Maja Sobieska, 2nd grade
Artur Kuriata is a well-known hip-hop dancer and choreographer, by whom I had the pleasure to be trained. We met at a dance camp where he was giving workshops and not long after I joined a dance formation he was coaching at the time. In 2016, Mr Artur Kuriata competed in You Can Dance and got through to the final, but, due to an injury, had to tragically drop out of the competition.
In 2016 you made it to the finale of You Can Dance. Looking back at it now how do you remember it? Was it a good experience?
Well, this experience was intense, for sure! It’s hard to say whether it was good or bad. I met wonderful people there, not only dancers but there were really inspiring people engaged in production too. Of course, you could also meet some you wouldn’t like to hang around with! It was certainly very emotional, actually not only for me, but my family members too. It was tough trying to do my best while dancing when in the
back of my head I had to deal with my thoughts and doubts. I do not recommend it to anyone unless you thrive under pressure!
Would you do it again?
Now, from a perspective, it’s hard to say! This program definitely taught me a lot, especially about myself. As far as I’m concerned, the better I know and feel myself the more satisfying life I can lead. When I started to ask myself about that, my body started giving me different symptoms, so it’s still something there!
Why did you take part in You Can Dance?
I never said it on camera, but I did it because of my grandma who had died a month before the casting of the latest edition of this program. After her death, when I met my family members, I realized how much support she had been giving me for all those years and how much she had believed in me. So I decided to say thank you in that way.
Do you think that participating in You Can Dance opened some doors for you that might not have been available if not for the show?
Firstly, it gave me a lot of self-confidence that I had been lacking despite years of training. And answering your question, yes! I started to teach more workshops than ever and then I decided to start making a living as a full-time dance instructor.
Why did you decide to pursue dance as your career?
I think there are many layers of my life that are involved in this decision. After almost 18 years, I can see now that it has been giving me emotional shelter and space to express myself freely. I have always had something that I could focus on and forget about everything else. Dance gave me a chance to work through my complexes, which I used to struggle with, like every young person these days in this crazy world. I could run away from problems that I had back home too. On the other hand, it was giving me so many great memories that I started to think about doing it professionally. And here I am!
Taking into consideration everything about a dancer’s job (work hours, salary etc.), do you think it’s a good career path?
Like in almost every career - it depends. It depends on your attitude,
because when we forget that it’s our job not just our hobby and that we must make ends meet by doing it, it can be problematic. What’s more, we have to remember that we use our body as a tool, so we need to take good care of it; just like we care about tools we use in different kinds of jobs, because ultimately us, dancers, we’ve got only one! However, pursuing a dance career offers many opportunities. We can perform on a stage, teach kids in dance schools, give workshops around the world, be a choreographer and many more! Through the years, our body and consciousness develop, so we can even choose a path that is focused on teaching people how to get in touch with their bodies and emotions.
How has COVID affected the dance industry?
It depends on the field of this industry, but when it comes to teaching, dance schools had to shift into online classes which are still used on a daily basis. It’s been months now and people are meeting to dance together, which proved how social this community is. So it’s going well despite all those weird restrictions. On the other hand, when it comes to dance theatres or the commercial side of the industry - it is not looking bright. For a couple of months, all entertainment connected with dancing was completely frozen. Now, it’s slowly starting to open, but you cannot compare it to how it was before the pandemic.
It’s been often said that dancers in Poland (choreographers, dance teachers, commercial dancers) are underpaid. What are your thoughts on that? Is it true?
Compared to the biggest world scenes, yes, but I know people who are earning really good money from it in Poland. There are not many, but our scene isn’t that big. Furthermore, as a society, we still have an old-fashioned way of thinking about dance as a hobby, not a real full-time job. Keep in shape, taking loads of workshops and working on your craft takes thousands of hours and the same amount of money! So it’s on the dancers and choreographers' side to change it and we are slowly experiencing it in Poland by making young and even old dancers
aware of the fact that if we don't take care of it, no one else will.
In your opinion, what should a person who wants to pursue dance as a career know before making the decision?
Like in any other kind of career, it’s important to be conscious that you're going to dedicate a lot of energy and attention to it. Apart from working with your body, you're going to have to deal with all different kinds of people who can have an influence on not only your emotions but your whole career. While dancing, you work with your emotions too, so, in my view, keeping in touch with your body and emotions is crucial to maintain a healthy balance and not freak out in the artistic field.
Should people choose careers in something they are good at or passionate about?
When you do like what you do, it’s much easier, but it doesn’t mean you're going to be good in other people’s eyes. Sometimes you have to be your own hype man and maybe the only person that believes in you and the path you choose. On the other hand, it’s important to see if you fit into the field you intend to be part of. If you're attentive enough, you can find your way of achieving the things you want.
How would you define dance? As a form of communicating your inner world with the outer world.
If you could go back in time, what advice would u give your younger self?
Attention and self-observation. Searching for situations in which you can give yourself feedback while being honest with yourself. It can lead you to the conclusion that things, and especially emotions, don’t last forever and if you accept them you, can let it go, which means you can make progress. Being honest with yourself, however, you may understand these words, can give you a much clearer vision.
Last but not least … What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever got?
“The state of your body reflects the state of your emotions.” This piece of advice gave me enormous motivation to observe my body, thoughts and emotions at the same time. It’s hard to be just present in what we are doing, but adding self-observation brings your attention to a much different level.