my
Story
I live my life to the fullest, I don’t let myself miss a second of it. I love to be in motion all the time and I never get tired of it. When I do something, I do it with all my heart and soul and always with a smile on my face.
I’m an artist; An artist, meaning a man living in the world of imagination with his head in the clouds. Yes, I am an artist. I think images, perceive motions, the play of lights and moods differently. I never get wet, I just feel the rain with all my body.
However, I know how to tame the artistic chaos. I set my creative vein on the foundations of unusual arrangement and I care about details. The combination of passion and humble work on what I create on the stage, enables others to see me as a trustworthy person or perhaps a mentor. As a director and choreographer I take conscious responsibility for what I create.
I try to take advantage of my passions in dance, literature, sports and travelling so that in my projects are not only aesthetic and breathtaking, but also provide deeper message and stay with my audience for a long time.
My mind and body have been in motion ever since I was a kid. These include acrobatics, athletics, martial arts, Ballet School in Lodz and finally performances in Kielce Dance Theatre. This time I continued to search, so I went on completing choreographic, music and management studies. Still I felt hungry, so I went abroad for apprenticeships. First to “Académie de la Danse” in Paris, then to “Alvin Ailey’s” an American Dance Theatre in New York. I also touched the stages of London theatres, I did all of these to gain international experience and first hand practical knowledge. After I came back, I was acknowledged in Roma and Buffo theatres in Warsaw where I performed as a musical actor in most popular Polish productions.
I thought I had full control over my life when the accident happened. The play Miss Saigon – spine injury, pain and regret… consequently, loss of job, disloyal friends and workmates. My challenges became a turning point in my life. Now I know it was a gift of fate or perhaps life just wanted to show me that it was high time to start believing in myself again and to start independent activity. The accident opened a new chapter in which I would create my own spectacles, plays and artistic shows.
I was ready to share what I am best at – instilling love and passion towards dancing. I was teaching modern dance and lecturing scenic movement in artistic academies. Inspired by my professors, I completed postgraduate studies in choir conducting in Music Academy in Bydgoszcz.
In 2002, I started my ballet ensemble called Art Project Ballet, gathering international artists, dancers and acrobats who have been creating various performances with me as well as participating in ballet spectacles and events ever since.
Soon after, there came an offer from the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) for directing the Eurovision Young Dancers contest, starring world known dancers such as Maya Plisetskaya, Krzysztof Pastor or Irek Mukhamedov. It was another landmark in my life which pushed me up to another level of art creation and it was very illuminating.
In the following years, together with my ensemble I took part in domestic and foreign artistic projects, working for such music stars as Garou, SNAP, Tom Jones, London Beat, Lou Bega, Boney M., Fun Factory, La Toya Jackson, Shakin Stevens, Paddy Kelly or 2 Cellos. I prepared choreography for Polish music stars participating in the Sopot International Song Festival and National Festival of Polish Song in Opole, as well as creating scenic movement for New Year’s Eve concerts for various TV stations.
Owing to the variety of experiences, I have been gaining trust of many companies looking for a creative director able to meet their expectations as regards the organization of business galas, original marketing and sales conferences or advertising campaigns. As a producer and director I have also worked for such companies as L’Oréal Paris, Avon, AmRest, Zepter, Unilever, Mercedes, Super-Pharm, Orlen and Johnson & Johnson… I have co-operated with famous fashion creators and designers like Kenzō, Svarovsky, Eva Longoria and many others.
There came a time for larger projects. The worldwide famous architect Daniel Libeskind, who is the creator of the development of the Ground Zero area left after the World Trade Center in New York, commissioned me to create a dance vision of this architectural work. This is how the show “Architect’s Dream” came to life.
The subsequent large production was Tall Ships’ Races – the direction of the World’s Sailing Ships Rally, embellished with an acrobatic spectacle for over 100 thousand spectators. Following world trends, I also co-created sport shows like the EHF Men’s Handball Euro Championship 2016 and FIVB Volleyball World Championship 2014.
I took a deep breath in the “artistic race” to express myself in the multimedia modern ballet entitled “Sins”, presented on the stage of the Syrena theatre in Warsaw. I felt this show was mine – from the beginning to the end, starting of the music concept up to the graphic animations.
My experiences as a director and producer resulted also in creating authorial Pop Opera in Turkey. The project brought more than 150 artists from all over Europe. The premiere was watched by almost one thousand spectators from all around the world.
Finally, in my journey I reached the mystic heaven. I was trusted by Pope Francis, for whom I was honored to direct an event presenting Jesus Christ’s Way of the Cross on the World Youth Day in Poland. Almost a year-long creation process, producer’s responsibility, 1 000 artists and volunteers, 2 million people watching it live, TV transmission to almost 200 countries worldwide. This truly was an enormous and mystical experience.
Today, as an experienced director and choreographer, I try to combine art with latest trends such as multimedia animations, computer graphic, black trax systems, aerial stunts, water curtains and Virtual Reality (VR).
This versatility distinguishes me, my artists and executors among other similar creators.
My name is Mateusz Polit, I’m 41 years old. I love what I do and I feel very happy about it. I live with passion and I want to keep on tempting fate. I’m ready for it.
Mateusz Polit