Today we’d like to introduce you to Bethany Bak.
Bethany, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I hold a Bachelor of Fine & Applied Arts in Dance Performance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. When I graduated in 2000, I didn’t know what to do or where to begin, but I knew for sure that I needed to support myself. I had worked for Ann Taylor in college and so, I started there. What was supposed to be a short term gig, turned into a 10-year career in retail management for both Ann Taylor and Tiffany & Co. When my husband was promoted in 2009, we moved to Memphis, TN and I decided to take a break from retail. A year later, my husband and I welcomed our first child into the world. During my retail years, I was so busy that I didn’t have time to think about what I was missing.But, in the quiet of my days as a new mom, I began to really mourn for that lost creative time. I saw an advertisement for dance classes being offered by Project:Motion, a local modern dance collective and so, after 12 years, I walked into the studio again. Words cannot express the gratitude I have for the wonderful tribe of movers and makers at Project: Motion who brought this slumbering artist back to life. I began dancing, teaching and making dance-works for the collective and eventually became the Class Coordinator. I worked tirelessly to bring movement education opportunities to our small, but mighty community and LOVED it. I also formed a creative partnership with a Memphis based dance artist, Sarah Ledbetter, and together we formed Dance Makers Workshop. We made it our mission to bring world-class dance-artists to the South and to generate, develop and support the creation of new dance material in a community setting.
In 2016, my husband was promoted again and we moved to Indianapolis, Indiana. Leaving Memphis was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. It quite literally broke my heart. When we arrived, I hit the ground running. I started taking class with Motus Dance Theatre, a local non-profit performing arts organization, and asking how I could be useful to the community. I performed with Motus Dance Theatre and other local dance-makers and I continued to make and perform my own work and teach. In 2017 I joined the administrative staff of Motus Dance Theatre, now the Indianapolis Movement Arts Collective, as the Director of Movement Education. I am charged with providing the Indianapolis community with movement experiences for movers of all interests and levels. I am surrounded by a dynamic group of women who are leading this 15 year old organization into a more community driven future. I cannot imagine my life without dance and do not know how I survived all those years without it.
Has it been a smooth road?
Absolutely not. The biggest struggle for me was stepping into dance again after being gone for so long. It took me a long time to forgive myself for staying away for all those years. I was so, so angry for wasting my youth NOT DANCING. I especially feel that way on days when my now 40-year old body won’t stop talking to me or when I find myself dancing alongside someone younger and I just can’t quite keep up. It has also been a struggle to find my creative voice and learn to trust it. My dearest friend and collaborator, Sarah Ledbetter, did more for me and my dance making than anyone I know. I learned so much from watching her make work and dancing and co-creating alongside her. It is vastly easier to summon the courage to begin knowing she is with me, always. She also taught me to make space for my dancing and to guard it fiercely. Sometimes, this seems like an impossible task with all my responsibilities, especially making sure that I am equally present for my family. I now commit myself to a daily movement practice even if that means taking 5 minutes to move in my kitchen before I leave to pick my son up from school. Something is better than nothing, always. I have learned to be flexible and to surrender to not knowing. I simply put one foot in front of the other and do the best I can.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Indianapolis Movement Arts Collective story. Tell us more about the business.
The Indianapolis Movement Arts Collective, formerly Motus Dance Theatre, is a non-profit movement arts organization in Indianapolis dedicated to supporting and connecting the Indianapolis community through shared movement experiences. We offer engaging classes and workshops for movers of all interests and levels, and encourage the creation of homegrown dance-works by offering residencies for local dance-makers. We aim to cultivate thoughtful, intelligent dance audiences by providing a framework for them to engage with movement artists and their work in meaningful ways. We provide opportunities for professional growth for the local movement community by hosting workshops and performances with seasoned performance artists. We are committed to creating a safe, inviting space for the Indianapolis community to engage with movement in many different ways, fostering curiosity, exploration, and play. I do not know of another organization in town as dedicated to championing the movement arts and making it accessible to all as we are – because every human can dance.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I hope over the next 5-10 years, we can continue to build a more robust dance audience. A dance audience who can thoughtfully engage in meaningful dialogue with movement artists about their work. I would by lying if I said, I didn’t care if anyone ever saw my work. I desperately want my dances to be seen and for audiences to be moved, to question the work in some way. That kind of useful feedback is essential to my growth as an artist. I also hope that, more and more people find their way to dance and that it becomes an integral part of their daily lives so that we may become a more embodied community.
Contact Info:
- Address: 4011 N. Pennsylvania Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204 - Website: bemovedindy.org
- Email: info@motusdance.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bemovedindy/
Image Credit:
Matteo Servente for Dance Makers Workshop, Charles Borowicz for Motus Dance Theatre, Rick Klein
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
