Antidotal evidence

During her captivating career as a determined dancer, Carolyn Marcinkiewicz has often needed to nurse her bloody feet, such has been the devotion that she has applied to the vocation. While tending to those extremities has become a customary practice, the 34-year-old finds herself having to heal another cherished body part, her heart, having lost brother Danny to addiction four months ago. She will call on her calling to be a balm beginning tomorrow when she and fellow South Philadelphians Leslie Davidson and Jessica Noel present “our poison” at Philly Pack, 729 S. Fourth St.

“It’s going to be cathartic in some ways,” the Queen Village occupant said of the 30-minute show, one of 17 South Philly-based creations that will help the FringeArts Festival to mark its 20th celebration. “I might cry while performing because it’s still often incredibly emotional when facing it all.”

She and her peers will address addiction through their dance theater project, with Marcinkiewicz noting their movements will work to reflect the effects that the malady’s many forms have on relationships. For one element, she will initiate the action by placing herself in the same spot where she was when learning that her sibling was missing. Along with the intensely emotional qualities of the premiere, which will run on Fridays and Saturdays through Sept. 24, Marcinkiewicz expects for her involvement to strengthen the commitment to dance that has helped her to become a commended professional.

“Of course with my brother’s death, it’s been a wild ride to go through the grieving process with my art form as a means to comprehend the setback,” she said. “When I look beyond that component and focus on the opportunity that we have to be a bit of a comfort provider to people and the chance that I have to represent Philly PACK and work with two amazing women, I feel really fortunate.”

As a tap and hip-hop instructor at the space, under the direction of Noel, a May 2013 South Philly Review Lifestyles subject, she loves interacting with children, dubbing them “a blast,” and discussing how dance, through shows and movies, has become even more of a reminder that hard work pays off for loyal practitioners. With only one day remaining until she furthers her connection to the discipline, her place of employment, and Danny’s influence, she knows that no matter the challenge and regardless of the time that she will need to recover from external or internal struggles, dance will never fail her.

“I love what I do,” she proclaimed. “I look to make that pretty obvious with each class or opportunity because this is what drives me. This is what, aside from my connection to my family, goes a long way to defining me.”

MARCINKIEWICZ IS MARKING her third decade as a dancer, having begun lessons at age 4. The Northeast Philly product quickly and resolutely realized that if she truly wanted to become a standout, she would need to apply her will constantly to the pursuit of admirable execution and tireless evolution.

“I absolutely loved that sense of sacrifice that it was all going to take,” she said of girlhood epiphanies. “When you’re young, you definitely are aware of the sparkles, the glitter, the costumes, the music, and the environment, but I was able to see much farther beyond all of that because I knew I wanted dance to be a huge part of me, not a passing fancy or something that had competition for my attention.”

Following enrollment at Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls, Marcinkiewicz transferred to the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts, putting in intense preparation when enrolled at the Hawthorne-based institution. The comprehension of her talent and tenacity bred thoughts of heading to New York City, but the University of the Arts ended up instilling more dedication within her and intensified family bonds because of her decision to remain a Philadelphia resident. A lifelong inhabitant of the metropolis, she values how influential it has been on her maturation, with her professional and personal lives benefiting.

“I’ve really enjoyed being an active person through this city,” Marcinkiewicz said of its amenities. “Especially when you think about South Philly, it’s easy to appreciate how fortunate it is to be here at this point in its growth.”

Along with Philly PACK, where she has taught since ’14, with adults also growing under her expertise, she has garnered praise through the SHARP Dance Co. and Sweat Fitness, 700 E. Passyunk Ave. Group fitness and personal instruction, prominently through Mario Lanza Park, 200 Catharine St., have also propelled her to a place among the most revered local health enthusiasts, and she enjoys domestic bliss with fiance Alex and seven-year-old son Jacob.

“It’s really tough, almost impossible, to find South Philly unappealing,” Marcinkiewicz offered of the expanse, with this present four-year run in Queen Village marking her second time as a resident of the proud section of the city. “I find it comforting and inspirational, especially down here because there’s an emphasis on creativity and responsibility to others.”

That latter part of life as a local certainly comes through in “our poison,” the successor to Philly PACK’s Radiohead-inspired Fringe offering “Sit Down. Stand Up.” Tabbed as a chance to “experience the many faces of addiction through the struggles of three individuals,” the work will certainly not lack for stellar musical contributions, as The Beatles, The White Stripes, Nina Simone, and Radiohead, among others, will have their catalogue included and will strive to strengthen the audiences’ comprehension and implementation of compassion. That key theme in her life makes Marcinkiewicz especially compelled to etch in everyone’s long-term memory that victims of addiction are not statistics to use to make people feel better about their own dilemmas but are missed loved ones whose absences leave lasting voids.

“I dearly miss my brother,” she said, adding that his humor included a willingness to let everyone know that he taught her everything she knows. “I look forward to seeing how I’ll pull everything together. It’s all still so fresh, so I know the emotions will run high.” SPR

Visit fringe.phillypack.org.

Contact Staff Writer Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com.

Photo by Philly PACK

Carolyn Marcinkiewicz