The people at Barefoot Studios are seizing their moment in Tacoma's creative evolution. As they explore possibilities and share energy, they embody one of Paul's favorite statements, that "The best dance is one that creates community."
Diane de la Paz - Tacoma Weekly
Guided by the conviction that the arts are essential to a healthy community, Barefoot Studios is dedicated to Contemporary Dance and related arts, offering professional and pre-professional training for all ages, workshops, guest artist residencies, rehearsals, performances and
a rotating series of installations by visual artists.
Though they’ve been in Tacoma a scant year and a half, their contribution to the creative community has already been recognized by back-to-back awards from the Tacoma Arts Commission and
the Pierce County Arts Commission. - Margaret Payne, City Arts Magazine
As directors of Barefoot Studios, you are recognized for offering workshops, performances, and a rotating series of installations by visual artists. Also of note is your outstanding and innovative programming in dance performance and education, your vision and choreography, and for your interaction with the larger community, reaching out to community members who are not regular art patrons.
- Naomi Strom-Avila, Art at Work Coordinator
Established June 2005, Barefoot Studios was honored with the
Tacoma Arts Commission's 2006 AMOCAT Award for Arts Outreach and
the Pierce County Arts Commssion's 2006 Margaret K. Williams Arts Award for Excellence in the Arts.
Certified Barefoot Friendly
Two dance studios with gentle to the joints sprung wood floors that are surrounded by beautiful art
and vibrant colors bathed in natural light.
Our logo is inspired by ancient Mexican flat stamps depicting Ozomatli, the monkey god of Dance that is remarkably similar to a bas relief carving Joséphine found on a temple in Bali of Hanuman, the Hindu monkey god of Dance who is believed by some scholars to be a source for the Chinese mythological character Sun Wukong.
Combine that with piece of tribal- and folk-inspired art, and the place as a lively, vibrant feel to it.
- Alyssa Rosso, Greater South Sound Home & Garden
Jen Graves -
Tacoma News Tribune
Directors Paul and Joséphine A. Zmolek have extensive training and experience in interdisciplinary and cross-cultural arts education and the performing arts. Each hold three degrees, have directed, choreographed and performed for various professional performance companies and have taught dance for over 25 years in higher education, secondary, elementary, pre-school and private arts academies.
We are highly selective in inviting only the highest caliber teachers who are masters of their art or highly trained young professionals with solid grounding in pedagogical theory and practice that honors the art and respects the individual.
Our curriculum offers training on one of two sprung wood floors in contemporary, classical and traditional techniques utilizing the tools of movement analysis to develop the craft of creative expression informed by somatic approaches to human performance. The fullest beauty of dynamic expression through human movement celebrates the individual differences of culture, shape, size and age.
Barefoot Studios produces performances by our resident interdisciplinary performance company Callous Physical Theatre and the bi-monthly 10X10 performance workshop series. The Church of Perpetual Motion is a dance jam held every other Sunday.
Mary Mabry, Mary Chase, Jenna Veatch, Katharine Stricker
Stephanie Kriege
Katharine Stricker, Krissa Englebright, Stephanie Kriege, Tracey Gramenz, Susan Chapel. Carla Barragan, Jeanne Douville, Jeff Hansen
Kenny Mandell & Ethan Cudabeck
Stephanie Kriege, Katharine Stricker
Barefoot Studios mounts rotating installations of 2D and 3D art in our three exhibitions spaces.
Catherine Gouker, Laura MacCary, Catherine Swanson
Craig Jacobrown
Josephine Zmolek 2005
