In addition to her mastery of Bharata Natyam, and, as she described this art, becoming the embodiment of a heavenly Goddess come to Earth, what also sets this extraordinary artist apart is that her repertoire includes all of the following: classical dance of Japan, classical Chinese court and character dance, Javanese court dance, Balinese ritual temple dance and Korean court dance. In addition, she created an Egyptian Suite, the culmination of tremendous research completed at the British Museum (while she was in the corps de ballet of the Royal Ballet, when Nureyev was with the company!). The Suite brought to life the ancient rituals of Egypt complete with an explanation of the meaning of the gestures from the hieroglyphics and how these accumulated gestures were put together. She performed this dance for two years at the Temple of Karnak by invitation from and as a representative of the Egyptian Government Department of Antiquities.
It is Mimi who told me that of all the instruments used in the ancient Egyptian temple processions, the only instrument to make it into the innermost sanctuary of the temple to accompany the chants was the systrum!
O brightening glance,
How can we know
the dancer from the dance
– W. B. Yeats,,1933
She lives in El Cerrito (adjacent to Berkeley) so I have only had a handful of in person lessons with her over the course of our 30+ year acquaintance; however, each of those experiences was rich beyond measure!
Ever since we met back in 1979 we have communicated, performed together and remain best friends. Her depth of knowledge between her research in the British Museum and her living in Egypt for two years has been invaluable in complementing my research on the systrum… and, of course, all things dance!
Mimi Janislawski, PhD, a master of classical eastern dance traditions, shares the universality of these dance forms, making their essence applicable to your individual art and daily living. She taught the creative & ritual aspects of classical Eastern dance traditions.
Mimi’s extraordinary depth of understanding with regard to the cosmos is also attributable to the fact that she is the daughter of Captain Stanley & Mary Tornich Janislawski. Captain Janislawski was a mariner and navigator and together with his wife spent a lifetime practicing the art of navigation, teaching others the craft, and in Mary’s case, playing a pivotal role in meeting the growing need to teach people how to navigate not only on the water but in the air.
As cited by the San Franciso Maritime Museum,”There was no restricting Mary to the mere troposphere, as she had her sights set on the stars and the moon. She continued her contributions to navigation by designing a grid system of navigation for the Apollo Moon Missions…” Among Mary Tornich Janislawski’s unpublished manuscripts is one titled, The Moon in Myth & Legend. One can only hope one day a publishing house will take interest in it and that it will become available for us to read! Read more about Mimi’s mother Mary
A national treasure, Mimi’s art is best described in the following reviews:
“Watching Srimpi, the court dance from Java, was like being initiated into Transcendental Meditation. The mood was hypnotic …”
– Jamila Salimpour
“She kept one in a constant spell, enchanted by her eloquence in dance. With respect, care and technique, her programs are a vehicle of esthetic and spiritual values….a master who has devoted a lifetime to art. I have not seen many who do it as lovingly well as Mimi.”
– San Francisco Dance Scene
“Most striking was Mimi’s skilled and arresting pantomime, slashing eyes, undulating head, and deft fingers… a visual feast for the spectator. She created living dance theater of enormous vitality.”
– Oakland Tribune
“…with a sense of overwhelming beauty and perfection, the audience was moved to a prolonged standing ovation.”
– Berkeley Daily Californian
[…] to the Bay area once again to study with Jamila, she presented “Way of the Dance” with Mimi Janislawski, who would become my dance guru and lifelong […]