Maya's Journey: A Final Post

Happy Spring! It’s me, Maya, Frog in Hand’s intern. The day has come... this is my last FH blog post. My journey started on a dreary Friday afternoon, in mid November 2022. I sat in a Sushi restaurant beside Hanna Kiel (Human Body Expression), across from Colleen Snell, Frog in Hand’s Artistic Director. Between the old stories and laughs that Hanna and Colleen shared, we discussed who I was as an artist, what I wanted to do, and where we collectively wanted this internship to go.

And look where it's gone! Over the last three months, I have had the opportunity to observe the creation process for FH’s new game Anomaly (coming soon), took part in FH’s Winter in the Port performance in Mississauga, and learned stage combat basics at Rapier Wit. Being a part of the research and creation process for FH’s newest show ‘Noir’ was also an incredible opportunity. Remember, the full show will be coming July 2023!

Clarke, Evan and Abby research "Noir." Image by Maya

Nicole, Zoe and Maria research Winter in the Port. Image by Maya

In February and March, I was able to access FH’s brilliant classes and workshops: World Building for Choreographers and Grant Writing Basics. These classes offered me unique perspectives directly from Colleen and other FH company members, and the Grant Writing workshop is something you can take yourself, whenever you want! It's $60, and you can register here.

While spending time with the wonderful people that make up Frog in Hand, I have learned and grown immensely as a dancer, artist, and human! I gained a deeper understanding of how to research, create, collaborate, listen, hear, and be heard. I gained trust in myself to be more open and grounded, and I further appreciate the complexities that come with storytelling and world building through movement.

I want to thank Colleen and all of Frog in Hand SO MUCH for all of the incredible knowledge and opportunities they have offered me within the past couple of months! I also want to thank Hanna Kiel, Derek Sangster, and George Brown College for creating and organizing this mentorship opportunity.

It has been a wonderful, wacky ride and I’m so glad I got to do it with the most creative, kind, and cool people!

With that, I’m out! You can follow more of my journey on my Instagram (@_maya_gb), or catch me in Human Body Expression’s new show being presented May 11th, 12th, and 13th (ticket info coming soon)!

Make sure to come back next month for updates and news on FH’s newest projects.