Dance for a Violence-Free Future with Giada Matteini
Today's guest, Giada Matteini, embodies the belief that artists have the extraordinary ability to shape a world free from violence. As a performer, educator, choreographer, and cultural producer, Giada founded WADE (Wandering Avian Dance Experience), a women-led performing arts company that brings awareness to gender-based violence and offers healing through the transformative power of dance. In this episode of Movers & Shapers, Giada shares a panoramic view of her international dance career, brimming with hope and inspiration for those driven by their passion for art, movement, and self-expression. She speaks candidly about her personal experience with domestic violence and the profound role that dance played in her healing process; emphasizing how WADE emerged as a platform to raise awareness, initiate important conversations, empower survivors, and build a compassionate community of creative minds. You’ll gain insight into Giada's journey, her dedication to her craft, and her unwavering commitment to using art as a catalyst for social change. This episode is a testament to the boundless potential of dance and resilience, so be sure to tune in today!
Key Points From This Episode:
· Giada’s love for movement and teaching and an overview of her dance career.
· The story of how she first came to the United States (and what made her stay).
· How she learned English from The Cure and honed her American slang with TV.
· Her early days in New York and how she began to build a career for herself.
· Insight into her passion for learning and her formal dance education.
· The haven that dance provided for Giada when life was difficult.
· How WADE was born and how it became so much more than a dance company.
· The bird that inspired the name and the four foundational pillars in the logo.
· Touching stories about some of the most poignant moments from Giada’s career.
· Why Giada refers to ballet as “the greatest equalizer” and her somatic approach to it.
· Insight into her plans to use dance as a tool to build a violence-free future for all.
“My life was hard; emotionally hard, physically hard, financially hard. Dance was – my haven.” — Giada Matteini
Giada Matteini is an Italian performer, educator, choreographer, and cultural producer based in New York City, who is the Founder and Director of WADE (Wandering Avian Dance Experience), a women-led multifaceted performing arts company working at the intersection with social justice and focused on supporting the voices and artistic expressions of women and historically underrepresented artists.
More on this episode: themovingarchitects.org
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The Journey of Creating Dance for Video with Mimi Garrard
Video dance work has become increasingly popular as technology has advanced, but not many dancers and choreographers have made it their primary medium of work. Today’s guest, Mimi Garrard, is the exception, having spent most of her extensive career focusing on video dance. In this episode of Movers & Shapers, we hear all about Mimi’s life, what led her to dance, her training under Alwin Nikolais, why she chose video dance, and what she loves about it. We delve into how she combines video and live dancing before Mimi expands on how technology has changed her work, the lighting system her husband designed for her, and some of her biggest influences throughout her career and life. Mimi feels that intuition has always been a driving force for her, and today, she tells us how that has served her work. We even discuss how AI might impact her work and what’s next for Mimi Garrard Dance Theatre. This is a fascinating episode filled with unique perspectives carved from Mimi’s special journey, so be sure to tune in!
Key Points From This Episode:
· An overview of Mimi’s life and what led her to dance.
· Her training and touring program with Alwin Nikolais and the pieces she did with him.
· Mimi’s move to the country, her outdoor work, and how madness is a theme of her work.
· What informed her decision to combine video with live dance and how it has been received.
· Who has influenced her work most throughout her career.
· What Alwin Nikolais was like (according to our guest!)
· How Mimi got hooked on video dance and how her work has evolved with technology.
· The lighting system her husband came up with for her dance videos.
· How Mimi’s intuition has served her throughout her career.
· The importance of learning and continuously working as a beginner.
· What’s next for Mimi and her curiosity about how AI will affect her work.
· Why she doesn’t attend screenings of her own work.
“If I don’t know what to do, it’s my intuition that tells me what to try next.” — Mimi Garrard
Mimi Garrard is an award-winning choreographer for the stage and for video.
For more on this episode: Movers & Shapers: A Dance Podcast