I AM PSE: Dance Like No One is Watching
I AM PSE: Dance Like No One is Watching
Written by: Maggie Nowakowski
I peered through the small doorway into the crowded Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow, Scotland, searching for my family and dance teachers. Behind me were several lines of other jittery ten-year-old girls, anxiously waiting to get on stage. Nothing about them is out of place. Their wigs secured to their head, dresses glistening with gemstones, and their bodies were glowing with tans. The older man next to me with the microphone leaned over, and with his thick Irish accent he inquired, “Ehm, how do ye pronounce this here,” pointing to my last name, Nowakowski.
People always wonder why a girl, obviously of Polish/German descent (and of course a little Irish) got into the niche artistic field of Irish Dance. It was quite simple, I was bored. Growing up I was extremely energized, and my parents couldn’t figure out how. At the age of four I was already going to gymnastics four days a week, but it wasn’t enough, I was still bouncing off the walls. My mom ended up signing me up for classes at the Trinity Irish Dance Academy in downtown Milwaukee to get some personal relief, but I don’t think she ever expected my four-year-old self to become as involved as I have.
Personal Growth through Irish Dance:
Since I first started, my love and passion for Irish Dance has evolved in several ways. While many may not know, Irish Dance is an extremely competitive sport. From the beginning, my career as an Irish Dancer revolved around competitions. At the age of 7, I was traveling to Ireland and Scotland to compete, and qualified and attended my first World Championship Competition at the age of 10. Until I was 14, training 5 days a week and traveling abroad to compete is what motivated me, but once I began high school my focus began to shift.
By the time I started high school I had already been competitively dancing for 10 years. Something inside of me started to lack drive and feel extremely burnt out. To me, winning didn’t really have value. A sash, trophy, or title were just objects. I knew I needed to quit, but dance had become an identity to me. There was an underlying reason I knew I couldn’t let go. Dance had become my outlet, my form of expression, and without it I felt incomplete.
Dance as Expression:
As I shifted my focus with dance, I searched for a new way to be involved. I loved teaching and seeing my student’s grow, but I still wished I could be out on stage sharing what I loved. Late into my sophomore year of high school, the search ended, as I started my involvement with the Professional Performing Arts Company, the Trinity Irish Dance Company (TIDC).
This dance company, like the New York City Ballet or Alvin Ailey, is a touring non-profit performing arts organization. That means we don’t compete, rather we travel across the globe to theaters to perform. In TIDC, I have worked with the Chair of the New York University Dance Department, Seán Curran, and most recently choreographed with esteemed tap dance artists, Michelle Doorance and Melinda Sullivan. Additionally, as a dancer I have toured Japan twice, performed all over the United States, and to even performed at the most highly regarded dance theater in the United States, The Joyce Theater in Chelsea, Manhattan.
In TIDC, I have been able to broaden my knowledge of dance, but also see how dance can impact the communities it touches. As an organization, TIDC aims to elevate and empower the communities we connect with. For me this means allowing dance to be more than just mine. It means performing so that audience members can escape from a rough day at work, showing young women that they can be powerful, and ultimately remind everyone that dance is a way for us to come together.
What’s Next?
Now, instead of me peering through the door of the Scottish Royal Concert Hall, I stand on stage with my head held high, ready to share my voice to the world. I know that for me, dance is always going to be a part of my life, regardless of if I am dancing or not.
Since I came to college, joined PSE, and continued to grow with dance, I knew I needed to combine both of my passions. Sure, there have been days I have felt lost, or was unsure how to make being a professional dancer and student work, but I realized that there are so many other ways for me to make dance a part of who I am. Today, as a Junior Marketing major and Arts Management minor, I look to find a career as a professional in the performing arts or entertainment industry, where I can continue showing the world the beauty of dance.
While I don’t know how many more years I have left touring and performing, I do know that Irish Dance will always have an impact on who I am, and how I touch the world around me. I am excited for where this journey will continue, and extremely grateful for where it has taken me so far.
If you’d like to learn more about the Trinity Irish Dance Company, feel free to visit our website: http://www.trinityirishdancecompany.com/
