Arts

The Importance of Mentorship

by Julie

“To dance is to live. To live is to dance.” ~ M.A.D Motto In life, we look to mentors to help us navigate the rugged terrain ahead. Receiving tips and advice from people who have “been there done that” is one of the most valuable lessons of all. It shows us the importance of paying [...]

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Five Tips to Survive the Countdown to Showtime

by Julie

As many of you know, my partners and I recently completed and executed our second annual fund raising cirque show. In the circus, dance, and theater worlds the countdown to showtime can be both an exciting and stressful time. On the one hand you have all of the magic and beauty of the creative process, [...]

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Whhhooo R U?

by Julie

She often can be found lounging on a leaf mid-afternoon, or weaving her silken cocoon (at her leisure of course), which will eventually transform her into a gorgeous butterfly. This creature doesn’t just perform the same old tricks… Not a chance. Our Caterpillar is a master hand-balancer and aerialist who specializes in the “wow” factor! [...]

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“It was meant to be”

by Julie

I often catch myself saying “It must have been meant to be!” Hmmm. Is this really the case? I find when I’m “doing” I have an awful lot of “it was meant to be” experiences. Likewise, when I’ll delaying, procrastinating, thinking and sitting, I tend not to have so many of those moments. Is it [...]

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Sometimes Life is Heavy…

by Julie

This week I had the pleasure of watching one of Toronto’s hottest contemporary Dance Companies, Desiraeda Dance Theatre, perform their newest creation WEIGHT. The show is a passionate, hard-hitting, raw dance production which explores the depths of human relationships and all of its complexities. Exquisite choreography by the fabulous Niki Wozniak and stunning dancers combined [...]

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Six Impossible Things

by Julie

Image via Wikipedia “Sometimes I dream up six impossible things before breakfast” – Alice, Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland For the second year running, my incredible sisters/business partners and I are embarking on one of the most challenging endeavors undertaken by our company. We are self-producing another full-scale cirque production in which all proceeds will [...]

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“So, what do you do?”

by Julie

When meeting someone for the first time, one of the first questions we are usually asked is: “So, what do you do for living?” Some people have a quick and easy answer: “I’m an accountant” or “I’m a corporate lawyer.”  Others, like me, struggle to choose the right words to articulate our work (because “circus [...]

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Making Your Deadline

by Julie

“Challenges make life interesting, however, overcoming them is what makes life meaningful. ” Mark Twain Some people call it “shipping.” Some call it “being on time.” I prefer to look at it as arriving at your final destination – and you got there because you committed to your deadline. This past week I felt like [...]

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Cirque du Soleil, Totem

by Julie

Step right up… The latest and greatest creation from Cirque du Soleil is named “Totem” and I can’t wait to check it out live! Below I’ve included the official trailer as well as CDS behind the scenes videos. I hope you enjoy watching as much as I did! Totem Videos I don’t know about you [...]

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“I can’t” and the Defeatist Mentality

by Julie

“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re probably right.” – Henry Ford A little piece of me died inside yesterday when I heard a mother say to her (very talented) teenage daughter: “You can’t make art your career because it’s too competitive.” Sigh. I honestly can’t think of a worse dream-crushing [...]

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You’ve Got to Work!

by Julie

When we talk about “work ethic” what comes to mind? Typically, we are groomed to punch in at 9:00 AM and punch out at 5:00 PM. That’s convention. That’s what’s expected – no more, no less. BORING! Can you honestly think of an example of a person who has achieved great things by just going [...]

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