Performances

A multidisciplinary three part solo show exploring themes of grief, death, and rebirth through classical and contemporary dance, and original poetry set to music. Irina channels archetypes like Kali and Mary Magdalene, creating a sacred feminine ritual through movement and voice.

Location: The Butterfly Club, Melbourne (October 2019)
Review quotes

• “A mystical feminist journey into a multidisciplinary art performance.”
  “Her poetry and operatic songs are otherworldly; she summons her energy and channels her own inner goddess”
  “An esoteric exploration of female empowerment within classical ballet, contemporary dance and yoga. A fascinating performer.” – Flora Geourgiou, Stage Whispers (for full review visit http://www.stagewhispers.com.au/reviews/coming-through)
• “A journey through loss and grief – and of coming through – into the light.”
  “A fascinating performer on a creative journey of inner self-enrichment” – Dance Australia
•  “Irina Kuzminsky is a phenomenon, extraordinarily gifted in dance, music and
  language. Coming Through, her one-woman performance, is a synthesis of those gifts Poetry, song and elements of classical ballet combine to form multi-dimensional hymns … Coming Through is out-of-the-ordinary performance art” – Marian Webb (for full
  review visit http://pationpics.com/2019/10/31/coming-through-irinushka-at-the-butterfly-club)

Inspired by her poetry collection, this show explores female archetypes and spirituality. It integrates spoken word, music, and dance, continuing Irina’s academic work on the “language of women”. Praised for its intellectual depth and emotive power, it laid the foundation for her later works.

The dance is life – life is the dance – in all its manifestations, in all its sorrow and joy, cruelty and beauty. And the faces of the Dark Goddesses are many – some are dark with veiling and unknowing, some are dark with sorrow, some are dark with mystery and a light so great that it paradoxically shades them from sight. Spiritual and sexual, earthy and refined, a woman’s voice speaks to women and to the feminine in women and men – of an openness to life, a surrender to the workings of love, and a trust in the Dark Goddesses and their ways of leading us through the dance

Locations: UK (Heaven’s Gate Festival, Stroud; Bath), New York (Manhattan Theatre Source, Dixon Place, Producers Club), Germany (Saarlouis); Melbourne (Club Voltaire, Dancehouse)

First performed at the launch of Irina’s poetry collection Dancing with Dark Goddesses at the Heaven’s Gate Festival celebrating William Blake in Stroud

Combines spoken and sung word, poetry, original music and choreography in three acts – Ananda, Apocalypsia and Dancing with Dark Goddesses

“The dance and the music all evolved from my poetry. I have long wanted to find a way of bringing the arts I do together and “Dancing with Dark Goddesses” is the result.” – Irina

Review quotes

• “A performance of complete commitment, passion and technical brilliance” – Bard on a Bike
• “A poetic and spiritual synthesis that honours Blake’s visionary legacy.” – Festival Commentary
• “most magnificently of all, Irina Kuzminsky, who had come all the way from Melbourne to launch her book, Dancing with Dark Goddesses … with an incredible dance-recital tour-de-force” – https://thebardicacademic.wordpress.com/tag/robin-williamson
• “A one-woman poetry and dance fusion show… a powerful embodiment of the sacred feminine.” – Performance Highlights
• “German audiences gave an incredible reception, appreciating the depth and artistry.” – Dance Australia
• Audience feedback – “special and different – like no-one else’, “unique”, “otherworldly”, “it feels very ancient what you do”, “breathtaking”, “like nothing I have ever seen before – fantastic!”

https://youtu.be/93BxAsvlMWw
HIGHLIGHTS from “Dancing with Dark Goddesses”, a mystical fusion of poetry, dance, and music performed live at the Producers Club, New York. Visuals are intimate and theatrical, with flowing costumes and expressive movement. The music is ethereal and layered with spoken word. Extracts from rehearsal also on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/5399169

Irina was interviewed by Dance Australia for their series “Dancing at any age”:

• ‘Dance continually challenges me, forcing me to question myself, to learn and to grow.’ – IrinaKuzminsky
• ‘If we start to take older artists and their contribution seriously we might be surprised by the truly new and unexpected places this might take the art of dance.’ – Irina Kuzminsky
• Irina’s performances have ranged from classical to contemporary dance theatre shows touring regional UK theatres to cross-arts collaborations to site specific to ‘live art’ performances.

http://www.danceaustralia.com.au/artists/dancing-at-any-age-irina-kuzminsky-aka-irinushka