Suzana Stankovic is a New York City-based actress, dancer, choreographer, producer and founder/director of The Stankovic Ballet Company, a nonprofit organization she founded in 2003 to create and stage daring dance-theater.
Her new show Predestined received multiple extended runs in 2010 and on Dec. 17 and 18, she will present two benefit performances followed by a party. To raise money for the Stankovic Ballet Company while exposing people to cultural performances, tickets for these shows will be pay-what-you-wish.
What is Predestined’s message?
Truth and courage. The main message is one of self-empowerment and self-determination.The show is based upon the idea that we’re all here for a reason and that we each have something unique and vital to offer yet it’s so easy to disconnect from this and live a life that is nowhere near the potential inside of us.
Usually it’s because of fear. Fear of failure, rejection, judgment etc. I’m really intrigued by the way humans can stifle themselves, be their own worst enemy in a sense, but I’m more intrigued by the way in which we can heal and grow. My new show says, ‘Look within and know yourself because that’s where your power and your future lie.’
Healing, transformation and metamorphosis are prominent themes in the first half of the show while the second half features zany humor and characters who shock. What was the inspiration for this?
I have always been fascinated by physical and emotional healing. Like when you cut your figure and three days later it’s healed. Or when you hear of people saying they wouldn’t trade the pain of their childhood for anything in the world because it has enlightened and enriched them as human beings. I think Oprah said that once. And that fascination is what inspired the first part of the show.
To me, the process of moving from pain to love or seeing my finger heal is a miracle and it gives me hope through the tough times. You could say that in the first half of my show, I wrestle with inner demons. I’m going deep within and by the end, I’ve uncovered my truth, my core, my inner spiritual warrior and this sets me free. But in the process I go through a lot of vulnerability, a lot of searching. Don’t we all when we’re seeking to know ourselves and not just follow the crowd?
In the second half of my show, I’m exploring similar themes but the package is total different! Some people have even described the second half as another show altogether, and in some ways it is. I love being audacious, edgy and offbeat, but with a clear purpose. The second half of the show enables me to do just that. I poke fun at ballet and travel back to childhood to turn an innocent scene on its head in a way I can’t describe for fear of giving it away, but it’s a finale that is universally hilarious.
How do you prepare for the stage? In the days leading up to opening night, for example?
I prepare by going within myself, being silent and still, not wasting energy on extraneous thoughts or activities but really focusing on what is pure inside me. I also visualize a lot. For me it’s crucial I have a clear vision of my performance otherwise I feel lost. Even in works in which I’m improvising I still need to have an intention, a sense of the energetic quality and purpose of my actions.
Although my work is deeply personal, I like to think that the truthfulness and conviction of my performance will cause you to focus on the humanity of the piece rather than, “Oh she’s doing ballet now and oh, now she’s doing performance art.”
I am always striving to get to the truth and strike a universal chord … to give a performance that could be described as transcendent. Focusing on being pure and transcendent is what cuts out all the distraction in my head and prepares me for the stage.
Photo 1 by Ken Paprocki, photo 2 by Rachel Neville.