Photo credit: Miguel Pizarro
Why do you think that the Arts are important?
As a Teaching Artist, Director, and Choreographer I have witnessed positive reactions and transformations take place with individuals who are able to have a breakthrough in understanding, comprehension, and emotional growth. Art Therapy helps in so many ways for all ages. I have taught Arts Integration in schools and mindful movement seniors in memory care. In both instances students have made connections and shown enhanced capabilities.
Tell us about your daughter Izze and her talents
My daughter, Isabel Mattick has performed many characters in Musical Theatre roles, including The Cowardly Lion in “The Wizard of Oz”, Rumpleteazer in “Cats”, Iris in “Fame”, Cogsworth in “Beauty and the Beast”, Captain Hook in “Peter Pan “Rebooted” (Female Cast), and more…
She now attends San Diego City College and is working towards a degree in Entomology, and in her spare time works on mask and costume design.
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My name is Laura Hodge, I am a Performing Artist first and foremost. I am the founder and director of Creative Arts International formerly San Diego Creative Arts Project and Rosarito Dance Theatre.
A lot of times, people label me as only one job that they have seen me do.
I am not just one of those things I am all of these ..
Choreographer, Dancer, Director, Writer, Voice Over Artist, Producer, Teaching Artist, Costume Creator, Mother, and many more..
I wear many different hats, many different faces, and many roles, as well as like to change my hair color frequently.
I absolutely love all things arts, and letting my creativity flow.
It is a big part of my existence.
People often ask when did you get into this?
I was born and grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. My family was creative, especially my mother. They always encouraged me that I could do whatever I set my mind to.
As far back as I can recall, I have been imagining elaborate scenarios for dance and theatre. When I was very young, I would listen to music with the headphones on, sit back, and start imagining the lights, the colors, the costumes, the choreography. I would go into my grandmother’s drawers and pull out all of her scarves, attach them to me
like some kind of diaphanous costume. Then I would get out the bag of costume jewelry she saved for me and accessorize like a gypsy, and dance and act out roles all over the house- making grand entrances and exits. That started when I was about 3 or 4, and to this day I am still doing this on a much larger scale.
My Grandmother put me in dance classes at the age of three – and lucky me!!!! I had two of the most amazing teachers who were performers themselves. Maryetta and Lester Evans used to perform in Vaudeville, and entertain troops in the USO as The Four Evans. Lester was a great Tap teacher, and Maryetta who taught Modern and Jazz, was like a Hollywood movie star. So she was really someone who inspired and influenced me from age 3-18. I think that it is very important as a teacher to have worked professionally as a performer.
I attended Point Park University first as a dance major, then started acting and hanging out with the Theatre crowd. As a dancer my idols were Isadora Duncan, Martha Graham, and Twyla Tharp.
I went on to perform as a soloist with many dance theatre companies, including The Physical Theatre Project, my own Ampersand Dance Theatre-with a repertoire of Choreography, and did Commedia Dell’Arte with the Pittsburgh Mime theatre.
As a choreographer, besides my own repertory of work, I have choreographed for both The San Diego and Pittsburgh Symphonies, The Pittsburgh Steelers Fashion Show, Special events and fundraisers, and in 2011, choreography on a film with Oscar Isaac who went on to become Poe in the most Recent Star Wars Trilogy.
I moved to Hollywood in the 90’s where I appeared in small parts in film, tv, commercials and video games. I also started doing voiceover work. Over the years my performance history includes not only Dance and Theatre, but fun fact – I was in a few bands as lead singer, National and Local Touring Musicals, Children’s Theatre, and….Mr Rogers Neighborhood.
That’s right…
On a typical day, I see Patterns everywhere, and am inspired. Patterns in Nature like shadows, flowers, birds, insects, clouds, architecture, shapes, light, etc … I am drawn to these and instantly get a chill, a tingle, and make associations, and before you know it, I have a creative idea and plan that incorporates these themes.
As a teaching artist, I work with children and adults beginner through professional. I also work in the schools teaching art and acting. I love to help Children express confidence, compassion, while connecting through the arts. I am also certified to teach Seniors in Assisted Living, and Memory Care.
In 2013 I formed the San Diego Creative Arts Project with my own studios for Dance and Musical Theatre classes and productions. In 2015 I started writing a series of “Rebooted” Musical Theatre Fairy tales set to stylistic artistic themes, and more modern Music. Think spectacle – like watching a 3-4 ring circus. Some of my scripts include Alice “Rebooted”, Peter Pan “Rebooted”, Aladdin “Rebooted”, Annie “Rebooted”, and Cinderella “Rebooted”, which was commissioned by the newly open CEART Playas de Rosarito, and then for UABC Tijuana (University) and presented as Cenicienta “Rebooted”, both in Baja California Mexico.
Living with the Pandemic has taught me a lot in regards to patience, yet afforded me the time to work on my craft and getting better in other areas, such as video and online presence, and I am still studying my Spanish!
In 2021, after rethinking things about what I wanted and how that fits into this Post Pandemic world, I decided to “rebrand” as Creative Arts International, arts without borders. CAI will be focusing more on Media, including Docu – series, videos, voiceovers, and podcasts, as well as theatre arts both here and abroad.
The project that I am working on next is a docu series about Powerful and Inspiring people over the age of 50, who I admire greatly. I am fortunate to know these people – who each have their own intriguing story of courage, living outside of the box, tenacity, and survival. I hope to broadcast this to a large population, and inspire not just older adults, but all people.
I am also working on dance and Gentle Fitness/Lifestyle Videos, and seeking producers for a Arts and Cultural TV weekly series that I will be hosting for things to do for ExPats in Baja.
I am passionate about passion.
One of my favorite quotes from Isadora Duncan is this:
“If I could tell you what it means…there would be no point in doing it”
Websites: www.LauraHodge.me
www.CreativeArtsInternational.org
Facebook: @SDCreative Arts Project
Insta: @sdcreativearts
@thereallaurette
sdcreativearts@gmail.com