Hi young dancer friends. Im Kristina and I am currently living in the Mid North Coast of NSW Australia, about four hours north of Sydney. I have had a 21 year career as a dancer and have spent the last 10 years making work and developing my skills as a choreographer. My practice has shifted and changed over the years, being influenced by my peers, colleagues, mentors and artists I have admired from afar. My pathway into dance began at a very young age with a love for classical ballet. A total cliché. I loved the music, the aesthetic, the beauty, the grandeur, the rigour, the skill, the discipline, the technique, the costumes, the set, but what I hated so much was that I never felt good enough, on so many levels. I worked so hard and became ‘quite good at it’, but unfortunately (fortunately) I wasn’t ‘blessed’ with the physique that is so required for this very particular art form. Thank FUCK for that.  

I think what I learnt from this time was that working my arse off may not lead you to where you think you are going but it will still lead you somewhere cool. Everything you do contributes to the bigger picture and nothing is ever a waste of time. I find myself in this scenario often, and it’s sometimes hard to remember that things keep unfolding in life. There are always going to be road blocks. 

2020 has been a really interesting time and I can not imagine being you guys, about to graduate, starting out, etc gaghhhh. But you are the new generation of artists that will pave the way for the next. My advice for you is to stay excited about what you love to do, stay interested and curious. It’s exciting to think about what dance may look like in 20 years. 

Enjoy the ride.

x