“The Russian Dream – Through the Eyes of an Artiste” is an visual photo-narrative by Arjun Kamath, a Contemporary Portrait and Editorial photographer from Bangalore, India. Arjun is a second year Graduate Film and Television Production student at USC, Los Angeles and is a recipient of two Canon Creative Asia Bronze Awards.
The project explores the life of the spirited Olga Sokolova, a Russian dancer and performer who, after traveling to over 40 countries and braving a terrifying kidnapping incident, is now a master of her craft, performing for many, including the Dalai Lama. Struggle is common for all people, but it is often artists who are able to use it as their source of inspiration; the stories of artistes like Olga Sokolova must therefore be told to inspire other artistes engaged in their own struggle. The project represents the coming together of two young artistes who transcend the barriers of race and language to create art in their own unique ways.
The images below were shot over 5 days in uncanny locations like the busy streets of downtown L.A., where Olga performs nonchalantly before several onlookers; on the L.A. metro; in Olga’s house, where she takes us through her awards and publications; and at The Degas Studio, where Olga teaches dance to young children. Although, the content of these images is stylized, care has been taken to preserve the underlying emotion behind each image and thought.
“Dance, when you’re broken open. Dance, if you’ve torn the bandage off. Dance in the middle of the fighting. Dance in your blood. Dance when you’re perfectly free.” – Rumi
Photos by Arjun Kamath MUA by Tammy Suarez
You can’t be afraid of falling down, when all you’ve wanted to do is fly.
Olga Sokolova waits for a mug of coffee at a little cafe in Downtown LA. Confidence and self-belief are two of her biggest strengths.
Olga performs the balancing act in Downtown LA. Focus and self-belief have have played an important role in her success story.
Olga always dreamt of performing in LA, the entertainment capital of the world. She strongly believes that dreams can turn into reality, only when you balance them with pillars of hard work and positive energy.
Olga chose to face her dreams, rather than walk away from them. Come today and there are young kids want to become the next Olga Sokolova.
Your success is a by-product of your hard-work, self belief and positive thinking. God helps those who help themselves.
People called her crazy but she never let that bog her down. She knew she would blossom into a fine artiste one day, but till then decided to put her head down and march forward. Deep within the facades of her heart, she knew that the SKY was her limit!
Been rejected at an audition? Check. Ever felt like nobody cares or loves you? Check. Wait a moment, why wait for someone to make us feel loved and respected? Why don’t we begin by loving and respecting ourselves a little more? Olga did just that, she embraced those little setbacks life threw at her, respected her hard work and smiled through the hard times; those auditions and setbacks stopped mattering after a while.
Reach out to your dreams and color them the way you want to. Sometimes it can mean journeying into a new city, state, country or even across continents. You have no excuse to not make the journey.
From her little home in Nakhodka to her apartment in Los Angeles, Olga’s unwavering focus and her mother’s prayers have helped her travel across continents and spread her art.
How life treats you depends on the expectations you have from life itself. Don’t take life so seriously that you’re unable to unlock the door that leads to small pleasures and little pockets of sunshine.
The little pleasures that Olga gave up as a child have made her who she is today. So although she snacks on Oranges on most days, there are times when Olga can’t help but snack on a bar of chocolate.
Life offers no shiny path for those who fear failure and defeat. Be brave and make fear your slave.
Even in her darkest moments, Olga always looked for a ray of hope and never lost faith.
Can each day be the best day of your life? YES, but only YOU can make that happen.
Never worry about things you can’t control.
Life’s like a painting; you’re the artiste and the plain canvas, your future. Chose your colors well.
Give your dreams wings and be the architect of your own flight.
How does one become rich? By sharing your knowledge with the world. Share all you can, inspire and never neglect your art.
Never look back. Life’s too short for regrets.
You have a dream, then reach out to it. Get to it before someone else does.
Share your wisdom, so other people can learn and march ahead. A real artiste is a selfless artiste.
Awards and accolades are a subset of your hardwork and the prayers of near and dear ones.
Positive energy is important, it’ll inspire people around you and keep you happy.
Allow the little failures of life to transform you into a stronger person. At the end of the day, you are only but a subset of your failures and successes.
Your success is not just yours alone. Share the happiness with your loved ones and see the joy increase by twofold.
Stay happy and make people smile. Nobody remembers the clothes you wore or your awards on your final day.
