Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Bartnik

Hi Kelly, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?

I am a NY-based choreographer, director, performer, teacher and producer. My background started in movement and choreography, which is primarily why I moved to NY in the first place. I spent 10 years performing and showing my work and then in 2009 I got cast in the first iteration of Sleep No More through the American Repertory Theater at Harvard. The show went on to be a huge success and moved to off-broadway in NY where it became the first large-scale Immersive Theater show in the country and has been running for almost 12 years. Being part of that show expanded my career to include directing, creating, writing, and choreographing Immersive Theater shows and events on every scale, in both theatrical and commercial realms. This expansion brought acting into my life in a massive way and I started performing in plays, choreographing for staged theatrical works and teaching movement for actors. In addition to this creative journey, I spent 18 years doing property management and real estate sales / rentals in NY, so I have a comprehensive background in navigating all of the financial, architectural and functional aspects of working in large-scale spaces which has been very beneficial to my work. At this stage, I travel all over the world working on various projects that include everything from directing music videos, choreographing staged works, large-scale installations, crafting immersive theater experiences and performing in both others’ and my own works.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?

I think the pathway of every artist has what one would consider ‘bumps in the road’, but ultimately the journey, or the process, is part of the destination. It sounds trite perhaps, but if some of the bumps hadn’t happened then I would not have taken certain other paths that have brought me great joy and growth. As artists, our pathways are unique and we get to embody them in a way that makes sense to our understanding of our place in the world. And that I consider a gift.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?

One of the things that sets me apart is that I do a lot of different things. I’ve always been drawn to wanting to create in different ways and my career has reflected that. I didn’t just choose a path of choreography, which I envisioned early on. I followed my interests and opportunities and now I’m at a place where I’ve done everything from choreography to directing to producing to teaching to acting to painting to curating to dancing to magazine editing to drag to modeling to you name it. I like challenging myself with new things and exploring the different ways my creativity can take form.

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?

The most beneficial advice I can give is to not be scared to talk to people or reach out to them. Most people I’ve found will be willing to engage with you and offer what they can to help you. I think, particularly as women, we often don’t take that initiative or think it’s impolite or whatever, but somewhere along the way I got over all that and now I feel comfortable talking to anyone. I’ll send the cold email. I’ll offer the Instagram comment. I’ll introduce myself at a show. Put yourself out there. Support other people who are in the same field – that energy will come back to you.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kellybartnik.com
• Instagram: kelly.d.bartnik

Image Credits

Shannon Giles, Diana Nieto