Meet Myrto

We recently connected with Myrto and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Myrto, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?

By throwing my self into the unknown. I moved in New York and I studied next to people who did since they were children what I was doing for the first time. I met people who were top level at their art. That made me push myself and I did get better. I was able to do things I never thought I would and that gave me a lot of confidence. Step by step, my self-esteem got better. I still struggle sometimes with impostor syndrome but I think this is part of what I chose to do. However, taking risks always led me to have more faith in myself.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

My name is Myrto Panagakis and I am a New York City based performer and choreographer born and raised in Athens, Greece. I trained in the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance, the Steps Conservatory and HB acting studio in NYC. I also have a Diploma in Dance and Dance Teaching from Niki Kontaxaki Professional Dance School and a BA in English Language and Literature from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.
I have presented work and have performed in venues like Lincoln Center, the Joyce Theater, Ailey Citigroup Theater, Manhattan Movement and Arts Center, National Dance Institute, Don’t Tell Mama, 100 Grand Street, Arts on Site, the Chain Theatre, Chelsea Industrial and Loy Luo Art Space.
I am also the co-founder of LUCID, a collective which provides space for dancers, choreographers and artists to experiment and collaborate. We have an upcoming show in October called “Echoes in the Mirror”. There are so many talented artists in the city and we are so excited we get to have some of them in our show.
Prior to my moving in NYC I was a dancer with MAZI dance theatre in Athens where one of my highlights was originating the leading role of “La Vieja” in Federico Garcia Lorca’s “Yerma”. I have also participated in various theatrical productions. Lastly, I have a recording track on streaming platforms. It is called “Diakopi Revmatos” and it is written and produced by my brother Konstantis. As you can tell, I love doing a lot of different things. It keeps me on my toes!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Resilience, patience and willingness to fail.
Artists who are starting their journey should know that these qualities/skills are important to keep going.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

When I feel overwhelmed I try to take a step back from my hectic schedule. I am trying to stay home as much as possible, spend less time on my phone and focus to the most important things on my list. I’m also trying to get as much sleep as possible (even though i’m not doing very well in this).

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Kenneth Ruan, Paul DuBois, Oku Okoko, Layla Shoobridge, Jaqlin Medlock

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