MISSION
I was born to be uniquely me, to love and respect myself and make manifest my highest vision for my life as guided by love and truth. My art is the gateway through which I transcend the conditioning of my smaller self and touch upon FREEDOM.
I was born to make my mark and so were you. I was born to knock down walls and doors that have been sealed shut to me in order to make way for the light. I am a pioneer and the heroine of my own life.
I was born to inspire humanity to look deep within and break the chains of complacency, internal deadness, limitation and fear that have stifled our vast potential, both personal and global.
I was born to inspire individuals from all walks of life to reconnect with their spirit because without spirit we're just empty shells adding to the world's despair.
I know that with love and truth in my heart, my performances can touch someone; awaken that internal place of wonder we were all born with and which makes love, creativity, courage, faith, healing, and compassion possible in our lives.
I was born to live with a fierce spirit so as to inspire others to rise to amazing new heights in their own lives, and a soft, open heart so that grace can find me.
I was born to shine. Life is NOW. Dare. Love. Believe.
- Suzana Stanković
BIOGRAPHY
Suzana Stanković is an artist of uncommon depth, vision and daring. She is an independent, multi-faceted actress, dancer, and choreographer who brings fierce originality to the stage and screen.
The daughter of Serbian immigrants-turned-entrpreneurs and an only child for seven years, Suzana has always been an independent gal with an intensely active imagination. From the very beginning her favorite question has been 'Why?' often to the frustration of her parents and teachers who'd inevitably run out of answers.
At the age of 12 Suzana quit gymnastics to study ballet, a decision inspired by the sense of reverence and sanctuary she discovered in ballet class (thanks to her friend Zeffy who dragged her there on 'Bring A Friend' day). Born and raised in NYC, Suzana was able to study with world-renowned teachers of dance, perform lead roles with emerging choreographers and as a guest artist with regional ballet companies but eventually she got bored and sensed that something was missing. It was. Suzana's independent spirit and hunger for self-expression could never be satiated within the confines of someone elses's mold so she began choreographing at the age of 17 and it cracked open a whole new world. Choreography was an outlet for Suzana's intensely felt inner life. Every new piece marked new territory, possibility, and challenge.
It wasn't long before Suzana became a full-fledged member of the NYC indie dance scene, presenting her choreography on a regular basis and through gutsy self-promotion, garnered substantial financial support and exposure for her work.
In college Suzana would discover the art of Drama. Now there was a place she could ask 'Why?' over and over again and that's not all. Her early drama years gave birth to a whole new question, 'What?' 'What's my motivation?'- and the sound of her own voice. A budding actress, Suzana found herself on stage speaking not only with her body but with her voice as well. What a strange and liberating sensation for a dancer trapped in pink tights all her adolescent years!
Suzana has been soaring ever since most recently performing a wide spectrum of challenging lead roles in films by emerging filmmakers and delving deeper into herself to create extremely personal dance-theatre works that differ vastly from her earlier, strictly classical choreography.
Suzana has choreographed, produced and performed seven full-length modern ballets at reputable dance venues in NYC to musical choices ranging from Madonna and The Cure to J.S. Bach, Ravel, Chopin and Ryuichi Sakamoto. In 2003 she formed The Stanković Ballet Company, a NYC-based non-profit organization that celebrates the power of dance to move and inspire individuals from all walks of life. The company is in the midst of a bold transformation. To learn more visit: www.StankovićBallet.org
With a mission uniquely her own, Suzana is a standout actress, dancer and choreographer of boundless vision and originality.