Maria Polscha

I feel that in Perm I leave traces in people’s souls and thoughts



Sociologist by education, graduated from the faculty of humanities of the Perm State National Research University, tutor of show sport dance in the Perm College of Arts and Culture, founder of the Fanky Family dance school, one of Top-10 best lady break dancers of the world according to the portal «Who got the flava?»

Quotes

  • Music always helps me get in touch with the universal sensation of the world.
  • I am very happy that I am engaged specifically into dancing, because through dance I can communicate with people of various cultural background and life views.
  • The main problem of the modern man is the lack of dialogue with oneself. People are so consumed by the outer world; they simply loose connection with themselves.
  • There are two important expressions that follow me from childhood, «Every man is a self-made man», and «Everyone will be rewarded according to his faith». It is not about religious faith, but about what person truly believes.

My story

I was born in Perm, but lived in Yakutia until 8th grade. My friend and I were always playing as if we had a dance school, since then the only thing I could think about was, «I want to dance forever». I don't think my parents imagined true depth of my desire when they first brought me to sport dancing school in Yakutia. When we were back to Perm, I seriously went into ballroom dancing; me and my partner were a successful pair, several times we won Ural Championship, but at some point I felt I wanted something different. For sure, ballroom dancing made a great basis but since 16 years old, I gradually started developing in various styles: hip-hop, break dance, and house. Step by step dance became my way of communicating with the world. Everything I have more or less came to me thanks to dancing. I even graduated from the university due to it.

It is important for me not to do something halfway, but give all my energy to the task. There was a period when I was teaching dance as fitness but I realized pretty fast it was not my cup of tea. Dance interests me as an art form. By the way, it is one of the reasons I went studying to Perm College of Arts and Culture.

Dance is a field where you can't stop even for a second, you have to work very hard. Sometimes I feel how I try to reach my students. I understand that if I stop learning, working, developing, I will lose context. It is difficult, true, but also very interesting. Work not as a form of «slavery» but as my own creative craft.

I have classical school basis in my background, which allows me to teach hip-hop, and break dance on a high professional level. I structure my lessons from the point of view of choreography, it is very important not only to show a movement but to explain it from the point of the rules of anatomy and basic knowledge of how to work with the body.

There are dancers, my students, who continue developing my work. I am really proud of it. I also have always wanted to stage a performance, and the material for it has been accumulating for five years. These shows are very important for me. In «Sense of Rhythm», we speak on how each era brings something new to the dance. Audience's feedback was fantastic, people were leaving inspired.

Lately I started vocal courses, I want to try composing and singing. These classes give me an opportunity to feel even freer in dance.

I remember quite well walking out of the Stockholm museum of modern art being completely smashed, with a headache from everything I had seen. That is how I realized I don't want my creative work to influence people in the same way, I don't want people to face violence of life. It is quite enough we have to fight through it on a daily basis; I want my art to inspire people, make them happier.

I haven't yet decided on a place I want to live in, but for now I always come back to Perm. For my students, for opportunities of self-development. In Perm I feel I am accomplished, I leave traces in people's souls and thoughts.