We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Amaret a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Amaret, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?
As Amaret, we’re always looking for ways to tell a story through dance. Rather than crafting our performances around a particular style, song, or genre, we let our imagination run and inspiration grow to think of a story that speaks to us enough to share it with the world. Because of this, we’ve learned that creativity can spring from anywhere – any experience, person, or thing – as long as we have open minds and hearts to receive it. There may be moments when our creativity is clouded by something else, but it’s constantly there, waiting to be given life. We fuel our creativity by engaging with other artists, building original stories or characters, and participating in other creative outlets. Overall, our creativity remains alive because we have an endless intake of inspiration all around us. We just have to listen and look for it.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Amaret is an arts and entertainment company consisting of Angela Juel and Jas Synclair. Created from a combination of amaranth and our birthstone, Garnet, Amaret signifies everlasting perseverance and love for the art we create. We started our artistic journey as Amaret after winning first place in a local dance competition in San Antonio, Texas in 2019. Realizing the creative opportunity in front of us, we debuted more performances in San Antonio, followed by surrounding cities throughout the state of Texas. As more opportunities arose, we took each one as a chance to create something new and challenge ourselves as artists. From hosting dance workshops at dance studios, events, and competitions, to widening our scope of performances, each opportunity allowed us to grow as artists and performers. When it’s time to create something new, we use our background in musical theatre to tell a story that will speak to every audience we perform for. We also incorporate our own individual talents such as playing instruments, singing and choreographing to further express the ideas we have in our performances. Outside our live stages, we love to give back to the community by teaching dance classes and collaborating with other local artists, and we embrace each new challenge that comes our way as an opportunity to grow ourselves and our brand. Our newest feat that we’re devoting ourselves to is the execution of K/J Dance Battles, a dance competition that we created to give other artists a chance to compete and express themselves artistically on stage. We hope that this event sparks the same light in the competitors that our first dance competition sparked in us to help them begin their own artistic journey. As Amaret, our goal is to inspire others through our art and leave stories that will exist in a moment shared together on stage. We believe that art has the power to change lives, and we’re going to keep showing that – one performance or artistic creation at a time.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Three things that have truly shaped our journey as creatives would be the ability to take risks, the grace to take breaks, and the wisdom to take our time. Every artist goes through a “learning curve” or a moment in which they’re stepping into the next chapter of their story. Sometimes turning the page and venturing into that unknown zone we call growth can be scary — almost discouraging. One thing that has helped us realize what we are capable of is actually taking risks. Take the risk to create the art that YOU want to make, not create what is expected of you. Take the risk knowing that not everyone will love what you produce, but if you love what you do, your art will speak volumes. Another hard lesson in the art world is taking breaks. It is easy to get so caught up in the constant movement, the need to continuously create and produce that we don’t hear the freight train of burn out rushing towards us at full speed. Once that hits, you’re bound for an extended recovery. This past year, we were forced to take a break due to a physical injury that took us out of performing for the majority of 2023. What we initially saw as affliction eventually proved to be a blessing. We learned so much about ourselves, our abilities, and the future of our company. Had we not been forced to sit back this past year and look inwards, we wouldn’t be where we are now. The last lesson that we’ve found to be so significant to our journey is to take time. Take the time to discuss your brand and mission. Take the time to plan your direction, and the steps you’re taking to get there. Taking the time to hone your skills and creativity, so you become a master at what you do. All of these things are so important to who you are and what you choose to represent. This year, in 2024, we continue this journey stronger than we once were and more prepared for the new challenges to come.
Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?
As our business has continued to grow, we have come to realize that being well rounded is an extremely important skill. This goes for any artist, or small business alike: the more you know, the better off you will be. Business, just like art, is never one-note; it is dynamic with constant change. The more you grow, the more you need to prepare for greater opportunities — a classic case of “with great power comes great responsibility”. The new opportunities that have presented themselves to us in this year alone have caused us to strengthen areas that we were previously lacking in for the betterment of our company as a whole. Amaret, who started as a performing arts duo, shifted into the arts and entertainment company that it is now because we took the time to invest effort into skills other than just dancing! Our performances lead us into teaching classes, hosting and programming events, and even creating our own dance competition. There were endless nights that Ang and Jas studied, practiced, planned, organized and researched to make sure that we delivered our art and services to the high standards that we set for ourselves. To us, being well rounded proves our readiness for the growing pains that come with business expansion and new artistic creation.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @amaretofficial
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@amaretofficial
- Other: Business email: [email protected]
Image Credits
SAFDF Media Team, San Antonio Arts Academy Media
