Sunday, November 13, 2011

Artist spotlight: Sasha Sagan

This months cover, one of our
best so far:]

Artist Spotlight: Sasha SaganShadow Play, By K.K.W
Sasha Sagan
Photo courtesy
of the artist.
 
'The worst enemy to creativity is self doubt'. Although I knew little about Sasha Sagan, it was clear from the beginning that self doubt has little hold on her. She is not only an amazing ballet dancer but also a choreographer working at the Macedonia Opera and Ballet. From Skopje(capital city of Macedonia)She studied at Point Park University, is a fan of Sylivia Plath, and far as politics, she a creative liberal. Sasha, as a dancer and creative person, has a duality to her personality. An ability to delve into the classical and the past, while embracing the present. Bright eyes looking towards the dawn. 
Sasha Sagan
Photo courtesy of the artist.
She recently sent me a link to view "Shadow play", an amazing neo-contemporary pop-culture,  ballet performance. The idea is sublime in its simplicity and universal receptivity; almost every culture has some kind of shadow game/shadow play and every human being knows its shadow. Its high minded creative choreography is wonderful to behold, blending perfectly with the vivid music. The music at the beginning of the vid-clip is haunting in its emotion, coupled with the strange beauty of the dancing shadows. It pulls you in and lines you up for the 'twist', like a near drastic change-over that leaves you stunned. Pop songs from the 80's & 90's suddenly break through; first at odds with the beginning, but then fits together perfectly and your comfortable and elated(like an old man in hot bath:). After stunning you it quickly takes you away(Holiday)and doesn't let you go. The choreography and the dancers solid execution of their movements brings it all together. The forms the dancers take are really impressive, smooth, and powerful. It reminded me of Die Mobile's Schattenspiel, shadow-play, shadow-dance, schattentheater or Shadow light productions "The wild party". The shadows joining together like molecules in the creation of something beautiful- shadow play. Along with its charming ambience and grace, Shadow play's most stunning quality is the duality of its range, classical/modern pop-culture. Its amazing, and its quite clear that Sasha Sagan's work at the Macedonian Opera and Ballet is remarkable and wonderful. I can't wait to be there in person and see live. If you would like to know more go to:www.facebook.com/sasha.sagan?ref=ts 
"Art is the reason, art is the way"    
Sasha Sagan,
photo courtesy
of the artist.
Macedonian ballet performace.
Photo courtesy of the artist.  
Sasha Sagan.
Photo courtesy of the artist.
Sasha Sagan.
Photo courtesy of the Artist.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

They deserved to be in the spotlight. Kids should also be there and have theme of children's nutcracker 2015 Phoenix.