Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrii Strelkivskyi.
Hi Andrii, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I am from Kyiv, Ukraine. I was born and raised there before I moved over to New York City first and then eventually to North Hollywood. I started dancing at the age of 5 and continued to study dance at the Circus Academy. I got a chance to see the world and work as a dancer on a cruise ship for several years before I moved to the US. The experience I gained as a dancer on the ship is something I will be always grateful for! One of the most important tools I got out of it was How to exist and stay true to yourself in the environment where everyone is different. Different mentalities, Life qualities, Expectations, Languages and Cultures, Traditions. As much as we are all different, I started to see that there is so much more similarities than some of us might think. I love learning about new cultures, traditions, ways of life!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
A lot actually. Being from Ukraine at the beginning restricted me from options outside of Ukraine, and that is why I took my first cruise contract. As a performer and educator, I have always been interested in dance as a language and in the art of storytelling through dance more than in dance for movement only. On the ship, though, there was no storytelling, which is why I had to find ways to get somewhere else. Immigration to the US is one challenge that took some time to sort out; then the Pandemic happened, and I got stuck with No job and no opportunities, but with my papers in order. But to be honest, that is nothing compared to the day when you found out that your hometown became a war zone, and you are here, dancing, trying to entertain people. It was… it was, I don’t think there is better word for that. However, I am generally a very optimistic personality, and I’m always trying to find good even in the most brutal, bad moments in my life. Even war has taught me good. It taught me to value Every Single Second! And by that, I really mean – Every Single One of Them since they can end abruptly. And the challenge is to keep pushing, keep telling our stories throughout everything that’s happening around us. Being involved, being affected, being wounded, but not being stopped by them!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work? I am a dancer. As I mentioned before, I am interested in the Dance as a language path. I love to find the ways how to use space around me
to tell story, to use my body as an “alphabet” that puts it all together in a sentences. As an observer, I love to be challenged into thinking and processing the information. I love it when I can’t figure out what exactly the choreographer was trying to say since this is sparking a conversation. And if there is a conversation – it means that the product touched you in some ways. I think that one of main things that sets me apart is the ability to take on the note, and my constant adjustments of details to make them look/feel better. In the class, I’m always trying to play with different textures, moods, and accents throughout the piece or even in Free segments. I think that search is what makes me feel like Working more than “doing the same free 8 count” every time we are going through that class.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you, or support you?
I LOVE collaborative environments! I love to work with groups of individuals that are open to hear but also saying their visions clearly! I love when choreographers are working with the material they have, this makes it all personal! Of course, Choreographers have visions and ideas of what they want to see, but the process of achieving this “vision” is being kind of Workshopped to make it unique.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.andriistrelkivskyi.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strelkivskyi_a
Image Credits
Corry Cullington
@westlaportraits
