Meet Dana Sokolowski | Director, Writer, Choreographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dana Sokolowski and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dana, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
These last 2 years have been about the commitment you make when you take a risk. You may not see the fruits of that risk until years later, depending on how you define success.

When you make that bet on yourself, you open yourself up to the possibility of seeing it, of experiencing it. It scares me far more to not take the risks and find myself with only myself to blame for the options I have before me. When I take the risk, I sleep better at night.

But taking risks comes with responsibility, and I have had to navigate what that looks like when I realize I don’t know the answers, or I’m in unfamiliar territory, and I’ve placed myself in the position to need to know it. The best way of doing anything is just to do it, to make mistakes, to learn, and chalk it up to experience.

When I was a kid, I used to fling myself out of my crib and off of stages. I had so much youthful courage. That carried on in different ways, but in 2019 I lost my mother, and her sudden death called into question what taking risks means to me.

I left the comforts of my everyday routine, the security of my job creating films at a global creative agency, to lean headfirst into my ambitions of directing and merge my passions in writing, film, and dance. It hasn’t looked anything like I thought it would (yet)—but I’ve taken risks every day, whether that’s in advocating for my time and worth, or investing in work that doesn’t guarantee returns but guarantees my personal values are met.

To get work as a director, you have to make films. A big risk of time and money and trust, with the hope that it could be a door to your next paid opportunity. This past year I dove headfirst into directing a dance film in honor of my grief and mental health journey. Taking risks looks a lot like loving yourself, and building the self-love and confidence to do that has taken so many emotional moments.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My art is rooted in story and connection: from text to image, movement and sound. And while I’ve spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to be the best writer, the best dancer/choreographer, and the best filmmaker I could be, a lot of times, making decisions or saying no to one thing felt like I was closing the door on any one of those pursuits or stunting my progress.

While I struggle to balance the three, I realize this trifecta of passions is also my edge. I want to bring these worlds together, of story, and movement, and music and they do coexist harmoniously. I’m excited to continue carving a path that merges these worlds in ways that bring people together to feel and play, and hopefully reinvent tired structures.

In my latest work, Who Sits Beside Us in The Bath, I bring these three worlds together in a short narrative dance film—a surreal bedtime story about trust, safety, and protection after the death of a parent. In partnership with Dance Canvas, an organization that amplifies professional dance in Atlanta, I directed and produced one of my most ambitious works to date I’m proud to share.

As an independent filmmaker, the road knew difficulty, from raising capital, to battling reschedules and setbacks due to COVID-19, among many other unexpected challenges you don’t anticipate until you’re in the thick of the work. But I was also surrounded by a forest of support and held up by the committed and talented people on my team.

Despite the challenges, there were infinite beautiful moments. With the incredible support of my partner, Khadijah Sayyid, we premiered the film to our Atlanta community on Friday, May 13^th at our partner studio Ambient + Studio. Over 100 people gathered to celebrate the healing power of story for Mental Health Awareness month.

No matter the medium, my purpose is to create safety and belonging in dream worlds. That’s what art does for me. It is my goal to merge the innovation, movement, and world-making of dance film to bring dance as a language to the commercial screen.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We’d definitely start the day with the best breakfast treats at Hell Yeah! Gluten Free or a morning movement class at Core Dance in Decatur. After, we’d bike/skate around the city and end up at a park (there are so many to list… Cabbagetown Park, Grant Park, Freedom Park, Piedmont). We could grab sandwiches to-go from Dave’s Subs or Tassili’s or Kelly’s Market and enjoy the people and the weather (I’m here for the heat). Dance/exercise in the grass or read. We could take a spin class at Vibe Ride Grant Park or head to my favorite dance studios Xcel or I-Inspire – shout out to Aris Golemi and De’Angelo Wimberly. And finish off the night with dinner at faves like Delbar, Amore e Amore, Patria Cocina, White Bull and hit up Midtown Art Cinema, the Tara, or Starlight Drive-In for a night movie. If it’s a Wednesday, MJQ. Back in the day you’d catch me along Edgewood at Sound Table or Music Room, but hopefully the scene will open back up. On Thursdays I’m really excited that Leg Day is back in session thanks to Isaac Deitz and the community there. Checkout www.kicktheladder.com: we make 1-minute films together based on weekly prompts. On weekdays I’m at any of the Switchyards co-working spaces – they’ve done an incredible job creating conducive and welcoming spaces to hunker down. And you can always find me on Carroll St. I could go on and on– Atlanta’s got something for everyone.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Hands down, that would be my partner. We met at probably the hardest part of my journey thus far. Even when I have felt at my lowest, she has been committed to growing with me, both encouraging and celebrating me, and takes such a vested interest in our success. We partner in nearly all that we do, and I couldn’t begin to express my gratitude for her support and influence in my life– it’s so integral and intertwined with what makes me able to do what I do with the joy and confidence and hope that she brings.

Website: https://www.danasoko.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dc_soko/?hl=en

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danasokolowski/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dana.c.soko

Other: https://vimeo.com/danasoko

Image Credits
Crystal Alexis Photography LLC; David Bunzey; RAW Artists