I'll always remember my first meeting with Thordis—my girlfriend Cheryl invited me to see her first theatrical venture based on her book, "Dancing Girl". It was as if I'd stepped into a warm patch of sun like the one illustrated here in her painting. The performance transported me to Greece, transforming me from "audience member" to "fly-on-the-wall-participant" in the magic of Thordis’ Greek village odyssey. Its a rare thing to experience someone else's stories at such a visceral, emotional level, and I am more than thrilled to know that I will have that opportunity again at Thordis’ one-woman multimedia show, Building on Memory, which plays this weekend at the Denver Woman’s Press Club.
Thordis & I spoke on the phone about her latest book, "Dances in Two Worlds:A Writer-Artist’s Backstory" & the upcoming performance that draws from it.
LA: Your life seems to me to be a dream-like adventure that has taken you from teaching biology & cultural anthropology to “resurrecting” an abandoned peasant house in Greece, to writing, painting, and performing.
THORDIS: I never anticipated writing a book or living abroad or restoring a house by hand. But over the course of time, I have learned to listen to my intuition and to trust it. I understand that intuition is a valid way of knowing. And it presents opportunities that would not be revealed—or acted on—through intellect alone.
LA: I understand that your new book, Dances in Two Worlds, and your program, Building on Memory, are based on recollections from your childhood?
THORDIS: Right. For example, when I was in high school, I knew that I wanted to major in art in college. But my mother insisted that I major in the liberal arts; hence the biology in my academic background. But she also used to say, “Draw a horse the way it looks to you, not the way someone else tells you to draw it.” It was years before I ventured into the visual arts, and years before I understood that she was right. But my mother’s admonition—the memory of it—not only shaped my approach to art. Her words became the philosophy I live by.
LA: When you give yourself over to the creative process, however your creativity is expressed—when you take that leap of faith & allow a new creation, there is a never-ending cycle of expansion.
THORDIS: There are always the two types of adventure. There is life in the world out there, which, for me, has included my life in Greece and discovering a community of friends there. And there is the journey of self-exploration; my writing and painting and house restoring have been central to this. The book and the program weave together my inward and my out-going journey—hence the book title “Dances in Two Worlds.”
LA: The creative leap of faith is available for everyone, as are the outer adventure and the inner journey.
THORDIS: When I first arrived in Greece it was easy to see how the villagers & I were different. So I asked myself, "What do we have in common?" As I wrote in Dancing Girl, what we all have in common are “feelings that need to be expressed and a human spirit that wants to be set free.” When I was little, my sister and I used to catch fireflies in a jar. I believe that with every word I write, every brushstroke I make, every stone I set at my house in Greece, I release the fireflies bottled up in me.
LA: I'm so excited to see the show this weekend! For a sneak peak at "Building on Memory" program trailer can be viewed here.
A conversation with the audience and book signing will follow.
Saturday, Nov 10th at 7 pm & November Sunday, Nov 11 at 4 pm
Doors open at 6:30 and 3:30 respectively
Denver Woman’s Press Club
1325 Logan Street, Denver 80203
parking in lot north of Club
Tickets: $15 or $35 (includes a signed copy of Dances in Two Worlds available in advance or at the door;
cash or check payable to "astragreece inc."
General admission; limited seating; advance purchase recommended.
Call 303.321.5403 or
info@astragreece.com
For more information about Thordis’ program, book, and art,
please visit www.astragreece.com
Thordis & I spoke on the phone about her latest book, "Dances in Two Worlds:A Writer-Artist’s Backstory" & the upcoming performance that draws from it.
LA: Your life seems to me to be a dream-like adventure that has taken you from teaching biology & cultural anthropology to “resurrecting” an abandoned peasant house in Greece, to writing, painting, and performing.
THORDIS: I never anticipated writing a book or living abroad or restoring a house by hand. But over the course of time, I have learned to listen to my intuition and to trust it. I understand that intuition is a valid way of knowing. And it presents opportunities that would not be revealed—or acted on—through intellect alone.
LA: I understand that your new book, Dances in Two Worlds, and your program, Building on Memory, are based on recollections from your childhood?
THORDIS: Right. For example, when I was in high school, I knew that I wanted to major in art in college. But my mother insisted that I major in the liberal arts; hence the biology in my academic background. But she also used to say, “Draw a horse the way it looks to you, not the way someone else tells you to draw it.” It was years before I ventured into the visual arts, and years before I understood that she was right. But my mother’s admonition—the memory of it—not only shaped my approach to art. Her words became the philosophy I live by.
LA: When you give yourself over to the creative process, however your creativity is expressed—when you take that leap of faith & allow a new creation, there is a never-ending cycle of expansion.
THORDIS: There are always the two types of adventure. There is life in the world out there, which, for me, has included my life in Greece and discovering a community of friends there. And there is the journey of self-exploration; my writing and painting and house restoring have been central to this. The book and the program weave together my inward and my out-going journey—hence the book title “Dances in Two Worlds.”
LA: The creative leap of faith is available for everyone, as are the outer adventure and the inner journey.
THORDIS: When I first arrived in Greece it was easy to see how the villagers & I were different. So I asked myself, "What do we have in common?" As I wrote in Dancing Girl, what we all have in common are “feelings that need to be expressed and a human spirit that wants to be set free.” When I was little, my sister and I used to catch fireflies in a jar. I believe that with every word I write, every brushstroke I make, every stone I set at my house in Greece, I release the fireflies bottled up in me.
LA: I'm so excited to see the show this weekend! For a sneak peak at "Building on Memory" program trailer can be viewed here.
A conversation with the audience and book signing will follow.
Saturday, Nov 10th at 7 pm & November Sunday, Nov 11 at 4 pm
Doors open at 6:30 and 3:30 respectively
Denver Woman’s Press Club
1325 Logan Street, Denver 80203
parking in lot north of Club
Tickets: $15 or $35 (includes a signed copy of Dances in Two Worlds available in advance or at the door;
cash or check payable to "astragreece inc."
General admission; limited seating; advance purchase recommended.
Call 303.321.5403 or
info@astragreece.com
For more information about Thordis’ program, book, and art,
please visit www.astragreece.com
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