We recently connected with YAUHENIYA RAMANOVICH and have shared our conversation below.

YAUHENIYA, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

In my personal journey towards happiness and health, I’ve found that overworking, even in a job you love, can be detrimental. The worst thing for an artist is to lose inspiration, passion, and curiosity. There’s a certain charm in missing your art practice and yearning to return to it.

I appreciate project-based work, where after periods of intense work, I can afford time to rest, relax, and introspect.

As a child, my father taught me the importance of switching activities throughout the day. For instance, after three hours of playing music, I should shift to a physical activity like dancing, running, or yoga. Once I felt exhausted from physical exertion, I would turn to brain exercises such as writing, reading, or composing.

I’ve had various phases in my life. I spent four years at the Academy of Art learning puppet theatre acting. Our rigorous schedule ran from 8 am to 10 pm daily, except Sundays. It was a colossal challenge, particularly during my youth, when desires to party or date competed with the dedication to mastering my craft.

Afterward, I worked in the esteemed puppet theatre in Grodno, Belarus, a place rich with a 300-year history. However, after four to five years, the monotony of playing the same roles, with the same troupe and director, started to dull my enthusiasm. I yearned for change.

Subsequently, I established an art space, DOM46, as a hub for the city’s alternative projects that lacked suitable venues. We hosted a variety of dance, music, and theater events. Leading such a project was a new experience, requiring me to wear many hats. Despite the freedom to travel and manage my schedule, I found it challenging to truly relax as thoughts of the project consumed me constantly.

My varied experiences also include working in a restaurant, a coffee shop, teaching kids, and babysitting. Each role helped me comprehend the importance of finding a balance between dedication to my craft and rest. I discovered that a part-time job, such as working in a restaurant, could be a delightful distraction from the creative mood, grounding me in the reality of everyday life.

Presently, I am content with my professional standing. I can sense the onset of a new phase of even more exciting projects, and I am prepared for the challenges and opportunities that it will bring.

YAUHENIYA, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Hi. My name is Yauheniya (Jenya) Ramanovich. I am a dancer/performer/actress. I have had over 25 years experience in dance. I studied the basics of ballet, jazz and contemporary and contact improv in a legendary studio “Folush-ballet” (Grodno, Belarus).

Graduated in Academy of Arts (Minsk) in 2009 like an actor of puppet theatre and then worked in major puppet theatre in Grodno, Belarus.

Then started working like independent dancer/choreographer and teacher.

In 2016 I founded a first art space “DOM46” in Grodno. DOM46 was included in a list of the best “must go” venues in Grodno city. DOM46 provide dance, music and theater events there. Invite an international projects:

– A series of workshops by dancer of James Thiérrée company Ioulia Plotnikova (Paris, France) organized in collaboration with embassy of France.
– First workshop Butoh dance and Flamenco in Grodno by Lola Malaika (Prague, Czech Republic)
– First classes of “house dance” by Valeriya Boyar in Grodno

I came to NYC in 2019. I was a dancer and teacher of puppet theatre in a project by professor of Barnard College Colleen Thomas.

On May, 2019 I was performing in La Mama theater, NYC with international theater project “But the sun is coming up and we are here”, choreographer Colleen Thomas.

During the pandemic times I organized dance/theater classes for American and Belarussian students. Where they worked specifically with cameras and dance/theater by zoom.

We created two online performances:
“Zoom. Line. Dance” ( in collaboration with American and Belarusian kids)
“My room” (with live music by Sienna and Christopher Sears)

The most important project was in collaboration with Ukrainian director Maryna Bohomaz and Ukrainian actors. I was invited like a choreographer. All rehearsals were online and during a war in Ukraine in a town Rivne. First night of performance “Circle formation” were on 10th of July, 2022.

I was one of the members of a dance company “Concept Kinetics” created by famous NYC dancer and choreographer Cricket (James Colter).

In August 2022 I became a dancer and choreographer of the dance company Neta-Kinetics. The founder of the Dance Company is Marianna Koytsan. Neta-Kinetics combines rigorous training in house, breaking, hip-hop, and other street dance forms with a playful and theatrical sensibility to produce dynamic works for the stage.

Now I am part of a dance company “Siren – Protectors of The Rainforest”. Siren builds dynamic and sustainable societies by blending art with an education that promotes and shares African music, culture, and history.

I packed all my experience in dancing, acting, creating and teaching to my special dance program. Now I am here in NYC and ready to share my Belarusian and European (and even new already American) knowledge.

I am offering an dance/improv classes (a group, personal, online classes). Through improv exercises, we learn how to express our emotions and use the most beautiful tool for this – our body. I dream that each of my student will dance uniquely, boldly and with energy, being in good shape and condition “here and now”. I love smart dancing, listening bodies and open hearts.

Second my craft is creating performances. I open to perform and collaborate with dancers, musicians, photographers, videographers and other artists.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Resilience… It’s a word I hold dear to my heart.

Let me start from the beginning. I was born in Belarus in 1987. From a young age, I witnessed the gradual transformation of Belarus into a dictatorship. Even as a child, I sensed that something was amiss when I watched our president, Alexander Lukashenko, deliver his speeches on the television screen. I remember asking my father, “Why does he speak like that? He seems like a bad person.” Children may struggle to articulate their dislikes, but they possess an instinctive sense of it.

Fortunately, my family was progressive. Art, music, and theater were always woven into the fabric of my life. They instilled in me the importance of having my own opinions and surrounded me with fascinating, intelligent individuals.

In Belarus, the true, honest, and authentic culture is crafted by talented individuals who strive to speak the truth and envision a better future. These remarkable people are driven by their passion for expression, unfettered by concerns of wealth. They forge an underground language and a unique sense of humor, utilizing art as a tool to articulate themselves in a society where dissent is silenced, and alternative opinions are suppressed.

Artists receive little to no grants or support, and government-controlled cultural centers monopolize the scene. If you are an independent artist in Belarus, your options are very limited. Many brilliant minds behind the creation of genuine contemporary culture are either imprisoned or forced to seek refuge in other countries.

Living under such circumstances has profoundly shaped my identity. I made the decision to embark on my own artistic project called DOM46 in Belarus, an endeavor that demanded immense courage and resilience. It taught me the value of adaptability and strength. I realized that every idea can find a way to be expressed, even if it requires veiling it with irony, body language, or other creative tools. However, it remains crucial to stay true to one’s values and purpose—this is the essence of it all.

Upon arriving in New York City, I was captivated by the city’s vibrant energy, and it instilled in me a profound sense of authenticity. After enduring the fear of imprisonment, judgment, misunderstandings, and struggles back in Belarus, I discovered a newfound resilience within me, propelling me to take bold steps in my artistic journey here.

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

There is one book that has undeniably transformed my perspective on the process of thinking and creating. It goes by the title “To the Actor: On the Technique of Acting,” written by the renowned actor Michael Chekhov. Not only did I apply the concepts from this book to my craft, but I was also compelled to incorporate them into my daily life.

The most significant aspect I gleaned from this technique is the power of questioning oneself. By posing a question and refraining from immediate answers, I create a mental space that allows for paradoxical and unconventional solutions, fostering the emergence of intriguing ideas. I pose a question to myself and patiently wait, allowing the correct answer to intertwine with my intuition, cultural background, personal roots, diverse opinions, and past experiences. It’s akin to sensing a response, as if I am tapping into a vast repository of knowledge from the world around me. The beauty of it lies in the fact that it becomes my choice, and I feel an unequivocal connection with it.

This technique has not only enhanced my understanding of myself as an individual but has also enriched my abilities as a performer. I firmly believe that anyone can apply the insights from this book to their profession and life, regardless of their background.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/jenya_romanovich?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenyaRomanovich?mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ya-ra-9a618b136
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@Jenya_Romanovich
• Other: https://vimeo.com/dom46 https://vimeo.com/dom46

Image Credits
Yuliya Kobeleva Tanya Nowossjolova Nasta Shastak Olga Rabetskaya Swetlana Lebed