We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Maria Cherniske a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Maria, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I have always been a “mover”. My parents signed me up for my first class at a local studio when I was 3. I don’t remember a lot from when I was 3, but I do remember my very first class at the studio and my first recital (and how my hat fell off whenever I did my forward roll … and I of course kept running back down the mat to get it). I loved performing. Anytime there was a family party, I planned and rehearsed what I would perform. Before everyone arrived, I went around the house collecting every flashlight I could find. When it was “showtime”, I handed the flashlights out and instructed everyone to shine them on me while I performed (creating a spotlight). I held my parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and family friends captive as my audience. They watched as I danced and cartwheeled around my living room while New Kids On The Block played on the cassette player.
I always loved to perform and looked forward to any opportunity to dance for an audience. One night my family and I were at a local restaurant for dinner, and I was of course dancing around. A local performer dining at the restaurant told my parents I could come perform at his show on the green the next weekend. I was ecstatic. The following weekend, I put my dance recital costume on and my parents brought me to the green. The audience consisted of mostly retirees watching and cheering from their lawn chairs; I couldn’t have loved it more.
The Electric Slide contest at my neighborhood’s 4th of July picnic was something I looked forward to for weeks. I still have my “I Only Party With The Best” shirt that the DJ gave me for winning the contest one year. I wore it proudly for years … now it is part of a shirt quilt I have 😊
Many summer nights were spent at local live “flashback” concerts dancing with my dad to Motown. Needless to say … as a kid, I took every opportunity I could to dance and perform. Every year for Halloween I wore an old dance recital costume because the only thing I wanted to dress up as was a dancer. In the studio I took every class I could for my age until the studio started letting me take classes with the older students as well. The studio I grew up at didn’t compete, but focused a lot on performance. The recital was a big deal with lots of elaborate productions and props to match, which was always so much fun.
As I got older, dance (and gymnastics) became what my schedule was built around. In college I joined a dance ensemble, which is where I was exposed to the NYC dance scene. We took a trip to the Broadway Dance Center in New York City. It opened my eyes to this whole other world of dance, and I couldn’t wait for more. I always knew I wanted to dance forever, but wasn’t sure how to make it a career and keep performing after college. NYC showed me how much there was to offer for dancers in the commercial dance world.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

I am a dance educator, performer and choreographer. My choreography falls under “commercial dance”. I love pulling little details out of the music and bringing attention to them with movement and textures. In addition to being a choreographer for the dance industry, I am also a choreographer for dance studios (for showcases and competitions) and for gymnasts (floor choreography). I truly enjoy the process of creating and setting choreography. I love working with dancers and seeing how they bring the crazy choreography ideas I have in my head to life.
I am certified through Acrobatic Arts, USA Gymnastics and AFAA (as well as a state of Connecticut certified teacher and coach).I am on staff at Acrobatic Arts as an adjudicator and course conductor (leading certifications for teachers). I very much enjoy working with teachers and helping them develop the skills / knowledge / tools they need to instruct their students.
What sets me apart as an educator and choreographer is my experience and ability to work with movers at all different levels (and ages) and from different style backgrounds. I work hard to find each mover’s strengths and showcase them, while still working with them to strengthen and build confidence in the areas that don’t come as naturally to them.
www.MariaCherniskeDance.com

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

In college I studied Psychology and Elementary Education (getting my masters degree in Reading Education). After college I started working in the public school system during the day and teaching dance, coaching gymnastics and going to New York City to train at night. I spent time building connections in the industry, training, going to conventions, and auditioning when I could. After 6 years of working in the public schools, I decided it was time for me to take the big leap and pursue dance full time. I applied for an artist in residence program in my area and was accepted. As part of the artist in residence program, you live in an apartment at a reduced rate so there is less financial burden while pursuing a new career in the arts. Cutting back on my monthly expenses made it possible for me and my husband to pursue careers in areas that we loved. It was a little scary at first, but we were so excited for the new adventure. I am eternally grateful to the Milford Arts Council for the opportunity to be their Artist in Residence. The doors that were opened and the opportunities I was able to take advantage of because of the residency seriously changed the trajectory of my career in the arts.

It’s important to remember that it is okay to change your mind. If you find the course you’re on is not right for you, pivot and kick ball change on down the other way. Life is too short not to do work you love. While I was passionate about the work I was doing in the school system, I knew it wasn’t where I was meant to be forever. I felt like God gave me a gift that I was meant to use on a bigger scale … so I had a duty to follow it.
This path that I embarked on as an artist has definitely not been easy. There have been many times I have felt defeated, cried, questioned some choices I made … but it has been worth it. This career has brought me to tears because I care so much about the work I do. One of my mentors once told me that everyone will have breakdowns and breakthroughs … it is part of the journey. I have found that the “breakdowns” I’ve had, have led to so many “breakthroughs” that have helped me grow as an artist and a person.
I’ve also found the importance of saying, “no” when something is not right for me. I went through a period of time where I just said, “yes” to whatever opportunity came. That can be helpful in some situations (especially because it helps you gain experience) … But if you know something is not right for you, or will pull you from something else you are focused on … it is okay to say, “no”. That being said, in each situation where I realized it was not the right space for me, I learned a lot about myself. Those experiences built my confidence in a way that made me even more sure of what is right for me.
As my mentors Lisette and Chonique always said … “Find your lane. There is enough gold for everyone because everyone’s gold is different.”

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

A few books that I have really enjoyed are:
** “If you Want To Walk on Water, You’ve Got To Get Out of the Boat”
** “Big Magic”
** “You Are A Badass”
** “The Money Book for Freelancers, Part-Timers, and the Self-Employed: The only personal finance system for people with not-so-regular jobs”

Training Programs for commercial dancers:
** Motivating Excellence – Training with Rhapsody James -I learned so much about myself as a person in this program, which changed who I am as an artist (in the best way).
** Creating Opportunities – This program is not running at this time, but look out for anything being held by Lisette Bustamante and Chonique Sneed.
** Lipstick Diaries – Heels training with Jessica Castro
** Rock the Industry – Commercial Dance Training with Luam Keflezgy

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.MariaCherniskeDance.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariacherniske/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maria.cherniske/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-cherniske-0b26978a/
• Youtube: @mariacherniske9370

Image Credits

The following pictures were taken by Brian Thomas (@spinkickpictures ):
2 blue tank top photos, black top and jeans with crossed arm (black and white), denim shorts and white collar shirt squatting (black and white)

Gymnastics photo taken by Allison Cheng (Mott) Photography at Beam Queen Bootcamp

Dance Convention Photo – Taken by the team at Beyond The Stars (One Beat)

The following pictures were taken by Kvon Photography ( @kvonphotography ) –
flannel and Jeans (black and white), purple top sitting in a chair

Group photo at Broadway Dance Center NYC