Conversations with Mary Lynn Lewark

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mary Lynn Lewark.

Hi Mary Lynn, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
I love a good story, so it’s interesting that you ask me this question. I am  intrigued by the meanings of things, the metaphor and connections.  Since I often work with the children and in narratives, unearthing the  story is sort of the key to deeper meaning. Besides, who does not love a  good story? Pull up a book with a group of children or gather round a  table to listen to the old days it will bring a smile, a warmth, a truth and  energy to keep going. It is what is ancient in all of us. We have been  telling stories since our beginnings, making sense of ourselves.  

Perhaps that is my story, someone who is in search of truths that don’t  change and kindling a timeless magic that keeps moving us alive.  

I am a dance artist and choreographer. I dabble in words and in creating  self-portrait photographs with an iPhone camera. I have a beautiful  family with three daughters. I spend my time investigating what it means  to be human in movement, love and life. My body and life are my  experiment. I enjoy the process, the chase and connecting people to  the art of it. Connecting human beings has always been important to  me. I love bringing people together, whether in dance or in life, over a  dinner table or on a stage. Either way I am searching for a timeless  humanity around it and a sense of heartfelt remembering.  

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I have/had two companies. Between the Bones Dance( for the kids,  student company) and Bone House North(professional dance theater  company. I have worked with amazing people and talented artists. Over  these last years with the pandemic, things really shifted. Some things  truly challenging like for all of us in the in-person kind of industry,  especially financially. Dance is live art so you have to be there to really  do it or receive it. Certainly there are other ways and we did them, but  my heart of hearts is in live class and performances.  

Something beautiful happened with my companies during the last year  and the two began to merge. Partially because we were dancing  outside and partially because I got a great lesson in community, not only  in mine but in the sense of the world. As we danced and created outside  last year something shifted, we left behind our egoes and stepped into a  grace for creating and connecting I only dreamed could happen. We  trained, we put together shows, hung lights and made sets outside mixing children, adults and professionals. We leaned into each other  and made a circle for us to live, work and survive.  

The church I rent from, 6th Avenue UCC, was beyond helpful to me  during this time, letting our companies dance on the church yard grass,  reducing rent and even negotiating an innovative plan for the space I  rent from them. People driving by were curious about us dancing in the  snow. The previous names of the companies were hard to remember  and did not intuitively tell you what it was. I wanted to re-name the  space Moovment House so the name would speak to what we had  become and also would be inviting.  

The biggest challenges have been starting over, re-branding and  standing alone in my business. At the moment, I am kind of a one-pop  shop, doing the business, marketing, teaching, choreographing,  dancing, renting, however I think that will begin to change soon as it is  all growing. I am not the greatest with dates, finances and software, but  I am amazed by the every day help I receive from people as I sort  myself through it all.  

The other challenge is making art in these times. For independent  artists like me who were already making work by cobbling things  together or doing pro bono work with other artists, the pandemic hit us  hard in the little resources we had. However out of the ashes came this  expansive idea of a movement home. We are creating a community of  artists and humans and helping those move and celebrate with their  authentic story.  

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
With Shea Kluender, a collaborator and photographer, I am hosting  mono no aware, an intimate event of art and dance, Saturday,  November 6, 6-9pm . This gallery is of many things to come at  Moovment House as we hope to inspire and create beautiful evenings  of art and collaborations. These nights will have the feeling of an  expansive table and giving each person a seat and place to rise as we  toast what they are up to.  

This opening night gallery is featuring the stunning and evocative  photographers, Shea Kluender and Meg Koning and myself as we 

explore the ancient Japanese expression “mono no aware”, holding  beauty and grief in impermanence. 

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
My particular piece in the mono no aware evening, is one I have been  working on for three years called Deer Woman, an investigation of the  feminine. I have set this piece many times on groups of women. It is a  look at truth and heart, creature and queen, dream and reality of  

women. I have created many evenings of work, choreography for others  but never a solo for myself, so this moment is humbling. These last few  weeks of rehearsal I have felt a bit haunted by things I don’t believe  anymore. I came to this work as a dance artist and I am coming out as a  woman collecting the better parts of herself. I question how to be strong  without numbing, how to be vulnerable and still know when to let go. I  search to embellish the details and subtleties as I rebuild this piece with  only myself to communicate it.  

I enjoy the nature of a gallery to be able to dance amongst others rather  than “the us vs. them” of the proscenium stage. It takes the edge off the  evening and feels full circle for all of us in creating an ending. For me it  is truly an expression of myself, one woman standing in the community  of others creating space to connect and dream. I am so lucky to work  with great people who just keep making the circle brighter, stronger and  more inclusive like my dear friend and collaborator Leslie Merrill as  dramaturge on the piece and her husband Nicholas Schmidt the  composer of the piece of music and of course Shea Kluender. We have  a way of supporting each other filling in weakness with our strengths  and like my friend Shea says, “linking arms towards bigger dreams and  brighter hope.” It is in our essence of working that carries the culture of  things to come at Moovment House.  

I hope you can come celebrate the evening with us. Wander in, have a  glass of champagne and let’s toast art, dance and community  happening in Denver. If not this time, stay tuned. Magic is happening  here and you are always welcome. 

Contact Info:

• Email: mlewark@me.com
• Website: marylynnlewark.com, moovment.house
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marylynnlewark/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marylynn.lewark

Image Credits
Deer Antler photo:. mbercreative https://www.mbercreative.com/ Michael Ash Smith 4 black and whites: self-portraits, Mary Lynn Lewark Moovment House Photo & flower: Shea Kluender