and stretch at a women’s homeless shelter for the next three months. “It is important for me to share my knowledge about the body. I am excited about the opportunity give class to these special women in Santa Monica, CA.”
“Volunteer work is so important for our communities. I have worked with numerous organizations over the years: The Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Boys & Girls Club, University of California Irvine, Texas Christian University, Richstone, Fountain Hills Public School District, Arizona Commission on the Arts, Phoenix Public School District, Scottsdale Public School District, Orange County High School of the Arts (OCHSA), Hype Dance Studios, Loretta Livingston & Dancers, and Scottsdale Center for the Arts. I have taught dance classes, created programs for performances, and organized events.”
“Volunteer work has always been a part of what I do, I can’t image not giving back to the community” states Carrie Smaczny.
“Music is the biggest inspiration for my work”, states Carrie Smaczny, Artistic Director of Grounding Point Dance Company. ”I love all types of music from Country, Classical, Pop, R & B, Hip Hop, Jazz, Blues, Alternative, Indie, and Punk. I first discover my love of music and dance as a middle schooler listening to Run DMC and Young MC. I learned all the cool moves on MTV, and I especially loved Paula Abdul. My tastes shifted in High School when I was immersed in Phoenix, AZ local music scene going to concerts and enjoying alternative music. My friends and I went to many concerts Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Courtney Love, Cranberries, REM, Blind Melon, Gim Blossoms (AZ Band), Phunk Junkies (AZ Band), 311, Sound Garden and this could go on and on. We even got to meet some of the bands too. What struck me most about this time of my life was being drawn to the performance of live music. It was great to listen to music on a tape then cd, but being in a space with a group of people who were excited to listen to the music as a community was so uplifting. These artist influenced my dancing.”
“Recently I decided to go to a concert with a friend and we saw Cold Play’s opening tour of Vida La Vida in LA in July of 2008. It was absolutely incredible. I was swallowed up in the sound and completely absorbed in the energy. I am still feeling the effects of that concert in my work. What I like to do is use a piece of music especially Cold Play, anything Cold Play, to inspire the dancing then change the music when the choreography is created to a instrumental abstract piece and change the phrasing.”
More to come on Carrie Smaczny’s music inspirations.
As I have been preparing videos to be uploaded, photographs to be scanned for the new Grounding Point Dance Company website launch, I have been reflecting on my journey as a professional dancer for the past 10 years. I recently had a photo shoot with Jody Domingue in Hollywood and I was amazed with the photographs (see my photo gallery on gpdance.com). I had to think back to my first photo shoot for Miss Teen USA Arizona State Pageant when I was 16 years old. I had only been dancing for three years, but looking closely at the photos I saw the same sparkle in my eyes.
Sometimes life can get really busy and full of difficult decisions and tasks, but for me it is important to stay focused on what life is about: God, Husband, Family, Friends, and Dance. I am proud that at 32 that I AM A DANCER, and at when I turn 33, I know it just gets even sweeter.
DANCE ON!
Grounding Point Dance Company is currently re-staging Red, which premiered in 2002. Dancer, Crystal Truesdell, California State Fullerton dance alumni, is learning the piece from Carrie Smaczny, Artistic Director.
Smaczny states, “As a contemporary dance artist and screen dance artist creating non-linear movement sequences interests me most. I am shooting this piece with the HD Canon Xh-A1. Shooting dance in High Definition gives the viewer a real time experience, which is what I am looking for. My intention is to draw the audience in to the dancer’s intimate space and use unique camera perspective. I love getting close to the movement, in order to capture the dancer’s kinesthetic sense of weight, space, and time.”
Red will be premiered in November on Grounding Point Dance Company’s new website.
As Artistic Director of Grounding Point Dance Company, I look for inspiration in many ways. Yesterday was a big adventure. I had an out of town guest from Germany visiting me. She had never been to Los Angeles. We had 36 hours for our journey. Los Angeles is a BIG city; however we managed to see all of these things in one day: Redondo Beach / Hermosa Beach /Downtown LA / West Hollywood / Beverly Hills / Sunset Boulevard / Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades / Malibu / Santa Monica / LAX (3 times!)
I was really taken back by how vast the city is and how different people and communities live. To see all of those places in one day was stimulating. My roots are in Arizona and I love the beauty of the desert; however, the longer I stay in Los Angeles the more I begin to love being around so much activity and diversity.
As Artistic Director of Grounding Point Dance Company, I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to teach and coach dancers. Having the discipline to go into the studio and work out a combination that later becomes art is very satisfying for my soul; however, my body is always really sore the next day. I usually spend about 4 hours of preparation for a class, thinking about intention of the movement and the music I want to use. I feel really lucky to have the time available to continue my artistic process in hard economic times.
Besides dancing I am a devoted teacher of Pilates (STOTT Certified) and I am learning yoga from (YogaWorks). I plan on becoming a certified yoga teach through YogaWorks. I love the balance of Pilates, Yoga, Dance, and long walks on the beach.
So when I wake up with a sore body, I know I have pushed myself to the edge, isn’t that what it is all about?
Grounding Point Dance Company has hired Every Angle Media to design and implement website with videos from Grounding Point Dance Company’s premiere season in 1999 through 2008. The website will also be a source for weekly videos of GPDC’s current projects.
Grounding Point Dance Company’s Artistic Director, Carrie Smaczny, is currently working with Crystal Truesdell ( principle company member since 2006) on a re-staging of an excerpt of a piece entitled, RED, premiered in 2002. Smaczny is re-creating the piece for video specifically geared to premiere on GPdance.com in November of 2008. Stay tuned for more great work
