Today we’d like to introduce you to Angelika Eleni.
Angelika, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’m from Dallas and a TCU alumna. I lived in Dublin, Ireland for postgraduate studies at Trinity College and then lived in Florianopolis, Brazil, where my daughter was born. My academic background is generally in political science, international relations, and mediation. I’ve had great life experience in traveling around the world to study and donate my time in cross-cultural group dialogue and peace building. While I still have profound interest in this area of work, I have grown up as an artist in various genres and mediums and am very passionate about the arts. I’ve found myself in the perfect time to focus on my artistic goals which have manifested themselves into Mcallen Irish Arts, a community organization where I teach, collaborate, and perform. I organize regular community events in music and dance where people can experience a cultural artform they may not have otherwise had opportunity to see.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not! The academic and professional road is what I had conditioned myself to place personal value in, and I still absolutely love all my experience and knowledge gained from my time in academia. There may even be a chance that I return for the next degree. However, something that was always deeply a part of me were the arts in all its forms. I never quite allowed myself to fully commit myself to growing as a performer or artist and constantly had the feeling of being out of my touch with my truer passions. Many times I felt left behind, overwhelmed by my perceived loss of time, and wasted more time feeling sad about it than doing something about it. The turning point was returning stateside after motherhood and trying to renter the workforce. It felt like such an uphill battle and even the most basic things seemed to hit brick walls. The struggle of not being able to align myself with my professional goals felt like failure and I couldn’t figure out what I wanted to do about it. Through the wisdom of friends and mentors, I started to see the opportunity that was presenting itself throughout it all and I figured I was being redirected. Then, when I finally gave myself a small window of permission to tread an entirely new path.. the road changed. Instead of feeling like an uphill battle, interactions and experiences started feeling serendipitous. It is still challenging but in a different and fulfilling way.
Please tell us about McAllen Irish Arts.
I am an artist resident in an arts coalition created by the McAllen Chamber of Commerce, which is called the McAllen Creative Incubator. I decided to turn my studio into McAllen Irish Arts. My goals are to engage people in the cultural arts by community-building and collaborating on projects with different types of artists. It’s a way to give back to the community while also effectively allowing me to stay in practice and constantly push myself further out of my comfort zone. I’m sponsored by the McAllen Chamber of Commerce to host the first ever South Texas Irish Festival, and I am currently organizing and hosting the Virtual Art Walk representing the McAllen Creative Incubator. As an individual, I travel to teach, perform, and compete.
Most recently, I performed at the North Texas Irish Festival in Dallas for different acts, dancing for Reel Treble and Celtic Aire, then dancing independently with friends and colleagues as our own act. I am a seasonal teacher and choreographer for Dancentre of Edinburg’s annual Irish Show production and recently have been booking weddings and community events to perform and call out “Ceili” dance steps, which are party dances for group gatherings. What I am most proud of, and I feel the aspect that also sets my studio apart, is that I am focused on creating community- a sharing of skills, passion, and fellowship. Many dances or music studios focus on getting students in, teaching them, then that’s it. Which is still great for its own reasons! But I want students to feel more at home as members, as fellow artists that have their own contribution to the organization.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Reading this question made me smile. So many thoughts flood my head. My favorite childhood memories are actually performing, and being toted around to different studios with my grandma, spending all day, all weekend at the North Texas Irish Festival, the Greek Food Festival, folklorico events… you name it. And also quite solitary events, playing by myself near a window lost in daydreams, reading a book on the balcony.
Contact Info:
- Address: 601 N Main St.
McAllen, TX 78501 - Website: https://mcallenincubator.com/artist/angelika-eleni/
- Phone: 469 955 6007
- Email: angelikaeleni@gmail.com
- Instagram: @mcallenia
- Facebook: /Mcallenia
Image Credit:
Michaelangelo Photography – Miguel Medina
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