Today we’d like to introduce you to Sara Pizzi.
Hi Sara, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I’m a performing conceptual artist, which includes also being a choreographer, dancer, and teacher. I started my career in my teen years with urban/commercial dance, being part of a dance agency that allowed me to perform for national events, competitions, tv shows, and advertisements commercials.
My life completely shifted after I moved from Italy to NYC. My education has become primarily based on ballet and modern techniques, landing on the complete focus on the study and application of contemporary dance, being able to create an organic and unique style that mixed my urban background with a more academic and technical aspect.
Now, my art is based on any physical medium which can evoke any inner personal exploration, deeper analysis of our inner self, and the creation of a safe place for discovering and questioning & which can bring togetherness in solving some common social issues. This creates performances that break the concept of standard performance creating collaborative, conceptual, interactive art experiences & teaching at any level and any age, prioritizing any class that involves people with physical and mental disabilities or for underrepresented communities.
These are the goals of my movement collective that I founded in 2021 with Aika Takeshima, naming it the sarAika movement collective, looking forward to expanding my network and dance abilities to other contemporary dance companies/organizations. I trust in this project and it makes me proud that last year we were able to grow so much, performing every month for different DEI organizations/events, and being able to assist and represent underrepresented communities and voices.
Thanks to the success of this year, the schedule for 2023 is full and this makes me proud of myself and the NYC dance community. In the meantime, as a performer, I’m currently working for several dance companies based in NYC and for some projects of various aspects that can include pure dance or collaboration with visual and performing artists.
I’m a company member of Valerie Green/Dance Entropy which I’m also teaching artists for after-school programs, dance captain of Open Dance Ensemble, Valleto, The Next Stage Project & Light Painting NYC, guest artists/choreographer/dancer to more than 40 events/organizations based in the 5 boroughs of NYC & dance teacher of Woodside On The Move program “Little and Later”.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
First, I’d like to say I acknowledge that I’m lucky and many people struggle more than me and my struggle is solvable. The struggles I’m facing right now as independent artists living in New York are the lack of time, the highest risk of burnout from work, and losing my goals. Time becomes a slippery object that you barely can hold on to, keeping slipping to the fingertips.
Being a freelancer pushes you to be able to work every day and every time, and efficiently managing the time must be in your skills if you don’t want to lose your social life. Feeling you are doing too much at the same time feeling you are not doing enough is one of the most concrete and struggling feelings I have (and I’m sure I’m not the only one).
Learning to say no to opportunities, and focusing on defining what is helpful, satisfying, and productive for the success of your career is one of the biggest struggles all the artists like me soffer in this city. Having a daily reminder of who you are, what you what, and doing only what: will help you to proceed with your career, pay your rent, and makes you happy is a lifesaving tip that will allow you to decrease your daily struggle and have more time with your beloved ones.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
In 2021, I co-founded with my partner Aika Takeshima a movement collective named”sarAika”. As an immigrant, queer, low-income artist in NYC, my ultimate goal as an artist (the reason why made me move to this country) is to create/share art as a form of activism, documenting key issues and topics & self-awareness highlighting how we may change, creating space for reflection, most of all on topical subjects that include, empower and underline my community.
To achieve my vision of art as a form of helping people to find more freedom & possibilities in themselves, I make art about and for humans, breaking the concept of standard performance and creating collaborative, conceptual, interactive art experiences. sarAika offers private classes, open classes, mentorship, choreographic workshops, company classes, community events, and dance for actors.
Coming from a polyhedral education, I base my choreography on a unique form of contemporary dance that includes partnering, floor-work, improvisation skills, storytelling, conceptual art, and street style influences. Starting from the statement proposed before, the themes that my artwork is based on are topical subjects that are deeply connected with my perspective as a POC artist living in this country and all the aspects that need to be underlined, empowered, and talked about in my community.
As leading artists of sarAika, the members of this collective are also POC, immigrants & queer- we aim to give opportunity, platform, and voice to dancers that will not find that easy to express themselves in this city. sarAika in the past, and definitely in the future, took part in many community programs and events presenting performances, classes, workshops, and events for underserved communities involving different undervalued communities of people such as BIPOC, queer, Harlem, Queens, Asian, etc. Helping, serving, give voice to my communities is and will be always the mission of the sarAika movement collective.
Currently, we are in open collaborations with musicians, actors, singers, VR technologists, visual artists, painters, light painters, poets, and more. sarAika movement collective has been featured by the NYC/international newspapers: Broadway World, Dance Enthusiast, Savanna Voyage, YomiTime, New York Japion, Daily Sun, NY Seikatsu, PIX II, Green Space Blog, Juilliard Alumni Blog, GoldenStar, LIC, Happening Next, City Guide, and more.
sarAika premiered their first half evening-length work “L TRAIN” at Green Space, and has performed various projects for NYC/NJ based organizations: 7MPR, Dixon Place, The Craft, IKADA, JCAL, BAAD!, Movement Research, Dance Parade, Pride Parade, SJAC, Creative Performances and more from 2020 and ongoing.
These last past couple of years has changed my life, making me able to connect with wonderful people and inspire many artists around us and assist people from our community. As a spoke woman of sarAika, I will personally keep working on the longevity of art and support the art community to inspire, grow and expand.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most recent lesson I’ve learned is “you cannot do everything alone”, and I mean ‘alone” and not “by yourself”. I identify “by yourself” as a definition of independent task, opinion, and work, that all need to do. All need to be able to complete a task by themself: it is a symbol of independence. What I mean with “alone” is without sharing your accomplishment with anyone.
Having a second opinion, a different point of view, corrections, and feedback are fundamental for your self-improvement. Missing this step can inhibit your growth and will always set your standards at the level of your abilities, never challenging you to have a different method or product. And, in case of success, we should be able to celebrate, spend a happy moment, and share a memorable event with someone; this in the personal life and the work life.
Maybe I’m making this up on the spot or it is already a quote but I strongly believe in the statement “Happiness is not enough if it is not shared”. In conclusion, you are capable of realizing yourself: trust in your abilities, creativity, and strength, but have someone next to you to share it with.
Pricing:
- Methodology Workshop by Sara Pizzi & Aika Takeshima $20
- Company Members’ Classes $15
- Private classes/mentorship contact@saraikacreation.com
- Video Full Length Shows $30
- Commission/Collaboration contact@saraikacreation.com
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sarapizzi.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_sarapizzi_/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sara.pizzi.7
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/SaraPizzi3
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrojXl1b6CortTwOIyKIvCA
Image Credits
@becca.vision and https://www.beccavisionnyc.com
