We recently connected with Maya Billig and have shared our conversation below.
Maya, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
As artists, we live inside a world of harsh “No’s”. There’s often a bit of beginner’s luck that accompanies the beginnings of an endeavor. Then maybe you try it again and it doesn’t quite work out the way you wanted it to. Over time, I found that my career will have cycles of success and failure- such as the cycles of life. To be at peace with this, I remind myself that I am more than my career. My resilience comes in the form of constantly being able to adapt and reinvent myself depending on the circumstances. And perhaps I was also born with a personal constitution that whispers to me “no matter how many no’s you get, find the yes.”
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am a Miami-based choreographer, director, and dancer; as well as the artistic director and founder of Billy Gee Dance Theatre. A cross between fantasy and poignant reality, my work is rooted in building surreal, hybrid worlds through the medium of dance theater. Before I step into the studio, I have already begun envisioning a particular world for months or even years. Each project begins with a seed where I can see, feel, hear, and even smell the space I want to create: a post-apocalyptic outer space speakeasy, a surrealist Hollywood Western, a 1930’s radio show stuck on a loop. It’s these places, and then the question of “what would humans do here?” I have a fondness for irony, humor, the ridiculous, and art work that suspends us to a place where we are able to reevaluate our beliefs. My projects have been supported by the Knight Foundation, Jacob’s Pillow, Adrienne Arsht Center, Miami Light Project, Locust Projects, Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, and the Deering Estate. I’ve been honored as a recipient of the Dance Miami Choreographer’s Award and featured in Dance Magazine March 2022 as an “On the Rise” artist. Some of my films have been screened both nationally and internationally including Sweden, Bosnia, Italy, Cuba, Venezuela, and the USA. Besides receiving my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from New World School of the Arts, I’ve trained heavily in contemporary dance, physical theater, and improvisational techniques throughout the US, Europe, Israel, and Australia. A vagabond at heart, I’ve traversed 31 countries and plans to spend my life exploring how to develop sustainable relationships to our planet and each other through movement.
My next big adventure will be taking me to Los Angeles in the Fall, where I will be pursuing a Masters of Fine Arts in Choreographic Inquiry at UCLA.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1. Curiosity 2. Passion
3. Communication
My advice: Learn to articulate yourself . When you’re nervous, remember that most people in the room are as well. Fall in love with your own ideas. Be kind. Laugh at everything.
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
My parents allowed me to always be myself. This gave me the freedom and support to explore my wildest dreams. I try to carry this with me with every person I meet: let everyone be themselves.
Contact Info:
- Website: mayanadinedance.com
- Instagram: @mayabillig
Image Credits
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