Maria Miotk is a dancer and dance curator. She graduated in philosophy and cultural studies from the University of Gdańsk and the Academy of Theatre Practices affiliated with the “Gardzienice” Centre for Theatre Practices. She is the curator of the Gdańsk Dance Festival, and bosun’s mate aboard STS Tenacious.
She started her dance career from practicing Irish dance and flamenco, which she still explores today. Over the years she has participated in flamenco workshops and courses all around the world. She has also worked with the ballet of the Baltic Opera.
Since 2005 she has collaborated with the Sopot Dance Theatre as a dancer. She started out as an apprentice (Rhizome, 2006), then participated in the company’s specials, such as Solidarność (Solidarity) and Fabryka Papieru (Paper Factory) shown at the “Zdarzenia” International Festival of Theatre and Visual Arts in Tczew Europe 2006. Then she performed in SDT’s 2010 repertory production titled Kwadrat. Wersja 6 (Square. Version 6). She took part in performances of the Baltic Opera (Eugene Onegin directed by Marek Weiss, 2009) and Baltic Dance Theatre (Romeo and Juliet choreographed by Izadora Weiss, 2009) in Gdańsk.
Miotk has created her own pieces (thanks to an artistic scholarship received from the Pomeranian Province). These include the solo Tierra de Luz (2008); the duo The Bride Stripped Bare By Her Bachelors, Even (2008) with Larysa Grabińska, Miotk’s choreographic debut inspired by the painting of Marcel Duchamp; 7 życzeń (7 wishes; 2009) featuring Barbara Szamotulska; and Tajemnicza śmierćNormy Baker (The Mysterious Death of Norma Baker;2010) developed together with Barbara Pędzich, Dorota Zielińska, and Alina Jurczyszyn.
In 2011, she created, together with director Iwona Gilarska, a dance diptych for children and adults Królewna Sroka i świetlista kula (Princess Magpie and the Flaming Ball) and Życie seksualne królewny (The Sexual Life of A Princess), which she choreographed and in which she danced.
Also in 2011 Miotk took part in two performances of the Sopot Dance Theatre: Natura (Nature), an outdoor version, and FAST ACTSztuka znikania (FAST ACT The Art of Vanishing).
In her work she uses various dance styles, including contemporary dance techniques and flamenco.
As a flamenco and dance instructor, she has collaborated with La Pasion, El Patio, Gdynia’s YMCA, Centre of Seniors Activation, and Baltic Academy of Independent Theatre. She has also danced flamenco and practiced capoeira.
Her dance-inspired MA thesis was titled “Ból jako przedmiot doświadczenia egzystencjalnego” (Pain as an object of existential experience), and was written under the supervision of Professor Bohdan Dziemidok.