If you had to describe yourself as an artist in 2 sentences, what would those sentences be?
I think my style as an artist is quirky, off the wall storytelling with a lot of heart. I look for ways to tackle heavy or serious messages using a light hearted manner because I’ve found it opens hearts and minds to real conversations more effectively.
You are the director and choreographer of an upcoming dance film short, called “Open Relations.” Could you describe the concept of the project?
Our goal with the film is to bring awareness to open relationships within the LGBTQ community and beyond. In the film you will see a happily married gay couple sharing their lives with multiple partners in a safe, joyful and harmonious way. Open relationships are happening more and more in the LGBTQ and even the straight community but most people don’t feel that they can (or should) share this with friends and family. There are so many different ways to live, love and be happy within our relationships and we should not be ashamed about any of them. With this film we hope to bring open relationships out of the closet!
What is the importance of destigmatizing these forms of relationships? Do you have personal experience with open relationships?
I believe our society has a collective limiting belief that we have formed over centuries of religion and culture that the only way to experience true love is through monogamy. We have infinite amounts of love and we hold ourselves back from the possibility of more. Nobody ever says to a mother who has a second child “Oh, so sad that you won’t love the first child as much anymore.”
The first step for our greater community is awareness that healthy and happy open relationships do exist and, even if they aren’t right for all of us, there is no need to devalue them because they are not what we were taught growing up.
I personally have never been in an open relationship. I’ve only witnessed them secondhand through many of my friends that are in open relationships. It’s funny because working on this film has started me on a journey of my own. The more people I talk to and the more I read about this plethora of diverse relationship types, the more I think an open relationship might be right for me. I’m hoping to open others’ hearts and minds through the film the way mine has through this journey.
Could you describe what heteronormative is and why you think it is important to challenge those limitations?
We used heteronormative to describe what most of us were taught to expect after growing up…to get married to someone of the opposite sex, have kids and live a life that fits into our American societal norm. These ideas consume us from a young age because they are all we see. Identifying with any minority that doesn’t fit into accepted norms can be very difficult and hurtful, especially to our youth. It can isolate you and make you feel as though you don’t belong at any age.
Concerning our romantic relationships there are an infinite amount of different ways to be “open” and if we are able to let go of these “heteronormative” beliefs, we may discover one that works better for us and our partner or partners. It’s about stripping away what we have been taught to see the truth within each of us, which can be different from person to person and couple to couple…or throuple to throuple!
You seem to have a sense of fun and whimsy in your work. Is it important for you to find the joy in creating something while maybe challenging conventional ideas?
Yes! I believe one of my strengths as an artist and person is my ability to make people smile and laugh.
A positive and humorous outlook toward life is innate to me, and I strive to use what comes naturally to encourage an audience or viewers to find it in themselves. I admire the artists who can emote in deeper more serious ways, but that is not my voice.
When I was an actor I always played the sidekick funny guys like Cosmo in Singin in the Rain. And now as a producer/director/choreographer I pride myself on bringing the same approach to this work.
Sometimes if work is too heavy handed and emotive it might turn some people off to new ideas because it might feel combative in nature. Approaching work with humor and light often opens the audience to be able to hear the message. I think this is especially true with subject matter that might be new to people, such as open relationships.
You have taken some journeys with Sonic Yoga. Would you mind sharing some of the highlights?
Sonic is my yoga home! It’s where I fell in love with the practice of yoga and where I eventually received my teacher training. The teachers and community there have always meant so much to me. This great love of Sonic is best expressed in “The Sonic Yoga Tango”, a parody to “The Cell Block Tango” from the musical Chicago, that I created 7 years ago. If you haven’t seen it, be sure to check it out on youtube. It now has over 60,000 views!
What other artists/creatives excite you right now? Who is inspiring you at the moment?
The team that has come together to work on this film is inspiring me like crazy! I know that’s maybe a cop-out, but I have been truly blown away by them. Some of them I have worked with for years and some are new to me, but all of them are exemplary artists and beyond talented. This dance film idea has actually been in my head for years but it has stayed there because it costs a great deal of time, energy and money to bring this type of vision to life. This is a passion project that will never make us money, yet this amazing team has come on board to say that this message is important and that they are willing to give of their time, energy and talents to put important work out into the world. Shout out to Mike Giardino (our film’s cinematographer), Michael Lee Scott (our film’s art director), Sandy Shelton (our film’s associate director and choreographer), Shiloh Goodin (our film’s associate choreographer) and Stephanie Gail Ross (our film’s production assistant).
How can people find out more about you and what you are working on?
My website, MikeKirschCreative.com, is usually fairly up to date. 🙂 And for a bit more of a mix of my personal and creative endeavors you can follow me on instagram @mikekirsch34
You are looking for some backing for your upcoming project, how can people find out more about how they may help?
Yes, we definitely have a journey ahead of us in the funding department to bring this film to life. So far we have only raised $1,000 of the $8,000 needed to produce the film. If you know of anyone this project might speak to (perhaps an LGBTQ organization or producers or just lovers of this type of message or performance art), please send them this info! Even a $5 or $10 donation would be a great help to bring this vision to life! It’s also tax deductible as we are producing it through a non-profit performance company!
- Click Here to learn more or donate today!
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- Click here to watch our adorable (and scantily clad) promotional video!
