Liz Monnier, Artistic Director AKA “the Worker Bee”
6 Things You Didn’t Know About FWDC Artistic Director, Liz Monnier
1. I’m a little claustrophobic. When I go to performances or a movie, I really need a lot of empty seats around me; same thing for meetings. I can easily use up three chairs just for my legs and torso to spread out. This is probably from watching too many scary movies as a kid where people got buried alive. The thought of spelunking makes me nuts.
2. My co-workers say one of my fun facts should be that I can’t sit still in a meeting. I’m always stretching, moving around, doing handstands against the wall. I guess this is my workout. Plus I have to sit nearest the door… (see fun fact, claustrophobia above)
3. What do I do for fun? Dancing is really fun so I don’t crave doing fun things, but the most relaxing thing for me is fishing. My siblings and I grew up with grandparents that had a place in Angola and we learned it all from baiting the hook, to cleaning the fish and then the reward of eating! I prefer a rowboat that slows me down, it’s quiet and I don’t need to worry about not being able to get a motor started. I have some friends on Crooked Lake that have generously allowed me to come visit anytime and check out their boat. Even if I don’t catch anything, the experience of being on a lake under a big sky with a cup of coffee (morning) or beer (evening) is heaven. Swimming is also heaven.
4. I’ve lived 13 places in my life, but the most recent I’ve been at for 33 years. Crazy. Guess I like it here on Wayne Street!
5. I’ve never gotten a speeding ticket, and never spent the night in a hospital. I’ve only broken one bone in my body…my left middle finger!
6. Favorite foods: spinach (think popeye), broccoli, sushi…
Liz sometimes gets to do the artistic thing, but mostly she answers A LOT of questions posed to her from Alison and Jarin. Since she has been around since Day 1, being a founding member in 1979, she literally knows everything about everything. She writes project grants, manages deposits, oversees the on-site school, touring companies and all productions. She works the list, the ongoing list, edits videotape, loves the dancers at South Side High School and sits in on a lot of meetings. She teaches outreach programs at Easter Seals Arc, Bi-County Services, several facilities that serve seniors and people with disabilities. She also teaches on-site classes for children and adults. In 2011, she started a four-year training in the Feldenkrais Method in Seattle, WA, which takes her away from the FWDC eight weeks per year. She will graduate in May 2015.
Liz is a Scorpio and doesn’t’ know the meaning of “quit,” and is ultimately in control of her own destiny. So, she has to keep that in check now and then working within the collective structure that she loves.
Ultimately her true love is movement, language and expression. Through her years of training with some of the most notable people in the profession, she has found her voice, her body and her power. She knows how this feels and through the Fort Wayne Dance Collective programs she inspires others to find theirs.