Mini Interview with Amy Redmond Waran, dancer of MMCo
18 Aug 2011 Leave a Comment
in MMCompany Interviews Tags: Area, artists, Bay, Community, dancer, malia, movement, Oakland, support, women
“Laurel St Fair” by TuffGyal 808
Amy Redmond Waran: Dancer Interview 2011 (shown center with Alena & Veleda)
Q#1: Are you a Bay Area Native? and if not, how long have you lived in the Bay? Amy: No, but I am a Northern California native. I was born in Gilroy, CA and grew up part-time in Hollister, CA and part-time in Sonora, CA. I’ve been living in the East Bay since moving back to California from Hawaii in 2008.
Q#2: When did you start on the creative path you are currently on? Amy: I’ve always been interested in the arts. Since I can remember all I’ve ever wanted to do is dance. I’ve thought about other career paths in the arts and, in fact, when I was young I would tell my parents that I wanted to be a dancer, an artist, a musician or an actor when I grew up. Every once in a while this list would change slightly. For example, at one point I wanted to be a dancer, an artist or an archeologist. But, dance has always been my first choice. I’ve been taking dance lessons since I was 7 years old (if you don’t count the ballet class I took for a few weeks when I was 5) and have continued to be inspired by movement ever since.
Q#3: Where do you find your inspiration? Amy: My mother is an artist and taught me how to draw portraits when I was really young. I’ve always been fascinated by the human body and now believe that portrait drawing was just another outlet for this fascination. I have a strong interest in anatomy and kinesiology which influences the creative path I am currently on. Movement fascinates me – how it expresses who we are at our core, how it connects and how it can separate us as a community. I love to watch dancers and athletes push the body to its limits. I love how the human body can be so fragile and so strong in the same moment.. I find other inspiration by watching my cats play, watching my students process new movement and by studying natural sciences.
Q#4: What was the first piece of vinyl you ever purchased? Amy: My parents gave me a Beach Boys 45 when I was little. I forget which song was on it. After that I was given Madonna’s Live to Tell … I still have this LP and a record player to play it on.
Q#5: Anything else you’d like to share? a joke/quote? Amy: A quote I came across recently that has inspired my current endeavors.
“Just do it’ can be excellent advice. If you wonder whether you could write a book or run a marathon, don’t waste a minute calculating your chances. Instead, spend an hour a day on your dream.”
