Teodor Reljic speaks to the multi-talented Natalie Muschamp and finds out about her enthusiastic plans for a series of events at Gianpula, which are to kick off in the summer
That the islands are opening up to a more varied cultural repertoire is becoming somewhat of a warily accepted truism these days. The idea that Malta is cut off from the world in terms of ‘happening’ cultural events seems to be slowly chipping away, since there is no lack of international artists visiting each year. The annual Isle of MTV and the upcoming concert by Moby at the Gianpula Fields are the obvious crowd-pullers, guaranteed to be attended in droves of both local audiences and young tourists. Theatre productions are also being bolstered by international artists: Masquerade’s Jekyll & Hyde, taking place at the Manoel Theatre in May, will feature the talents of Andy Reiss, an experienced UK performer, while the previous Unifaun production, Blasted, featured direction from Dave Barton, a Californian theatre director. The case of Spring Awakening is arguably even more heartening, since it is a local production that manages to jump onto the international bandwagon without employing any foreign artists: the Maltese show will precede German, Japanese and Canadian premieres of the Tony-award winning musical. And it is not just the mainstream that seems to be benefiting from this sudden push: many musical aficionados are still reeling from an excellent weekend double-bill of alternative acts, with the Irish alt-punk trio Therapy? having rocked Sky Club on Thursday and the American folk living legend Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy making an appearance at MITP the following night.
This influx of international acts was neatly counterbalanced by a general wake-up call in the scene. Bands such as Brikkuni brought a local flavour without skimping on the standards, and delivered an album that sounds fresh and airtight. The Burlesque! Burlesque! entertainment nights at Chiaroscuro offered a tongue-in-cheek respite for the theatre audiences (as well as the alternative crowd): adamant not to take themselves too seriously, the troupe of singers, dancers, actors and comedians were warmly welcomed. One is almost tempted to become cautiously optimistic. In this climate of change and new directions, Natalie Muschamp, a half-Dutch, English-born
dancer/model/actress promises to regale Maltese audiences with something completely new. The beginning of the summer season will see the launch of a new series of cabaret-inspired events at Gianpula Club, which she will be putting together with the help of a trio of dancers from Paris and Milan as part of an initiative by her newly-founded company, Choices Entertainment International Limited. These events will officially kick off on May 29. “It’s a style of dancing that isn’t really that well known in Malta, being more of a European thing with Moulin Rouge and so on. But I’m convinced that it will work out, since people here seem open to new things, and are very interested in partying! I think it’s a beautiful country with a lot of opportunities.” Skimming through Natalie’s CV, the first things that strikers you are her adamant globe-trotting ways, and how much the 27-year old has already achieved. Having discovered a passion for dancing at the age of six, she enrolled in classes with the renowned ballerina Rita Campos while growing up in the South of Holland. When she was told by her teacher that she wasn’t yet ready to advance to the FaFa dance academy - a prestigious school situated in the North of the country - she simply didn’t listen and took off on her own, dragging her mother along. She was promptly accepted. “I work with passion…with everything I do in life, I just follow my heart and I think that if you believe in yourself and if you believe in something you can get whatever you want. Ultimately, every choice in life is important, even the bad ones, as long as you know why you made a bad choice, you can only grow.” This impenetrable optimism, fired up by her confidence, helped to keep her relentlessly busy for most of her life. This is part of the reason why she has decided to set up her own company. She recalls the epiphanic moment when she realized she needed a change of tack. “I was just travelling so much and at one point, I woke up in a hotel and had no idea what country I was in! That’s when I decided that living out of a suitcase just has got to stop! Luckily, my mother instilled good values in me, so I was always wary of ending up like a lot of young models…who just get into the scene for the glamour and the partying and soon enough simply forget why there were there in the first place.”
After having attended the FaFa dance school and later the Fontys University, she polished her dancing skills, learning to incorporate a variety of forms, namely Jazz, street, contemporary and tap dancing. This then led her to perform for the Monaco Royal Family on two occasions. “In the beginning I had no idea what was happening. I was in school, basically living alone at 16…then they asked me to perform for Prince Albert! You barely have a chance to think about it while you’re in it…then at some point you’d sit down on the couch and remember that you’ve just done shows in Belgium and France that week…” Having gained some experience as a model, Natalie then travelled to Paris, where she started establishing herself as a freelance dancer. In 2006, she found work with Marquez Productions and went to Portugal where she danced in the eclectic show Dance Fever. In the following year, she joined the cast of the Paris Can Can show in Athens, Greece (also a Marquez production), before she returned to France once again for Les grands Ballets du music-hall. After further projects in Portugal and Paris, she embarked on a project for designer Antonio Coppola in Milan, which is where she got the inspiration for the project in Malta. “I met a business partner from Malta whilst helping create the Moulin Rouge-inspired ‘chandelier motel’ parties for Antonio Coppolla. He asked me if I would be interested in working on a similar concept in Malta, and I accepted.”
While she insists that the aim with these shows is to “bring a smile on people’s faces,” with regards to the actual content of the performances, she remains teasingly elusive (appropriately enough, considering its burlesque roots). “You’ll just see something new.”
For further information on the events contact Natalie on cei.inbox@gmail.com or 99175931
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