ABOUT ME
Biography
Wolfgang Goluska began his dance journey at Elizabeth Williams School of Dance at the age of 8. While Wolfgang’s primary focus was on ballet at this time, he also received training in tap and jazz dance. In 2016, at the age of 15, he was first invited to guest dance with Children’s Ballet Theater. With them he would guest dance in numerous shows, eventually joining their company for their 2018-2019 season.
As Wolfgang progressed in his training, he sought out opportunities to improve his craft, including attending ballet intensives at institutions such as Grand Rapids Ballet, Northeast Academy of Dance, and Cincinnati Ballet.
Wolfgang’s journey led him to the dance program at Grand Valley State University where he studied modern and ballet dance as his primary movement forms. He also explored dance history, dance costuming, dance on camera, choreography, urban dance and dance pedagogy. During this time, he continued performing as a guest dancer with multiple companies such as West Michigan Youth Ballet, HIS Academy of Dance, and Greater Lansing Ballet Company. He also continued his external studies, dancing in New York Dance Project’s summer intensive, further expanding his skills in ballet and contemporary dance. He graduated from GVSU with a B.A. in dance on April 29th, 2023. Currently he is dancing with CPR Dance: Inhale Movement alongside teaching and guest dancing with various companies.
Photo Credit: Darren Breen
Performance Resume
ARTISTIC STATEMENT
As an artist, I am continuously on a journey of self-discovery and exploration of the world, where I take pleasure in experimenting with a diverse range of ideas, movements, and tones. These range from standard expressions pushed to their limits to unconventional approaches pushed even further. I believe that art really can only show the perspective of the artist and so my work is just a way to show my perspective of the world, and hopefully give others entertainment in the process. Rarely do I ever go into a dance knowing exactly how the dance is going to turn out because I believe that including the dancers and their perspectives and personalities in the work only deepens the exploration.
Much of my choreography starts out with a central concept, story, or idea that I want to play with, and then gets developed as I try new ways to play around with that central concept. I plan the concepts beforehand but oftentimes the movement comes from a collaborative effort. That being said, I like to use my own movement as a baseline for the work and will often begin by teaching small movement phrases so that when movement is being made in the rehearsal process, it follows a consistent tone.
While I don’t often create what I would consider “site-specific” work (so far, I have largely created for a more “traditional” performance setting with a stage and audience setup), most of my work is tailored to the space that it will be performed in. I enjoy pushing the boundaries of the space and trying to use what I can to its fullest extent.
While I have a background in classical ballet, I don’t rely on it much in my work. Instead, I like to explore the intersections between different movement styles like modern, tap and jazz, and everyday pedestrian movements. I find limiting myself to one style to be confining as I continue to discover the vast possibilities within the world of movement.
I enjoy subverting the audience’s expectations, bringing an unexpected perspective or twist to the idea. I like to push people to think of the world in a different way, and I find that doing something unexpected can get people thinking about my work and the wider world differently. Everyone has their own point of view, and so I try to push people to think about other ways to view the piece or the underlying concept that the piece is based on.
Ultimately, my goal as an artist is to create work that is both entertaining and thought-provoking. By experimenting with different movement styles and exploring unconventional ideas, I hope to create work that is both unique and accessible. For me, art is a way to connect with others and to share my vision of the world, and I look forward to continuing on this journey of self-discovery and exploration.
Photo Credit: Darren Breen