COVID 19 Interviews: Strategies for Moving Fashion and Performance Art Forward

Written by Colleen Tsoukalas and Interview with Colleen Lanki of Tomoe Arts

My initial response to COVID 19 and isolation, was to repost as many Designers, Writers and Artists, I know as a way of shining the light during these dark times. Friend and writer, Marilyn R. Wilson, had a better idea. She asked the many she knows, especially those with Businesses, to answer 5 questions, which serve as an excellent way for me to follow her excellent example of showing how people are responding and moving forward.

The questions are: 1) Please tell us about your business, 2) How did you work with people, before COVID 19? 3) How has social isolation affected you and your business? 4) What are some new strategies you are using to reach people, during this time? 5) Do you have a motto, mantra, role model, mentor that inspires you to move forward? Marilyn invited me to guest on her blog: Olio by Marilyn and here's what I wrote about keeping the blog current as well as trying other new technologies and resources during COVID 19 here.

My first interview is from Colleen Lanki of TomoeArts. A Master of Japanese Dance, Scholar, Teacher, Community Builder and Friend, Colleen is a first in so many ways. I have written about her here, in the past. I hope to see more of her and her company on Facebook and other venues. Japanese Dance, Kimono, Music, Story, watch for Tomoe Arts.

Interview with Colleen Lanki

1) Please tell us about Tomoe Arts, length of time, audience, main goal.

I have been a performing artist all my life. I lived in Japan for 7 years, where I worked as a voice actor, ran a bilingual theatre company and studied noh (Medieval Japanese theatre) and nihon buyō (dance of the kabuki theatre and of the geisha). My nihon buyō teacher always believed in internationalizing her art form; ballet was practiced around the world, so why not buyō! I founded TomoeArts in 2008 to help make that dream a reality. Our main goal is to promote Japanese arts and culture and make them accessible to everyone. Our work is to bring people together in conversation! We sponsor master artists from Japan, do concerts with local dancers, and create new interdisciplinary works. Our audiences are all ages and backgrounds and we have terrific support for the Japanese and Japanese-Canadian community.

2) How did you work with people before COVID 19?

All of our activities involve small or large group gatherings. Performance/dance classes and workshops are in person at the Dance Centre, our educational Salons are run out at UBC, and performances are in various locations – including at large outdoor festivals. The performing arts are really about gatherings, celebrations, and being in contact with each other".

3) How has social isolation affected you and your staff?

Though necessary in this crisis, “Social Isolation” is antithetical to everything we do, because we are in the business of bringing people together. This is why the arts, culture and hospitality businesses have been hit so hard. We are a small organization, so can adapt but it has been hard. I can no longer go to our little office at The Dance Centre. I am teaching a few dance lessons online – which feels very strange but allows for some level of contact with my students and we laugh a lot at the challenges. I have had to cancel multiple workshops and performances, scrambling to reschedule and hoping for the best. Everything has either been cancelled altogether or squished into next autumn.

4)What are new strategies to reach your audience, now?

I have been keeping people informed through emails and social media. I am putting up links on our Facebook page to related online shows and things that might interest our audience. On April 18 I did my first Facebook Live performance to commemorate the weekend we would normally be performing at the Sakura Days Japan Fair. I was able to use the gorgeous tea room at Sabi Tea Arts, where I danced a short piece and chatted a bit. It felt very odd being in the space all alone, but we had terrific response including folks getting dressed up and eating special cherry blossom themed goodies while watching. We may do another sometime over the summer. I think we can learn from these new online ways of connecting - and perhaps come up with some innovative performances and events, but really, I can hardly wait to gather in person again...

5) Do you have a motto, mentor, symbol, mantra, that leads you on.

One must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star. – Nietzsche Thus spoke Zarathustra
(I’m not the biggest Nietzche fan, but I love this quote)

Work from LOVE not fear.
(I think I am a closet pessimist. I seem pretty optimistic but I get pretty gloomy and fearful at home so need to remember this to make good choices)

I have had many, many mentors…and I am so grateful for all of them.

Links here:

http://www.tomoearts.org/
https://www.facebook.com/TomoeArts
https://www.youtube.com/user/TomoeArts
https://www.flickr.com/photos/46550780@N03/