Artist's Statement, Mission, Biography
Suzana Stanković is a rare find.
Photo by Ryan Shell
She is an artist, producer, entrepreneur, teacher and born leader. She excels as both a formally trained actress and dancer, and an independent dance-theatre artist with a voice of her own. She has created, produced and performed her own material on many of New York City's finest stages to widespread praise. She is also sought after by filmmakers, directors, photographers and choreographers for her uncommon depth and daring.
In performance, Suzana is equally at home with the transcendent and the crude; the spiritual and the carnal; the beautiful and the vulgar. As such her audience is quite diverse.
A driven woman with a clear vision and the courage and leadership to carry it out, Suzana is making a statement as an artist and with her larger message of self-determination and living life fiercely.
In 2009, Backstage took notice of Suzana and invited her to write personal essays from her life (click here to read them). Suzana is also the founder/director of SBC, Inc., a non-profit arts organization currently expanding its mission and programming to include guidance and support for self-producing artists. The company's transformation, which includes a new name, will be marked by a grand unveiling in late near future.
Audiences, critics and industry professionals have often described Suzana as a powerhouse- a fearless artist of astonishing range and conviction, and a woman who makes this happen.
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
"My work is birthed by nakedness and instinct. I am exploring the darkness and light of this human experience. I use all my tools as an actress, dancer, artist. I am whatever my vision requires. Labels do not exist for me. All is possible. Truth is paramount. Onstage, I inhabit a world and invite you in. I love the intimacy, electricity and burning sense of risk. My art is raw and personal, it is my excavated, naked Self. It is hungry, bloody and spiritual- precise and deliberate, like the sword of a warrior...there is no room for ambiguity or doubt. I want to pierce your heart and crack it open and if it bleeds and takes flight I've succeeded in my job as an artist." - Suzana Stankovic
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 in order to make way for the light. I am a pioneer and the heroine of my own life.
I was born to break the chains of limitation and fear that have stifled our vast potential, both personal and global.
I was born to inspire individuals to reconnect with their heart and spirit. Without these we're just empty shells adding to the world's despair.
I know that I can lift people up or shoot them down. I want to lift them up.
I was born to live with a fierce spirit so as to overcome adversity and a soft, open heart that I might be of service in the world.
I was born to shine. Life is NOW. Dare to DREAM and dare to DO. - Suzana Stankovic
BIOGRAPHY
Suzana Stanković is a true artist who cannot escape the impulse and instinct to create. She excels as both a formally trained actress and dancer, and as a solo dance-theatre artist with a voice all her own. She brings uncommon depth, vision and daring to the stage and screen and has often been described as a powerhouse of talent.
"If you're any kind of artist you usually begin by studying those that came before you, which is fine, except I realized at one point that I had absorbed a lot of unquestioned thought and it was defining me and limiting my art. I needed to excavate my unique voice as an artist and by doing so I became a liberated, independent artist and not a manufactured one."
Beginnings
The daughter of Serbian immigrants-turned-entrepreneurs and an only child for seven years, Suzana has always been an independent girl 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 sanctuary she discovered there (thanks to her friend Zeffy who dragged her to class on 'Bring A Friend' day).
Born and raised in NYC, Suzana was able to study with world-renowned teachers of dance, first at Callina Dance (a top-notch neighborhood school in Astoria, NY) and later at The Joffrey Ballet School, Steps on Broadway and Peridance where she intensified her training in classical ballet, pointe, pas-de-deux, variations, jazz and modern dance. As a budding professional, Suzana began performing lead roles with emerging choreographers from the likes of Juillard and Tisch School of the Arts and as a guest artist with regional ballet companies in which she performed revered roles in classical, timeless ballets. As a young professional, Suzana was off to a great start except for the fact that she was extremely bored, "I felt like I was just rearranging the same dance steps over and over again. I needed more creativity and self-xpression."
Wild Animal
At heart, Suzana is a wild animal, a free spirit and an entrepreneur. Her independent nature and hunger for self-expression needed an outlet. Suzana needed to discover the dancer and artist within. She was always choreographing in her head but it wasn't until she publicly presented her work for the first time, that it cracked open a whole new world of possibility and sense of her true self. From that point on she could never go back.
Choreography gave Suzana an outlet for her deeply felt inner life and a way to explore the language of her body free of pre-imposed definitions and outside influences.
Suzana quickly became a full-fledged member of the NYC dance scene, presenting and performing her ensemble and solo works on a regular basis, and through gutsy self-promotion, garnered substantial financial support and exposure for her work.
A New World
Suzana was always told by audiences that she was a natural actress and that her emotional depth and sparkling personality onstage were a gift that made her stand out from the sea of dancers.
In college Suzana was an English major and while there, she officially discovered the art of drama in the form of an elective, 'Intro. to Acting'. 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 onstage...mouth and tongue no longer pressed shut! What a strange and liberating sensation for a dancer trapped in pink tights all her adolescent years.
Affirmation
Suzana realized that so much of what she was learning in drama class was already inside her. She had always performed dance with a clear emotional impetus. She was never just moving her body...she spoke with her body. It was instinctual and natural. "Wow!" she thought. "I love acting as much as dancing" and dived into drama classes, workshops and auditions.
Suzana has performed in numerous plays and films delving deep into herself; reaching, questioning, searching, taking risks, going into unknown territory-- whatever it takes to birth the character.
She is an actress and dancer who craves the edge.
Being of Service
In 2003 Suzana formed The Stanković Ballet Company, a NYC-based non-profit organization whose mission is to create and present bold dance-theater works that speak to our shared humanity. The company is propelled by Suzana's pioneering spirit and is currently in the midst of an ambitious transformation. To learn more visit: www.StankovicBallet.org
Guided by a strong spiritual current in her life, Suzana loves being of service and a source of inspiration to others. Check out her annual inspirational calendar on the 'Boutique' page and her self-written stories of personal growth, which were commissioned by Backstage.com, and can be read HERE.
Teaching Artist
In addition to her work onstage and screen, Suzana is a teaching artist. She teaches a variety of classes guided by a core philosophy. Her dance classes are not what you'd find in a typical dance studio. Her goal is to support the student in liberating their unique potential rather than stifling and interfering with it. Along with the principles of correct dance technique, Suzana emphasizes breath, mindfulness, courageousness and individuality. She seeks to open the door and guide the student toward their own inward journey.
Suzana also teaches 'Movement for the Actor' and artist-empowerment workshops and talks aimed at offering tools and techniques for self-knowledge and personal + professional success. Her next workshop will be on the topic of self-producing, 'Producing Your Own Show: Owning Your Voice & Manifesting Your Vision'. Past topics have included, 'Peak Performance: Transcending Blocks, Fears and Doubts' and, 'The Independent Artist: Identity & Mission'. Suzana is ever-focused on reaching new heights. As a teacher and speaker, her goal is to simply share what she has learned on her journey so far and what has consistently worked for her.
Suzana holds a Bachelor's Degree in English with a minor in secondary education. She is a natural motivator and communicator with a great fascination for human potential. Her most important credential is her indestructible CAN-DO spirit which she aims to inspire in others. Her classes and workshops are rich and transformative on multiple levels. If you're interested, join Suzana's mailing list by clicking 'Contact' or e-mail her directly: Suzana [AT] iAmSuzana.com
How'd She Get that Butt?!
After every performance, people will ask Suzana how she got her butt. No joke! LOL!
In 2012 Suzana will launch her unique ballet-based fitness classes for those that want a hot body and positive mind. No movement experience required.
Set to upbeat dance music, participants can expect a butt-kickin' ballet-based workout inspired by Suzana's personal fitness regimen coupled with a focus on the inner self- the source; unifying the powers of the body and mind.
To learn more about Suzana's ballet-based, fitness classes join her mailing list by clicking 'Contact' at the bottom left, or e-mail her directly: Suzana [AT] iAmSuzana.com.
Artist. Leader. Humanitarian
In all she does, Suzana strives to inspire individuals to look within and live full out. And she's only getting started.
"Life is NOW! Dare to DREAM and dare to DO!" ~ Suzana Stankovic