El Sueñito

"EL SUEÑITO" (little dream)

THE JOURNEY

Institute of the Arts Barcelona (IAB) - the school! A place where I want to continue my education in performing arts and let the world see me as a passionate professional I am. I am starting a BA in Musical Theatre, since something like this doesn't exist in Croatia, where I'm from. This is where I will get intensive training in performing arts to be able to share my art while maintaining high standards. I got a partial scholarship, but I still have to collect a high amount to cover all of my expenses.

But first, let me tell you about my sueñito!

WHO AM I?

Let's start from the beginning. My name is Maja and I am a "wannabe triple threat" from Croatia. Or not a wannabe! I am an actress, a dancer, a singer, a dance teacher and a choreographer. I don't know when you get the right or the courage to call yourself all of these beautiful names, but hopefully I'm on the way, considering my prior education, experience, passion and crazy willingness to do what ever it takes.

I also hold a Master's degree in Spanish Language and Literature and Comparative Literature from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zagreb. The plan is to keep finding and exploring all the possible connections between language learning/theoretical theatre approach and musical theatre, combining the knowledge from both of my educational paths.

EDUCATION!

My artistic education started at a very young age in Primary School for Ballet and Dance, which was replaced for a theatre group in Zagreb Youth Theatre. Zagreb Youth Theatre drama and dance classes, different workshops and frequent performance opportunities, in the duration of 13 years, made a serious impact on who I was and who I wanted to become. Soon I got the opportunity to expand both education and performance experience with Tirena Theatre. My singing classes got the foundation in Bacchabundus Vocal Studio and were later additionally developed in Husar&Tomčić Singing School.

In Husar&Tomčić Singing School I didn't only get proper vocal training, but also intensive musical theatre training, including dancing and acting classes. With a constant need for more, I expanded my education with dance classes in JazzElle Dance Studio. I have also attended different international workshops, by American Musical and Dramatic Academy, Stage School Hamburg, Institute of the Arts, Terremoto Performance and many others.

EXPERIENCE!

I started working at a very young age having to pay for the education I was craving for. I started as a Zumba Fitness instructor, which later expanded to different fitness and dance classes. Soon I found a perfect business environment in both Husar&Tomčić Singing School and JazzElle Dance Studio. Somewhere in between I worked as a performer and touristic fitness entertainer at the Adriatic Coast and Canarian Islands.

Throughout the years, I developed my skills and I am currently working as a musical theatre mentor (in all three skills) in Husar&Tomčić Singing School and as a dance teacher in JazzElle Dance Studio. I also worked as an assistant choreographer at Croatian National Television in "Just the Two of Us" TV show and also at City Theatre Žar ptica in a show called "Mama, ja sam pozelenio!". I worked as an actress in different children's shows with Theatre Tirena and also with a brand "Šašavci". With "Šašavci" I recorded different singing tunes for commercials, YouTube videos and performance songs.

In the last two years, I was blessed with an incredible spiritual journey and was given a chance to create and participate in choreographies and performances as a part of big catholic events where I've learned to create on a completely new level and manage a big group of people. This is a project very close to my heart.

HOW CAN YOU HELP? AND PLEASE DO!

Having said and presented everything about my educational and professional artistic journey, I would like to ask for your help. Hopefully you got to this part! As you have come to a conclusion, I am a truly hardworking, determined and ambitious woman, not letting anything stop me in making my sueñito come true. But I need a financial support and I am accepting everything that comes from your hearts, my dear friends!

This opportunity will not only change my life, but hopefully change the lives of so many others with a similar interest as me, to be able to, someday, pursue their careers in musical theatre and get a proper education without having to leave our beautiful Croatia.

And to put everything aside. Imagine you find something that makes you feel alive. Something you are ready to give your heart to. Something you've been dreaming about your whole life. Something that makes you who you are. And it stays with you, it waits inside of you, as hard as it gets. And it did get really hard. But this story has always been my "something". My sueñito.

Sueñito, it means little dream. Say it so it doesn’t disappear. (Usnavi, In The Heights)