115 | Making Magic Happen On-Stage with Katy Psenicka
Katy Psenicka is the Chief Choreographer and Chief Operations Officer of Shadowbox Live, America’s largest resident ensemble theater company based in Columbus, Ohio. Since joining Shadowbox Live in 1994, Katy has made choreography the anchor of her professional career, cultivating over 600 character-driven performing art pieces that tell stories through contemporary dance. A versatile performer herself, Katy has also been featured in several lead and supporting roles. Her most recent work includes the conceptualization and choreography of Madness and Lust and Broken Whispers, both of which won The Columbus Dispatch’s Best Show of 2016 award. Katy earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Management from The University of Dayton.
Today, you’ll hear Katy outline her creative processes for choreographing dances and creating shows. She describes what she was like as a child and explains how being situationally aware and energetic shaped her path toward becoming an artist. You’ll learn about how, between 4th and 9th grade, she put on a show in her family’s garage every summer. She also shares her ideas on storytelling and offers her advice to young, budding artists who are unsure of their journey.
“Don’t keep your light inside—let it shine. Let yourself have the freedom to share all your amazing gifts to the world. The world needs you, your skill, and your gifts.”
- Katy Psenicka
This week on Kathy Sullivan Explores:
● Katy’s background and childhood in Cleveland, Ohio
● How Katy created and held shows in her family’s garage as a child
● Her high school experience and how her teachers inspired her
● How studying Communication at The University of Dayton gave Katy a glimpse into her life path
● The process of choreographing a dance and the interplay of music and motions
● How Katy and the Shadowbox Live team produced a show based on the story of Bonnie and Clyde
● Katy’s “moments” worksheet and show ideas currently simmering in her mind
● Current and future Shadowbox Live shows
Our Favorite Quotes:
● “Whatever it is you’re good at is applicable to every single thing you do in life. You have to put a filter on your lens and take what you know and apply it.” - Katy Psenicka
● “The road will reveal itself to you. You don’t need to stress about where it’s going. Just start working.” - Katy Psenicka
Connect with Katy Psenicka:
Spaceship Not Required
I’m Kathy Sullivan, the only person to have walked in space and gone to the deepest point in the ocean.
I’m an explorer, and that doesn’t always have to involve going to some remote or exotic place. It simply requires a commitment to put curiosity into action.
In this podcast, you can explore, reflecting on lessons learned from life so far and from my brilliant and ever-inquisitive guests. We explore together in this very moment from right where you are… spaceship not required.
Welcome to Kathy Sullivan Explores.