Movers & Shapers: Elizabeth Yilmaz-Dobrow, Mara Driscoll, and César Abreu

ABOUT Mara Driscoll

Mara Driscoll is a creative producer, arts administrator, choreographer, and professional dancer. She is the Program and Advancement Lead at the International Society for the Performing Arts, a network of 500 leading arts professionals from 60 countries. In 2020, at the height of the pandemic, she founded and produced Boulder Arts Outdoors, a multi-disciplinary performance festival in Boulder, Colorado.  In 2022, she co-founded Art Bath and has since presented major names in music, dance, opera, and visual art at Art Bath’s intimate, immersive salons in midtown Manhattan. As a dancer, Mara has worked with FJK Dance, Richmond Ballet, Armitage Gone! Dance, and the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, where she has danced for six consecutive seasons. Her choreography has been presented at The Phillips Collection in Washington DC, New York Theatre Workshop, New Chamber Ballet, and the Center at West Park.

Art and Community with Elizabeth Yilmaz-Dobrow, Mara Driscoll, and César Abreu

Episode 146: Show Notes

Performers are always looking for creative outlets and creative communities. In this episode, we hear from three incredible people, Elizabeth Yilmaz-Dobrow, Mara Driscoll, and César Abreu, who have come together to form an exciting new project with a shared vision for performance. Art Bath is an immersive performance salon series that fosters community, exploration, and exchange within the community. Our guests share how they met while dancing at the Metropolitan Opera Ballet and why they decided to join forces to create Art Bath. We start by learning about each of their journeys to becoming the performers they are today, what they enjoy most about dance, and the unique way in which they have come together.  Learn about the power of the Art Bath platform, how art can help people connect and understand one another, and how they found the formula that works. We also find out how the various ways they support the salon, the challenges of building a solid support base, the ultimate goal of Art Bath, and what the future holds for this exciting creative production. Tune in to hear more about the power of art and community with today’s inspirational guests, Elizabeth Yilmaz-Dobrow, Mara Driscoll, and César Abreu!

Key Points From This Episode:

• How each of our guests first became interested in dance.
• Find out what forms of dance our guests first practiced.
• What they pursued after graduating from high school.
• Hear how their experiences shaped them into becoming artists.
• The experience of performing on stage at the Met.
• Mara’s unconventional path to becoming a professional dancer.
• The sense of community amongst the dancers at the Met.
• Learn about Cesar’s background as a child actor.
• Why Cesar is passionate about performing and dancing.
• The people that were advocates for Cesar to pursue dance.
• How our guests first met and decided to start Art Bath.
• The performance that ignited the development of Art Bath.
• How they were able to find a location for their idea.
• Discover the inspiration for the name of the studio.
• Mara explains the concept and vision behind Art Bath.
• The artists who perform at Art Bath.
• How art can encourage open dialogue and conversation.
• Learn how they fundraise and support the project.
• Elizabeth outlines the type of audience who attend Art Bath shows.
• How Art Bath creates a sense of community for performers.
• What to expect from Art Bath and our guests in the future.